12.12.06
The Convention
So its three candidates.
The organisers were armed with different directives from HQ, a decision to be made on the night which one to use – i.e. which system would ensure that Geraghty would get on the ticket.
The white haired, old-fashioned, ultra-respectable middle class burghers that constitute FG in Meath didn’t appear to be favouring change. With Higgins insisting on running it would mean a vote if only 2 people were put on the ticket. So with 3 going forward, they put 3 on the ticket and didn’t risk a vote.
What’s the betting that Higgins won’t be able to raise as much money as Geraghty? Higgins will attract decent old FG votes who will transfer to English who will transfer to Geraghty. If Geraghty can stay ahead of Higgins it’ll all work out on the night. (count night).
The sister was good I am told. She got some abuse for daring to propose “that thug” but she kept her cool. There is a bigger picture. My father’s line about “preserving democracy” proved deeply ironic since the whole purpose was to circumvent democracy. He did refer to a lack of parental control which went down well. I suppose most laughed because they thought it was true, and others laughed because they suspected it wasn’t true.
Oh well, roll on the fundraising.
Leon said,
December 12, 2006 at 12:02 pm
He was always a thug and a racist and a crybaby.
Hey perfect BLUESHIRT!
John of Dublin said,
December 12, 2006 at 4:08 pm
Mmmh, 3 candidates? Well I hope there’s good FF style vote management or there is a risk of nobody from FG being elected!! I’m sure FF will start an advanced process of vote management to expoit FG’s potential vote dilution. To quote a James Bond movie song…”Nobody does it better!!”
JC Skinner said,
December 12, 2006 at 4:35 pm
Oh God. I’m getting depressed at all this pre-election guff already. I suppose it must be a bit like looking forward to Christmas for party apparatchiks, this phoney war period, but for the rest of us the rigmarole of parish-pump vite management strategies, parachute candidates and endless conventions is already enough.
It’s just sweet and quaint of the political classes to still actually consult the rest of us on how our opinions are to be ignored for five year stretches, though. That’s one of the many places where Cullen got it all wrong. We don’t want e-voting machines, we want to vociferously scar paper with pencils in the hope that some of those x’s transmit by the immutable power of voodoo onto the heads of the candidates.
Leon said,
December 12, 2006 at 4:45 pm
Shut up JC Skinner elections are awesome, the tension, the complexity of vote transfers and vote management intra and interparty transfers. Shafting your party colleagues, head office parachuting people in (esp in FG) the cute hoorism of FF, the high profile losers, the big surprise.
JC Skinner said,
December 12, 2006 at 6:49 pm
Don’t you political wonks ever get laid or read newspapers? Leon, it may be news to you, but there’s plenty of things to get all hot and bothered about before you get so far down the list that you’re tallying regional Irish elections for free, you muppet.
Meath West — FG Selection Convention at Irish Election said,
December 12, 2006 at 9:40 pm
[...] Update: As expected given the above, the convention has concluded without a vote, and the three candidates are Damien English TD, Graham Geraghty and Peter Higgins. IE’s sources say that HQ knew that Geraghty didn’t have the votes to win tonight but wants him on the ticket. GG supporters are floating a scenario whereby Higgins is “persuaded” to withdraw, with a nudge from HQ. And [final update] Sarah provides the post-mortem. [...]
Paddy Matthews said,
December 13, 2006 at 8:07 pm
After listening to Graham Geraghty speaking on RTE radio yesterday morning, what – other than celebrity status – does he have to offer to the electorate as a potential TD?
“Fianna Fáil do it too” is not really an answer to the question.
“Well why not” isn’t one either.
Sarah said,
December 14, 2006 at 10:20 am
ah yes, when the Taoiseach of the day is such an inspirational public speaker, when his answers are so clear and concise, when fine rhetoric is the outstanding hallmark of so many of our successful politicians, obviously “why not?” uttered in a thick Meath accent is a clear sign of a failure. The thing about thick meath accents is that they go down very well in Meath. Btw, do any of you actually know the name of the FF backbencher he hopes to put out?
THIS is his opposition http://www.fiannafail.ie/person.php4?show=TD&pid=52&bid=52
Do you have the slightest idea what HE sounds like?
Honestly.
Ronan said,
December 14, 2006 at 11:27 am
And therein lies the problem with FG. FF are the party of the smile and the bluff and the common man, who wants to be able to live happily but needs to be able to break some rules that apply to everyone else (not pay all taxes, get a better pension, have District Court fines lessened, bumped up waiting lists, etc the kind of help that FF politicions give) to validate their own individuality. FG are the opposition to this and have to play the moral card all the time. But lawabiding people (“but my case is different”) want to get “favours” done for them so FF will continue to get their votes. When FG try to emulate them they get laughed at for not being very good at it. Lack of rhetoric, therefore, will always be a problem for FG but an asset for FF.
Paddy Matthews said,
December 14, 2006 at 11:45 am
Hmmm, your answer is basically “Fianna Fáil do it too”.
I’ll take your word for it that Johnny Brady has an even thicker Meath accent. But if I’m being asked to kick a set of stumblebums out, I’d like to think that what I’m being asked to replace them with would be an improvement. That interview doesn’t show much sign of it. The accent isn’t the problem. The cluelessness is.
If Fine Gael was going down the ex-footballer route, was there nobody else available without Graham Geraghty’s baggage? Trevor Giles? Liam Hayes? Colm O’Rourke? Seriously, other than being a football star, what else has Graham Geraghty to offer?
At least he’s unlikely to run into many Aboriginals on the campaign trail.
Sarah said,
December 14, 2006 at 12:12 pm
what’s the betting Paddy is a FF voter?
Paddy Matthews said,
December 14, 2006 at 12:14 pm
Paddy is an undecided voter who voted Labour last time.
Try coming up with a better answer, Sarah.
Sarah said,
December 14, 2006 at 1:40 pm
Part of me actually doesn’t care what GG brings to the table other than a guaranteed extra seat for the opposition which will help to end our one party state.
The other part is confidant that if GG brings the same determination, energy and singlemindnesses to helping his constituents that he did to winning football matches, then he will be an excellent public representative. I think he is honest, clear sighted, a fighter who automatically sympathises with the underdog and since TD’s through our system and by our choice, are effectively social workers, he is just the kind of person you want on your side.
If its a choice between him and Johnny Brady, a long standing mediocre member of the establishment, who exists simply to prop up a government who looks after their own and throws crumbs to the poor, then, as Graham would say, Why not?
philip said,
December 15, 2006 at 11:27 pm
GG will be run by HQ and Nevin, he wont knock on doors, instead go around in jeeps with his mug all over it. No wonder there are so many issues in FG when they come down and tell us what to do. There is no styrtegy only to have the media looking in on GG. I am with PH and DE, proper politicians who have come through the ranhks. For those of you who were at convention can you shoot Gibney.