The Battle for Fermanagh and South Tyrone

[pintsofguinness]

can we all just not agree that they're both shite.

SDLP - useless, pathetic and barely nationalist - at a local level non existent until election time
SF - full of sheep, foot soldiers who walk around thinking they own the place - a large percentage of brain dead idiots who do what they're told

God help us 

[ardmhachaabu]

Since when were Parnell or Tone sectarian?  You may continue to dodge if you like

You were the one that said they were not me.

In this thread you coined the phrase sectarian headcounting.  That post was clearly about the elections since this thread is about the elections.  You brought up Parnell and Tone in it, I misread that bit when I was in a hurry this morning.  I have since clarified that I think the Shinners are being sectarian

How can you link Parnell and Tone to sectarian headcounting or the Shinners?

[gallsman]

NS, SF are the one's assisting the Orange Order by vindicating and replicating their actions.

No you see the Orange Order are trying to secure a Unionist representative over a mainly nationalist population. SF aren't replicating that. The SDLP are facilitating it.

Bollocks they are. Sinn Fein vindicated the OO and Unionist parties stance when they withdrew from South Belfast. Also, check the 2005 figures for the Westminster election. Orange is clearly the prevailing colour.

[ardmhachaabu]

can we all just not agree that they're both shite.

SDLP - useless, pathetic and barely nationalist - at a local level non existent until election time
SF - full of sheep, foot soldiers who walk around thinking they own the place - a large percentage of brain dead idiots who do what they're told

God help us 

Well said

[Ulick]

The other election thread seems to have disappeared so I'll stick this here.

[Ulick]

What's democratic about reducing the number of candidates for whom an individual can vote?

You're the one going on about democracy not me.

[Ulick]

In this thread you coined the phrase sectarian headcounting.  That post was clearly about the elections since this thread is about the elections.  You brought up Parnell and Tone in it, I misread that bit when I was in a hurry this morning.  I have since clarified that I think the Shinners are being sectarian

How can you link Parnell and Tone to sectarian headcounting or the Shinners?

There you see that wasn't difficult.

Now to get back to the point whether SF are sectarian or not is besides the point. We are discussing whether it is sectarian to put up a single candidate in response to the unionist voting pack in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

[ardmhachaabu]

Pathetic of you Ulick, they air-brushed everyone out of the photo apart from Obama and Ritchie.  Since it is clearly a photo of the 2 of them with others milling about in the background I fail to see what your issue is.  Big deal they air-brushed people out of a photo 

[gallsman]

What's democratic about reducing the number of candidates for whom an individual can vote?

You're the one going on about democracy not me.

The relevance of this? Does this prevent you from answering the question Donagh?

I mentioned democracy as certain idiots on this thread are suggesting that the SDLP's refusal to stand down is purely to spite Sinn Fein.

[ardmhachaabu]

In this thread you coined the phrase sectarian headcounting.  That post was clearly about the elections since this thread is about the elections.  You brought up Parnell and Tone in it, I misread that bit when I was in a hurry this morning.  I have since clarified that I think the Shinners are being sectarian

How can you link Parnell and Tone to sectarian headcounting or the Shinners?

There you see that wasn't difficult.

Now to get back to the point whether SF are sectarian or not is besides the point. We are discussing whether it is sectarian to put up a single candidate in response to the unionist voting pack in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.

Yes it is.  Rather simple really.  If you don't accept it is then I would like to know why

Also while you are at it, can you answer why you linked Parnell and Tone to sectarian headcounting? 

[Ulick]

What's democratic about reducing the number of candidates for whom an individual can vote?

You're the one going on about democracy not me.

The relevance of this? Does this prevent you from answering the question Donagh?

I mentioned democracy as certain idiots on this thread are suggesting that the SDLP's refusal to stand down is purely to spite Sinn Fein.

Why should I answer it - the question is irrelevant to the concept of democracy, but as you are the one that chided others for not understanding the meaning of it, you would know that gallsman wouldn't you?

[pintsofguinness]

when they were airbrushing the photo they could have straightened up the background - I can do that with a free program I downloaded...

[Ulick]

Now to get back to the point whether SF are sectarian or not is besides the point. We are discussing whether it is sectarian to put up a single candidate in response to the unionist voting pack in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.Yes it is.  Rather simple really.  If you don't accept it is then I would like to know why

Also while you are at it, can you answer why you linked Parnell and Tone to sectarian headcounting?

Tell you what ardmhachaabu, just read the post again. Here I've even copied it in for you:

"I don't know about all this sectarian headcounting business. Surely the difference between the two sides is a constitutional matter not an ecumenical one as Fr Dougal might say? If you buy into the sectarian thing then you are also buying into the British led propaganda so prevalent in the 70s, 80s and 90s that we had a religious conflict here i.e. it was not about the constitutional position of the north and our right to complete self-determination. If the sectarian headcounting business is true where does that leave good Protestant nationalists like CS Parnell and good Protestant republicans like T Wolfe Tone?

I'm disappointed by Maskey's withdrawl as it leaves me no one to vote for as I promised myself after the last election that I wouldn't give Anna Lo another vote, however I find it hard to ague against a position which aims to maximise support for the Irish nationalist and republican position on the national question. "

[Ulick]

Pathetic of you Ulick, they air-brushed everyone out of the photo apart from Obama and Ritchie.  Since it is clearly a photo of the 2 of them with others milling about in the background I fail to see what your issue is.  Big deal they air-brushed people out of a photo 

Lol... very good ardmhachaabu. And Pints there has the Shinners down as the sheep - he might have to revise that assertion based on that post. 

[Gaffer]

Wonder what Maskey thinks of being told to stand down?

Alex Maskey wasn't told to stand down it was a collective decision by the leadership of the party  which includes Alex Maskey.This was a decision that was taken after nearly two days of deliberations and is an effort the maximise the Republican/Nationalist represention across the North. Yes Alex Maskey and all the Sinn Fein workers in South Belfast are dissappointed that they will not be fighting the election after all the hard work they have been doing in resent months but they except this decision and will now be throwing their weight behind their comrades in North Belfast who are trying to get Gerry Kelly elected.As for this being a sectarian move the big difference we see in the orange order bringing together all shades of Unionism to keep out a Nationalist is when these people get into positions of power they act in a sectarian manner by refusing to share power with the Nationalist Representatives as can been seen in council areas they control {eg Newtownabbey, Lisburn etc;} whereas when the SDLP or Sinn Fein hold the power in other areas they administer that power on an equal basis,this can be seen in council areas right across the North.So for me that what makes the decision in F&ST sectarian and and the decision for Sinn Fein to give the SDLP a free run in SB nonsectarian as we know that at least Alistair McDonnell will work for all his constituents on an equal basis

Let's face it. Everything Sinn Fein do is in the interests of Sinn  Fein, not the broad nationalist community but Sinn Fein.
This is  the same Sinn Fein who chose to have a Unionist Justice Minister over a nationalist one.

Unlike the SDLP who always look out for the interests of nationalism? The SDLP who, as I pointed out on this board before, only supported Sinn Fein in THREE out of EIGHTEEN councils on a motion put forward by SF in these councils to press for more All-Ireland co-operation with the Dublin Government a number of years ago? The same SDLP who in 2006 supported Irish citizens living in the north of Ireland to be subjected to compulsory "British National Identity" scheme? The same SDLP who voted in favour of 28 day detention without trial? The same SDLP who argued for provision for diplock courts in 2006? The same SDLP who in the same year argued in favour of primacy of MI5 in certain cases over a devolved policing system, and who once remarked that they had "no difficulty with a continuing MI5 role" in the north? The same SDLP who regarded Ronnie Flanagan as someone who was trying to "edge policing forward"? The same SDLP who are today assisting the Orange Order in their sectarian pact which aims to secure a unionist MP in a constituency with a maily nationalist population?
If you want to talk about the Justice post, rewind back to May 2006, when Mark Durkan stood in Westminster and said he supported - "the possibility of a single Justice minister to be elected by cross-community support and by parallel consent" . That is EXACTLY what happened, so what are the SDLP now complaining about?

If you dont want a Unionist in FST the answer is simple. Stand Gildernew down so that Nationalistts can support  McKinney and problem is solved.
You seem to care alot about Nationalists. You must therefore have been totally disgusted when Sinn Fein supported the IRA whenever they subjected Nationalists to intimidation, hijackings, threats, blowing up their homes while blowing up police stations, house takeovers etc