Aloha Friday II





Wow, aloha Friday indeed. I have to admit that I was truly shocked at two things. One was that Crowe lost his seat, and two that Malcolm is going on about airports on tally day. Possibly this is due to the fact that he lives in London or that he's British Labour and doesn't generally give a fuck (maybe). For me I did end up having my hapless fiance texting me results all day but didn't really figure out what was going on until I got home. Wow, just wow. The PD's we saw coming, Joe Higgins kind of a shock as well as the independent casualties. And Sinn Fein, well what to say that they kind of hit a glass ceiling is an understatement. To say that they got clotheslined and are lying the ground bleeding is at least closer to the truth. Now if I'm not mistaken Nicky Kehoe got within 78 votes and Mary Lou was off by more than that so we actually (if my math is right) have a drop from 2002. Update: According to P.ie the SF vote went down in 10 of the 12 Dublin constituencies.


I know I've talked to Malcolm about this and I think I touched on it in WBS's comments that Southen SF doesn't have a cohesive "national" identity to get behind. They were and remain a constituency based organization. I know that Mary Lou with being in Europe and being surgically attached to Gerry took her away from that constituency work (if she ever did any at all). It shows and people remember things like that. I mean think about it, Martin Ferris has been a TD since 2002 and he still gets out and confronts travellers about tools stolen from his constituents. Now admittedly in the national press that doesn't play too well but voters do remember things like that. Also the drinking and driving episode probably helped him out. He was drinking socially not getting hammered (and driving down the wrong side of a road). Rural constituencies like tradition and privacy so big, bad Gardai saying you have three drinks over the course of an evening and we'll nail you doesn't really fly. But that's why Ferris got in not why the others got kept out or lost out in Crowe's case.

It might not be the wisest thing for me to start pontificating about elections right now since I got pie all over my face yesterday. So we'll have to leave for now because I'm off to the mountains for the day with the family.

Though on a quick personal note I would like to clarify myself in regards to a comment I made to WBS. I stated that I loathe politicians ( I do indeed) and that even potential politicians annoy. The obvious exception to that is our good friend Malcolm Redfellow. I like to think of Malcolm as one of us, a political junkie who had a lapse or two in judgement which we will not begrudge him because how does the saying go? There but for the grace of God...

Also is bad of me to admit that I like Mary Lou now more than ever because she got mud kicked in her face? I mean I like politicians who lose better than those who win because they don't have that shit eating grin on their face. So hopefully she'll learn to actually do work in her local area and get that hairy growth of a party president removed from her shoulder.

Okay, this weekend I will do a comprehensive blog on the election (just every other person out ther) except of course Malcolm who is being extremely productive for some reason on a shitload (and I do mean that one literally) of topics.