Government receives another standing count
Posted by Maman Poulet on 14 Nov 2008 at 02:13 am | Tagged as: Uncategorized
EU Commissioner Margot Wallström reminded her various audiences today that the Irish Government will be reporting to the EU commission/council of ministers next month about how it proposes to solve the Lisbon problem.
As bloggers informed her (in what might be described as an extensive post debate huddle) following her interview with Ursula Halligan, that issue is probably not top of the governmental priority list at the moment. Survival might be more in the plan for government ministers and getting a Yes or any other solution to Lisbon won’t be keeping FF/Greens in government anytime soon.
We had received texts with the Irish Times Tns MRBI results whilst at the meeting. Jaw dropping would be an understatement
One rocket of an opinion poll is unfortunate, a second one is far more serious. A 76% dissatisfaction rating? Unheard of. Even Cowen’s own supporters are agin him. And it’s a month since the budget – loads of time for it to settle in – except the government has been anything but settled!
Can anyone explain how Enda is doing this in terms of the Fine Gael numbers? He is not half as visible as Gilmore? Is it anti government? Or pro Hayes, Bruton, O’Reilly et al?
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Oh, you’re just asking for one of my rants, aren’t ya, Maman?
The news about FF’s numbers is just joyous, and maybe the core FF vote is now waking up to the fact that FF/ Bertie/ Biffo has wrecked the economy for the second time in generation.
My take on the FG effect is that Enda is strategic in his public musing/ attacks on FF, this is a clear counter-strategy to Cowen, who seems to opine on all aspect of his cabinet’s doings and on policy issues (he has to, as the cabinet is full of sheeple). FG has some strong voices on the shadow cabinet, who can not only fight their corner but demonstrate good leadership potential. Enda’s play as ‘chairman’ not ‘chief’ (”boss” in FF parlance) is a great tactic because FF cannot match it.
So when the lovely girl is put up in the Dail at Question Time, she avoids any answer (in the Bertie style) but it just turns people off because there is no leadership in that Palinesque way! Cowen’s Tanaiste choice makes him look like a fool. So when Cowen isn’t hiding under a rock in Offaly, he comes across as both arrogant, lousy in choosing a team (think of farts in a spacesuit), and totally out of touch.
Taking the worst exemplars, we see two ministers who’ve totally lost touch with the real world (if they were ever in it!) Lenihan has totally misjudged budgetary strategy, I’ve never seen such as mess. But, I don’t think the people will ever forgive Harney for abandoning the vaccine issue. They just don’t get it…the list does on. So having a cabinet of gobshites makes Cowen’s position worse rather than better, because *he* is also incompetent himself. You know, in the old days, Charlie Haughey could have put a dog turd in as Minister for Finance, because the people knew, at some level, that Haughey was in charge. Now people just smell pooh.
So, as things keep imploding, Maman, it might make sense why Enda is not so visible. His winning approach is not solely being above the fray but he can also point to a very competent FG team. While it might have been too late re: this poll, the input by Michael Noonan on Limerick in the Dail, has clearing shown FG is back on the crime issue. Calling out FF on the bureaucratic nightmare Bertie made is going to play into the next poll.
On Labour, Gilmore is highly visible, and has to be. Pat Rabbitte did not really have the killer instinct, but Gilmore is showing that he definitely does – and his strategy is paying off. This is working well to repair the Rabbitte softer approach. Also, Labour’s team, esp. Joan Burton, is showing great ability to understand the crisis and offer solutions when FF is still looking like a deer in the headlights… and I’m out of breathe…