General Election Thread

[mickO)))]

We do have alternatives they may not be great but they can't be any worse than the path we are currently on. The problem is too many people are too lazy to look into things and they have swallowed the narratives coming from the likes of RTE that anyone who wants to make any changes is a far right lunatic.

How anyone could vote for the party that has taken free speech away from Ireland (that just being one of the many terrible things they have done) is beyond me but it's the reason why this country is gone. Then people wonder why politicians do the things they do it's because they know they will never face any consequences and people will just keep voting them in again and again.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

The hate speech thing seems like classic 'split the opposition' shit to me, and if it is that then it's evidently already doing its job.

Vote in a way that best benefits the worst-off in society: that's my simple human principle.

https://x.com/RTEUpfront/status/1856104200255479884

[Emphyrio]

Going by that link earlier to see which parties you're most aligned with, and having it done it twice with slightly different answers, I was getting high 50s and low 60s between FF, FG and SF, so not very conclusive. Taking those results into account I'm still no wiser what way to vote. But there were clearly parties that I'd be a fool to even consider. I suppose, only speaking for myself, I can't really dispute Grim Reality's post. I'd agree with pretty much all he said.

[The Butcher]

I don't go by those links of who you are most aligned with because as we all know, it's totally geared towards the main parties and most parties will promise everything under the sun and let's be honest, you could probably find statements from these politicians saying they agree/disagree on policy XYZ depending on who they are talking to.

While I agree the alternatives seem either similar/worse/bonkers etc - I think it's not healthy for a democracy to keep 2 parties in power for 100 years. I still stand by the idea of swapping your vote to a protest one, even in terms of pure stats that would freak out the mainstream into action, could be seen as a very very slight sliver of hope for some change.

I can only point towards my own summaries of past performances of these parties ->

[Carnage]

The sad truth of it where I am is that the only local TD running is FG, so she'll probably get a reluctant nod from me. She was a county concillor and is currently a senator, she's actually got a lot of shit done around here over the past few years, and surprisingly for a rural/'big 2' party politician doesn't publicise most of it.

The town has been extremely neglected in recent years so we need some local representation - the SF TD elected last time out has an office in town but she's never there, she's more active and more interested in the far end of the constituency, where she's based/from.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

The [Fine Gael housing plan document] features a number of photos of housing, but reverse image searches suggest one is of a Dutch construction site and another is in the UK.

Likewise, the image on the cover of the document appears to be AI-generated, showing bricks across windows and uneven walls.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41514737.html

[The Heretic]

The [Fine Gael housing plan document] features a number of photos of housing, but reverse image searches suggest one is of a Dutch construction site and another is in the UK.

Likewise, the image on the cover of the document appears to be AI-generated, showing bricks across windows and uneven walls.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41514737.html

They don't give a fuck about fine details, it's all about the spin and selling pigs in pokes.

[astfgyl]

https://x.com/RTEUpfront/status/1856104200255479884?t=ALGppJhiWMUnqGEzI2vEEQ&s=19

https://x.com/RTEUpfront/status/1856105076722401638?t=6bPWFipT6cbA7g1QGGMljQ&s=19

I can see that there's some context missing from the second clip but it still feels like rte have gone fishing with their choice of cases to highlight.

I also think that if the clips were reversed we would still see similar commentary from the fish.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Do you mean they've gone fishing for xenophobia by highlighting an Irish mother who hasn't gotten a house followed by an immigrant mother who has?

[astfgyl]

Do you mean they've gone fishing for xenophobia by highlighting an Irish mother who hasn't gotten a house followed by an immigrant mother who has?

I don't think the second one is an immigrant at all. I'm inclined to think at least one of her parents is Irish, but yes I think they've gone fishing for exactly what you're saying.

It's rte themselves who left out the beginning part about her situation before the house offer. I don't know what it was myself but it's clear to see that's left out.

Now if it was the first girl who'd gotten the gaff and the second who'd lost it, I still feel that the commentary would be negative, and the same posters would be indicating that the second one can go back to wherever.

So yeah, fishing. For what reason I dunno. Maybe they think that's the way the wind is blowing (because there has been a noticeable shift to the right amongst a lot of people I've been speaking to lately, as part of a larger anti government sentiment), or maybe they just want some accounts to out themselves.

Maybe it's as simple as bad attention being as desirable as good attention to attention seekers such as advertisers and the television stations beholden to them. I'm sure there's a lot less people are watching rte than there once was, and a bit of groundbait here and there stops the fish from getting bored and moving on to another spot.

Who knows?

[mickO)))]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qUqEZHf7ow

[astfgyl]

https://x.com/gavreilly/status/1799038686438584778

Interesting little vid and thread about the Proportional Representation system we use here. I expect we all know how it works but I find the 2nd preference thing mentioned to be a bit of a flaw in it. TBH I don't vote all the way down anyway because it feels like anything more than 2 or 3 won't matter but maybe I'm wrong I dunno

[astfgyl]

Well that fuckin leaders debate was fairly shit. We're really lacking in a bit of charisma here aren't we?

Peadar Toibin came out the best out of it, but the best he could hope for would be that his party take the place of the greens in the next frankenstein coalition.

There's just nothing to get excited about.

Even the opposition canvassers are fuckin useless. Saw the local shinners doing the rounds the other morning in fuckin tracksuits canvassing and out of the 6 of em out on the trot, I can personally confirm that 5 of them have never worked a day in their lives and I'm not certain if the candidate himself is still doing a few hours either. Pathetic stuff but that was about the most entertaining event of the election for me so far.

[open face surgery]

So FG came out with a hit video on SF. Is that the first time we've gone full US politics on it?

[Skott Furys jizz rag]

So FG came out with a hit video on SF. Is that the first time we've gone full US politics on it?

FG are fucking dirt. I've had to deal with Harris for work a bit and he's a ridiculous example of a human. Also between Martin being in the cabinet when the crash happened and FG destroying the housing in this country those two fuckwits have caused more damage to this country then the IRA ever did