What a difference a day can make. The bold Pat has been a bit jittery of late, struggling to stay on message in the face of repeated questioning on his level of commitment to Inda. After his conference speech on Saturday night, the media focus will surely shift back to the politics and the policy, at least for a few days.
The pledge to cut the bottom rate of tax was a master stroke its brilliance exceeded only by its obviousness. Where the shock value is coming from is beyond me. This is reputedly a left wing party, it must try to outflank FF and the PAYE worker on low to medium money is not a bad place to start. Biffos statement that he would continue cutting tax at the top rate next year helps Rabbittes pledge even more, he is addressing the ordinary Joe while FF is looking after the rich man.
The eagerness with which FG grasped hold of the idea was a bit unseemly and me tooish, but it may just be the first step in turning things back round for the alternative coalition, Rabbitte may indeed have pulled it out of the hat.
Showing posts with label PR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PR. Show all posts
Monday 12 February 2007
Wednesday 24 January 2007
The NDP explained
Shamelessly stolen from the Indo
All those NDP terms explained
'Removing infrastructure bottlenecks that constrain economic development' - New traffic lights.
'Sustaining high-value employment opportunities to foster an inclusive society' - More branches of McDonald's.
'Strategic development of gateway cities' - Payola for FF builders in Offaly.
'Promotion of balanced regional development' - Bagging a second seat in Mayo.
'Maintenance of a framework of macroeconomic and budgetary stability' - Tax.
'Affordable housing' - Broom cupboard in stab city for €250,000
All those NDP terms explained
'Removing infrastructure bottlenecks that constrain economic development' - New traffic lights.
'Sustaining high-value employment opportunities to foster an inclusive society' - More branches of McDonald's.
'Strategic development of gateway cities' - Payola for FF builders in Offaly.
'Promotion of balanced regional development' - Bagging a second seat in Mayo.
'Maintenance of a framework of macroeconomic and budgetary stability' - Tax.
'Affordable housing' - Broom cupboard in stab city for €250,000
Monday 22 January 2007
The Letters Page
A couple of gems in the letters page of the Irish Times today. One a rant by the surgical staff in Beaumont Hospital regarding the abuse they are getting from all sides and the terrible conditions in which they work. Fair enough arguments all round. Unfortunately the Irish Health System appears to be structured in a manner best suited to facilitate the game of pass the buck. Comhairle na hOispideal, RCSI, HSE and the Minister all completely blameless. But that is the way it has been for some time.
The other letter which caught my eye was from a prospective candidate in the General. He was opining the fact that the Rabbitte coalition saga is detracting attention from the issues. Of course he is assuming anyone is going to care about the issues. Or even that anybody other than Primetime and the Newspapers are going to argue them anyway. Its gonna take more than Pat Rabbitte to get people focussed on issues other than their SSIA bonus or their cupla quid extra thanks to the budget.
Ireland doesn't do issues.
The other letter which caught my eye was from a prospective candidate in the General. He was opining the fact that the Rabbitte coalition saga is detracting attention from the issues. Of course he is assuming anyone is going to care about the issues. Or even that anybody other than Primetime and the Newspapers are going to argue them anyway. Its gonna take more than Pat Rabbitte to get people focussed on issues other than their SSIA bonus or their cupla quid extra thanks to the budget.
Ireland doesn't do issues.
Thursday 11 January 2007
More Looney
Another sample of the Official Monster Raving Looney Manifesto
Defence
All WMD’s (weapons of Mass Distraction) will be made highly visible so that we can find them.
Any politician wanting to start a war will be shipped off to the country in question with a bag of conkers. They can then conker the country themselves.
The white cliffs of Dover will be painted blue to camouflage our islands.
Buckingham Place will be defended by triffids, cultivated by Prince Charles.
Anyone criticising defence will be made to mend it with de hammer and de nails. (Think this one might have been written by Bertie).
Defence
All WMD’s (weapons of Mass Distraction) will be made highly visible so that we can find them.
Any politician wanting to start a war will be shipped off to the country in question with a bag of conkers. They can then conker the country themselves.
The white cliffs of Dover will be painted blue to camouflage our islands.
Buckingham Place will be defended by triffids, cultivated by Prince Charles.
Anyone criticising defence will be made to mend it with de hammer and de nails. (Think this one might have been written by Bertie).
9 Million Reasons to Love Your Boss
You got to love IBEC and ICTU. Like itchy and scratchy, they fight and fight so much and create an atmosphere of mutual hatred so much that people are convinced that workers and employers dont love each other.
In order to rectify this terrible state of affairs the government is committing 9million euro to a fund for improving employee - employer relations. Well extensive research on the net shows that Four Seasons Firearms in the good ole' US of A, will sell you a Smith and Wesson Texas Hold em set. Cards Chips and a handgun. That strikes me as the ultimate in labour relations, winner takes all. The set only costs 700 dollars, so with the Government grant of 9 million every company in the state should be supplied with one, with enough left over for a slap lunch for the IBEC and ICTU head honchos.
In order to rectify this terrible state of affairs the government is committing 9million euro to a fund for improving employee - employer relations. Well extensive research on the net shows that Four Seasons Firearms in the good ole' US of A, will sell you a Smith and Wesson Texas Hold em set. Cards Chips and a handgun. That strikes me as the ultimate in labour relations, winner takes all. The set only costs 700 dollars, so with the Government grant of 9 million every company in the state should be supplied with one, with enough left over for a slap lunch for the IBEC and ICTU head honchos.
Monday 8 January 2007
Hanafin Keeps a Straight Face While Describing Public Sector as Efficient
The big news of the weekend was the announcement that the OECD are going to be allowed to get their teeth into the Irish Public Service, with a major study being announced by An T T Taoiseach.
The timing of this is perfect for FF, any adverse publicity pre - election can be referred to the report which the Government have set up. Should FF get back in, they will have a mandate to make changes, should they fail to get back in they will conveniently forget that they commissioned this report and rubbish it whenever those nasty Fine Gaelers try to attack our poor hard working civil servants.
The laugh of the day had to be this mornings Morning Ireland interview, when she claimed that most Irish people would be very happy with the level of public service provision in Ireland. I think it's fair to say even she struggled to keep a straight face saying it, but thats the beauty of radio, we'll never know.
The timing of this is perfect for FF, any adverse publicity pre - election can be referred to the report which the Government have set up. Should FF get back in, they will have a mandate to make changes, should they fail to get back in they will conveniently forget that they commissioned this report and rubbish it whenever those nasty Fine Gaelers try to attack our poor hard working civil servants.
The laugh of the day had to be this mornings Morning Ireland interview, when she claimed that most Irish people would be very happy with the level of public service provision in Ireland. I think it's fair to say even she struggled to keep a straight face saying it, but thats the beauty of radio, we'll never know.
Waterford 1 - 0 Mayo
It really looks like it will be a US style election. Not only do we have negative campaigning, but now it appears that party discipline has been fired out the window as well. John Deasys comments regarding the future tenure of party leader Enda Kenny really shouldn't surprise us all that much. He comes from argumentative stock that Deasy boy. If his daddy wasn't trying a vote of no confidence in his leader, then it was considered a bad year. What really must be seen as depressing for FGers (yes both of them) is the amateur hour manner in which the crisis has been handled. First Damien English allows himself to be used by the media as a second stalking horse. Then Enda issues his response which merely serves to stoke up the controversy further.About the only good thing, and it may prove to be a very good thing, is getting these fiascos out of the way early in the campaign. This would have been a complete disaster had it happened in April, as it is, it'll blow over fairly quickly. It does leave a fairly stark choice for voters in Waterford though, because unless Cullen gets re elected in a FF Govt, one of our largest cities will be sans Minister. Deasy's political rehabilitation, such as it was, ended last week in yet another puff of smoke.
Wednesday 3 January 2007
And So It Begins
Runners and riders are now well and truly under orders as the unofficial election campaign gets started.
Fine Gael look set to have taken the campaign down a notch with their attack on Michael McDowell. It doesn't appear as if much sympathy will flow in the direction of the PD fuhrer, however many may mourn the introduction of American style campaigning into the Irish political landscape. Who knows though it could be fun.
Bertie sitting looking into the camera, choking back a tear and saying, I'm An T T Taoiseach and I approve dis message. Pan back to a slick ad which turns Inda from a simple Mayo boy into a mass murderer.
In a system where there are few ideological differences, it becomes about personality, when there is little personality it becomes about altering perception of personality, when all else fails, just hurl a load of shit and hope that some of it will stick.
Fine Gael have gone back to the drawing board following the revelation that Bertie is indeed untouchable and have decided to target the PD's. But what can that achieve. Target the PD seats and try and make FF TDs guilty by association. If it is an actual strategy, then I hope that it's not one that they are paying the Yankees big bucks for.
Anyway the race is on. And just so we can look back on it in a few months time, here are the prices with Boyle Sports on who will form the next Government.
Fianna Fail & Progressive Democrats
11/10
Fianna Fail & Labour
9/4
Fine Gael / Labour & Green's
3/1
Fine Gael & Labour
10/1
Fianna Fail On Their Own
12/1
Fianna Fail & Greens
14/1
Fianna Fail & Sinn Fein
16/1
Fine Gael / Labour & Progressive Democrats
33/1
Fine Gael look set to have taken the campaign down a notch with their attack on Michael McDowell. It doesn't appear as if much sympathy will flow in the direction of the PD fuhrer, however many may mourn the introduction of American style campaigning into the Irish political landscape. Who knows though it could be fun.
Bertie sitting looking into the camera, choking back a tear and saying, I'm An T T Taoiseach and I approve dis message. Pan back to a slick ad which turns Inda from a simple Mayo boy into a mass murderer.
In a system where there are few ideological differences, it becomes about personality, when there is little personality it becomes about altering perception of personality, when all else fails, just hurl a load of shit and hope that some of it will stick.
Fine Gael have gone back to the drawing board following the revelation that Bertie is indeed untouchable and have decided to target the PD's. But what can that achieve. Target the PD seats and try and make FF TDs guilty by association. If it is an actual strategy, then I hope that it's not one that they are paying the Yankees big bucks for.
Anyway the race is on. And just so we can look back on it in a few months time, here are the prices with Boyle Sports on who will form the next Government.
Fianna Fail & Progressive Democrats
11/10
Fianna Fail & Labour
9/4
Fine Gael / Labour & Green's
3/1
Fine Gael & Labour
10/1
Fianna Fail On Their Own
12/1
Fianna Fail & Greens
14/1
Fianna Fail & Sinn Fein
16/1
Fine Gael / Labour & Progressive Democrats
33/1
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