Maman Poulet | Clucking away crookedly through media, politics and life

Election Prediction Competition – Win a Book

February 24th, 2011 · Elections, General Election 2011, Irish Politics

To mark the election Gill and MacMillan have given me a copy of John Drennan’s Cute Hoors and Pious Protesters to give away in an election competition!

The book is a collection of original essays on the ‘traits and characteristics of Irish Politicians’ by the political humourist who will be known to regular listeners to Today with Pat Kenny on RTE Radio 1 and The Last Word on Today FM.  You can read a chapter of the book here.

No one is safe and anyone who has heard or read John’s work will know that he has a unique turn or phrase!

In order to win a copy of the book and to mark the end of this very long campaing  I thought a prediction competition would be in order!

How many independent candidates will be elected in #GE11?  (Including United Left Alliance.)

Leave your prediction in the comments and I will put all correct answers in my special electronic hat next week and pick a winner.  Competition closes at 10pm February 25th.   Thanks again to Gill and MacMillan for the book and happy predicting!

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Some things are best left alone

February 23rd, 2011 · Elections, General Election 2011, Irish Politics, LGBT, Marriage Equality, Same Sex Partnerships

So Lucinda Creighton does not believe in same-sex marriage. Neither do I.  But I wouldn’t stop anyone from doing it and would passionately support people’s right to marry if they wished to.

However I won’t engage in trying to change the mind of someone who is against it or engage in vilifying her.  It’s not worth the hassle.  Neither is it worth making someone a martyr.

I think Lucinda Creighton should be left alone and that those living in Dublin South East who are concerned should vote for someone else who they agree with and agrees with them.  (This issue would not be the only thing worrying me about supporting her  if I lived in Dublin South East by the way; anti choice, anti secularisation etc. )

It’s not only Lucinda Creighton who feels that marriage is only for straight people who can make babies. Fine Gael have since 2005 believed that marriage is not for gays and many in the party would not support children having rights to their non biological parents and vice versa.  It must be acknowledged that several members of the party spoke in favour of the issue of children’s rights during the debates on the Civil Partnership legislation.  But the issue is not in the manifesto and Enda Kenny has spoken twice on the matter during the campaign and said that it is not party policy to extend marriage rights to same-sex couples.   No matter how much Fine Gael say Lucinda is on her own they actually generally agree with her!

So if this is a hot button issue for you then this is about who you vote for on Friday and not about attacking a candidate for her views.  Because she’s not going to change her mind.  And change is about using your head to vote and get others to vote rather than wasting your time making a candidate look like a martyr because she’s probably enjoying it.

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Campaign Song – Gino Kenny

February 23rd, 2011 · Elections, General Election 2011, Irish Politics

Ok it’s not a song whatever Gino’s press release says, it’s a series of slogans recorded over a song. Gino Kenny is running for the People Before Profit Alliance in Dublin Mid West and it seems that he has released campaign songs before. All I could think of was Power City ads. Sorry Gino!
Vote Gino song 2011

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Excuse for the mistakes of the future

February 22nd, 2011 · Elections, General Election 2011, Irish Politics

Exhausted, debated out fed up of the catchphrases?

Catch them all here in a the Apres Summary of the election as shown on The Eleventh Hour.

Tonight it’s a takeaway in front of the final debate where a group of men will again probably not be asked about society or rights.

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Manifesto Watch – Equality and Human Rights

February 22nd, 2011 · Elections, Equality, General Election 2011, Irish Politics

The Equality and Rights Alliance have reviewed the party manifestos regarding their commitments and intentions on the matters of equality and rights infrastructure. The have a quick reference guide and a more indepth analysis also.

Mairead Enright on Humanrights.ie has also reviewed the party manifestos on Human Rights commitments.

And to put a hole in all these posts drawing your attention to manifestos in the first place Cian Murphy asks if they really matter.

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