Race for the ARAS 2025

[From the Bunker]

I'd prefer a house to a handbag any day.

Or even in Michael D's case a collection of houses.....

[trileacman]

Marie Steen supporters (the right wing and religios zealots.. same thing) still doing some girning about her not getting enough endorsements. The sense of entitlement racking up at the last minute to be President of Ireland. Never heard of her before this week.

Had you heard of Jim Gavin's political views a month ago? Had he ever voiced them? Does he really have any? Or are they crafted by ''The Party''?

I am at the age (50's) where I find with most politicians that I don't agree (or agree) with on everything they say or endorse. This happens all the time with the ones I really like or the ones I really hate. I have my own mind.I am not a cloned left or Right person. I take things at face value and base things on experience.

This is why I like a broad choice when deciding who to vote for.

Let the Steen's of the world be on the Ballot paper. If only to shake up the narrative. If you don't agree with her then don't vote for her. If she is saying the wrong thing then it can be only good for her opponents. Not letting her get nominated showed fear from FF, FG and SF.

No. Just no.

Steen didn't get nominated because she showed up late and did very little legwork. On her, not the system.

No it's not, the other independent Sheridan had been canvassing TDs and councils for the last 12 months and he didn't get on the ballot either.

Steen and Sheridan were denied nomination because they stood outside the political party system. To say otherwise is to be a liar.

[Fogarty]

What party would allow Steen in?

[Truthsayer]

What party would allow Steen in?

Aontú

[Captain Scarlet]

I see the Steen heads are out on X doing #SpoilTheVote now.Like social media and especially X is not the real world and I don't think she has much real world support.

Overall I disagree with councils not voting though. That should be an option for someone to put the grunt work in and go for it. On the flip I don't want the case where lots of single issue headbangers are throwing their names in.

It's a shocking filed in my mind. Kelleher would have been a better option for FF as he has served as TD and MEP and his record is out there.

[Rossfan]

Too thick to realise that spoiled votes are disregarded. Except for subtracting them from the total vote to ascertain the quota.

[Tubberman]

Marie Steen supporters (the right wing and religios zealots.. same thing) still doing some girning about her not getting enough endorsements. The sense of entitlement racking up at the last minute to be President of Ireland. Never heard of her before this week.

Had you heard of Jim Gavin's political views a month ago? Had he ever voiced them? Does he really have any? Or are they crafted by ''The Party''?

I am at the age (50's) where I find with most politicians that I don't agree (or agree) with on everything they say or endorse. This happens all the time with the ones I really like or the ones I really hate. I have my own mind.I am not a cloned left or Right person. I take things at face value and base things on experience.

This is why I like a broad choice when deciding who to vote for.

Let the Steen's of the world be on the Ballot paper. If only to shake up the narrative. If you don't agree with her then don't vote for her. If she is saying the wrong thing then it can be only good for her opponents. Not letting her get nominated showed fear from FF, FG and SF.

No. Just no.

Steen didn't get nominated because she showed up late and did very little legwork. On her, not the system.

No it's not, the other independent Sheridan had been canvassing TDs and councils for the last 12 months and he didn't get on the ballot either.

Steen and Sheridan were denied nomination because they stood outside the political party system. To say otherwise is to be a liar.

A different opinion is not necessarily a lie.
Stop the extremism.

[Substandard]

Too thick to realise that spoiled votes are disregarded. Except for subtracting them from the total vote to ascertain the quota.

Aren't we lucky to have intelligent voters so.  Might even go so far as to say Thank God for intelligent voters, but that might betray a lack of intelligence.  Believe in the Establishment.

[From the Bunker]

Too thick to realise that spoiled votes are disregarded. Except for subtracting them from the total vote to ascertain the quota.

If there is nobody to vote for on the Ballot - what would you do?

[armaghniac]

Indo on the ball today

[Rossfan]

Too thick to realise that spoiled votes are disregarded. Except for subtracting them from the total vote to ascertain the quota.

If there is nobody to vote for on the Ballot - what would you do?

There are 3 candidates on the ballot.
I'll be voting 1,2 and 3 in my order of choice.
I never get to decide who's on the ballot paper. (Unless I was to stand in local or general elections myself....)

[Franko]

A genuine question to the 'Steen was robbed' folks

I think it would be generally accepted that there must be some controls around who gets onto the ballot

Lest we have a case where we've 50,000 candidates to choose from and the RTE debates become even more chaotic

So, given that you disagree with the current controls that are in place - what would your new proposals be for this?

[trileacman]

A genuine question to the 'Steen was robbed' folks

I think it would be generally accepted that there must be some controls around who gets onto the ballot

Lest we have a case where we've 50,000 candidates to choose from and the RTE debates become even more chaotic

So, given that you disagree with the current controls that are in place - what would your new proposals be for this?

I'm not in the "Steen was robbed" camp I'm in the "this ballot is far too small for a healthy democracy" camp. Sinn Fein are a political party with ideas of leading a government in the Dail. They received more or less the same vote share as FF and FG. How is it possible that they can't put forward a representative candidate of their own? A gerrymandered candidate would make some sense in a FPTP election but none whatsoever in an Irish Presidential election.

Similarly there were plenty of Independents who didn't agree with Steen but gave her support in the interest of democratic debate. I've no doubt that a lot more FF and FG councillors, TD's and senators would have given their support to Steen's candicacy if not for the party whip cracking down.

The position of Ceann Comhraile is elected by secret ballot for the very specific reason that party whips can't dominate and curtail the aspirations of popular independents or small parties. TD's and senators should also be able to support a Presidential candidate by secret ballot in the interest of a wider political spectrum being represented.

[armaghniac]

[Substandard]

Looking at both sides of the argument, the role of President is representative.  Steen didn't meet the criteria through the Oireachtas or the Council routes, so that's fair enough.
It feels like it was skewed by the whip system, given the express instruction by Fine Gael to block nominations.  I get the logic of why would you facilitate an opponent of your own candidate,  but if these councillors could either support a candidate if they felt it reflected the views of a significant cohort of their constituency, or abstain in the event of a vote, then it would be more likely a candidate would fulfil the criteria.  It still would require the numbers, and that mathematically would prevent a ludicrous number of candidates qualifying.
The sense of injustice,  if you like, is that the mainstream parties pulled up the drawbridge behind them to virtually guarantee nobody else would be in the running.
That's as I see it, but I could be wrong, or missing some point, or just plain misinformed.