19 thoughts on “18 Days To Go

  1. rotide

    Isn’t a fairly bad idea to be rating parties on a single issue that will be meaningless once a referendum is announced (which it will be by the next govt)?

    Would be interesting to see a venn diagram of people voting on the basis of this issue and online comments of ‘meh meh cronyism meh meh irish water etc etc’

    1. fluffybiscuits

      I get your point but the issue is a major flashpoint

      Im going on two items for voting – aside from voting for those of a left persuasion where do they a) fit on with repealing the 8th and b) what is their analysis of the economy

      1. rotide

        Well that’s what I mean. I dont know how the 8th can figure higher than the economy and other broadscope issues. I get that its an easy question to answer and I’m more than happy for it to be asked but the idea of a massive #hometovote style posse voting purely on the merits of this one issue rather than what’s actually good for the country is vexing.

        I’ll say it again, there’s gonna be a referendum on it in the lifetime of the next govt. Whether it will pass will depend on the wording and what exactly is being voted on but it wont be anywhere near as overwhelming as SSM

        You heard it here first , just like ssm !

  2. Eamonn Clancy

    Do these well intentioned people really believe pre election pledges? If so, then the Repeal the 8th campaign is in very poor hands indeed.

  3. ollie

    If FG are re elected they will not have a referendum. A citizen’s forum is promised which is just an excuse to kick the problem down the road.

  4. manolo

    I always assumed the Green Party took a socially liberal position, but in the last year two of their most committed supporters that I know (both active canvassers and one intends to become a candidate in the next elections) told me they voted No in the marriage equality referendum and neither support repealing the 8th. These stats confirm it. As for the others, no surprise there.

    1. Nigel

      It is quite shocking and disappointing, though I get the impression that abortion is something that otherwise moderately liberal people can be quite woolly on. Also, people are often mistaken in assuming that socially conservative people aren’t concerned with environmental issues.

      1. manolo

        True that, Nigel. Still, that assumption is understandable because conservatism in Ireland can be associated, correctly or not, with the RCC and all the ‘old school values’ that have been changing so dramatically in recent years.
        Addressing many of the environmental issues does, many times, require non-liberal measures, more regulation and taxation. Maybe the two-axis left-right PLUS liberal-authoritarian political mapping requires a third axis to cover position of eco-issues.

        1. Nigel

          Yeah, if the tree-hugging hippes, who’ll throw themselves in front of bulldozers, and the various hunting clubs and associations, who are real forces for conservation, and the more forward-thinking farmers, who have a direct vested interest n environmental sustainability, ever properly united they’d be a force to be reckoned with. But on social issues they’d be all over the place.

      2. rotide

        It’s entirely possible to be liberal and pro life personally but pro choice. It’s also entirely possible to be liberal and be straight out pro life.

        1. manolo

          We learned during the last referendum that it is possible to be gay and against SSM, so I guess everything is possible. Still, some high level generalisations should be understandable when talking about political parties.

    2. Sullery

      Jayzus. I would say that the vast majority of Greens supported the marriage referendum and repealing the eight. They were/are party policy. But you never know. I would say maybe only AAA/PBP would be the only party who would be 100% reliable on this. That’s why this pledge campaign is important.

    1. newsjustin

      I don’t think they’re holding rank on this issue. People in the party are to make their own minds up.

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