Thursday Election an FF Gerrymander

It is the Taoiseachs perogative to call the date of the General Election, however this perogative should be exercised with reference to the demands of a democratic society that people should be given every opportunity to vote. Bertie does not appear to be worried by such niceties, he has an election to win and it is likely that those nasty student types wont be voting FF, but for Greens and other socialist or hippy types. He also does not want to have the people who moved to Dublin to work going home to vote after being stuck in traffic getting out of Dublin on a Friday. Bollix to dat says Bertie.

The Thursday election should by now be an anachronism in Irish politics, we should have moved away from those days. The point should be to allow as many as possible to exercise their franchise and hang the expense of the overtime at the count.

Noise needs to be made about this. It is not a small issue, it is one which is critical. We have to many pious words about needing to increase participation from politicians. When words are matched by these actions it leaves you in no doubt what they feel about young voters.

Viva El Presidente

Well the Soldiers of Density have gotten round to launching the posters and it comes as zero surprise that they are leading with Bertie. It was always an outside chance that Martin Cullen would be heading up their campaign I suppose.

The slogan is good stuff, Peace Prosperity etc etc and Bertie sitting behind the Taoiseachs desk. The message is very clear, "dont piss it all away - vote FF".

Leading with Bertie has been FFs strategy for so long that its hard to remember how we ever got on without the likeable auld so and so. The Bertiegate affair proved that Bertie is virtually untouchable.

It begins now. The shutting up of Cullen and Roche. From now on its about Bertie, no one else will matter at national level for Fianna Fail. Can Bertie keep persuading us as interest rates rise and jobs go left right and centre, that he's still in control.

Watch this space, El Presidente is warming up for the fight.

After Bertie?

The biggest loser in the Frank Luntz examination of Irish voters attitudes (Rte's Week in Politics) was Brian Cowan. Only 1/3rd of people questioned in the survey thought that Cowan looked like leadership material. If this was a nasty surprise for Biffo, it will surely come as a bonus to his rivals.

The obvious options are Ministers Hanafin, Ahern and Martin. Each one of these will take great comfort in the fact that Irelands answer to Gordon Brown is no longer looking like such a certainty to land the role.

This will be a crucial decision for Fianna Fail. If you factor the changed political atmosphere in which Bertie has operated, it is possible to claim he has been their most popular leader ever. Without him, they are facing many of the same challenges that Fine Gael have faced. Picking a leader with voter appeal is critical. While Biffo maybe popular with the party, he may not play to well with an increasingly image conscious electorate.

This could open a debate within Fianna Fail and should it do so, it will not be good for Brian Cowan. It could also lead to an interesting split. The timing of this will of course depend on the election. If FF win, then its 18 months away, if they lose then its mid summer madness for the Soldiers of Density.

It's Just a Jump to The Left....?

The NDP announced with much Hoo Haa, well more hoo than haa if truth be told. The Fuhrer describes the current government as leaving all others in the shade, Bertie points out that this NDP is all about Social Inclusion. Yes Ladies and Gentlemen, this one's for the Children.

Totalling 180bn, this is a plan which contains virtually nothing. Look through it and there is nothing committed to. Specific projects when they are mentioned aren't costed, headings that are costed do not include specific proposals. It's a bit like going on the piss and spending a large wad of cash and not quite remembering what you spent it on.

God be with the days when Albert could buy an election for 8bn punt. Our expectations have risen so high that we now expect to spend 180bn and get nothing in return. Gotta love new socialist Bertie.