Entrance Stage Left?

at

Clockwise from top left: Rochard Boyd Barrett TD, Paul Murphy TD; Gemma O’Doherty

At Midday.

Nominations for those wishing to contest the Presidency of Ireland will close.

Presidential hopeful Gemma O’Doherty writes:

I’m close to reaching the 20 votes I need from the Oireachtas. Sinn Féin are not for turning and will not transfer their surplus unused 8 which would get me over the line.

Two parties could still make that happen – Richard Boyd Barrett’s PBP and Paul Murphy’s Solidarity. However, they say the presidency is not relevant and they are not going to use their six votes.

I have tried to convince them otherwise but I am not having huge success. If any of you are members of their parties, you might be able to persuade them to take part in the democratic process and use their votes.

I am really grateful to the many Independents who have supported me today and who want the anti austerity/ anti corruption agenda raised during the coming debates.

Please keep the pressure on the Left – we can still get this over the line if the will is there.

Gemma O’Doherty (Facebook)

Yesterday: Seeking Surplus

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37 thoughts on “Entrance Stage Left?

  1. hapff

    the content of her campaign aside, the shame of it is that if she had been even a little bit more organised and ever so slightly more respectful of the process and the politicians involved, she could have easily sewn up this nomination weeks, if not months ago. I mean, there are three dragons on the ticket already ffs

    1. Jeffrey

      Nope, she did it the only she said she would, by being herself. Would benefit everyone if more politicians were to do the same instead of following greed and power.

      1. hapff

        well she’s not going to get on the ballot, and hence not elected. so how does that benefit what she’s apparently campaigning for?

          1. Johnny Keenan

            You refuse to see what your party FFG is doing https or what ever your face is. Don’t disrespect the site with your crap. There is teal pro’s that can do that with some style at least.
            Troll on horse.
            And when yer gone stay gone.

          2. millie st murderlark

            Johnny, why are you attacking hapff? S/he makes some valid points. And I too am at a loss to see what it is she has uncovered in the nomination process. I’d actually like to know the answer.

            And fwiw, I’m not against Gemma at all. As I’ve said before, I have reservations and some questions about her but I don’t think she’s a poor candidate. I think she could be a great candidate if given the chance but to even have that chance she does have to play the game, even just a little.

          3. Brother Barnabas

            don’t know about goings-on, but she’s exposed a bizarre level of hostility towards her potential candidacy

            nobody seems too bothered about a pair of jokes (on us) like gallagher and duffy or a loon like freeman, but the flustered opposition to o’doherty is almost unprecedented

            just a bit odd

          4. rotide

            BB, Most of the flustered opposition to her is here on this site, which co-incidentally enough is where she gets nearly all of her coverage.

            She hasn’t made a dent in the media, in fact Bunty made more of an impression showing up the joke of the dragons running than Gemma has with her incessant whinging about the process.

          5. hapff

            “You refuse to see what your party FFG is doing https or what ever your face is. Don’t disrespect the site with your crap. There is teal pro’s that can do that with some style at least.”

            thanks Johnny Keenan, that’s really convincing

    2. Owen C

      If she hadn’t suggested the State was extra-judicially murdering journalists, was ignoring the mass murder of homeless people in Limerick, and was subverting the investigation of a missing and presumed murdered child in Donegal with the potential involvement of a former UK Prime Minister, then yes, she may well have been able to get her nomination sewn up month ago. Its unclear what would remain of her campaign if we strip all those things out, however.

      1. hapff

        “Its unclear what would remain of her campaign if we strip all those things out, however.” – well you got me there lol

      2. rotide

        This is one of the more confusing parts of her platform. She says she’s running on an anti corruption platform but when you ignore all the mad stuff and the whinging about nominations, she hasn’t actually laid ANYTHING out.

    3. Rob_G

      @hapff –

      indeed; she also might have gotten a bit further with some of county councils (who seemed happy enough to endorse some of the more marginal candidates) if she hadn’t:

      (i) threatened to sue Limerick councilors, and
      (ii) made a recording of DCC proceedings in contravention of their rules.

      1. hapff

        definitely, and plenty more schoolboy errors

        seems pretty clear that SF would let their councillors vote her on if she had done the bare minimum of homework

  2. Mango

    I wrote to Paul Murphy and asked him to nominate her weeks ago, I am sure I wasn;t the only person who did so. Here was the response:

    “As in 2011 Solidarity will not be supporting the incumbent President, nor any from an establishment background. We would very much support a principled left candidate for the presidency. Such a candidacy could challenge the political establishment, the neo liberal status quo and defend the rights of women and minorities. Such a presidential challenge could also open up a debate about the lack of democracy and inequality in this state.

    The election is scheduled for late October, and the nomination period has not yet formally opened. Therefore Solidarity have yet to formally discuss our approach to the Presidential election. Solidarity is a democratic organisation and will in the coming weeks discuss our approach to the Presidential election and the nomination process. Solidarity has 3 TDs and had 14 councillors elected in 2014, we are therefore not in a position to nominate a candidate ourselves due to the very restrictive nomination process.

    We will of course be looking closely at the statements and the records of the various prospective candidates as part of that process. We will also of course take on board your views.

    If there is anything else that you’d like to raise with us with regard the Presidency or any other matter please do keep in touch.”

    So the reason they are giving is in fact the opposite of their response to me.

    1. Abigail

      “such a president would open up debate about the lack of democracy”

      typical of posh boy Paul to be so hypocritical by depriving the rest of us of more democracy

      1. Mango

        I just think it’s interesting that they say they want the status quo challenged but would not give her the votes, would she not have done that? I am not sure I would vote for her due to certain past behaviours of hers, but I am on the side that I feel she had as much right of any dragons den star to be on the ballot. This was not fairly done at all.

        1. Abigail

          They’re not much different to SF, if they thought they’d have support they’d happily put their opponents and farm and business owners against the wall.

          They’d put them in rows of 5 so they could use one bullet through 5 heads.

          The kids … those that would not be taken into “care of the state” would be worked to death.

          Party members, as usual, would get off their four trotters and begin to walk on two.

          Hypocrits all.

  3. rotide

    “If you would like corruption, austerity and accountability to be on the agenda for #Aras18,”

    How about a cure for cancer as well? or Cheap diesel and low cost pints?

    These things are just as relevant to the presidency

        1. Starina

          You’re welcome, lads.

          tbh i don’t even know exactly why I don’t like her, just that there’s a bang of Renua off her.

  4. A Person

    The sense of entitlement is outrageous. Elected people won’t nominate her, and as a result the whole process is undemocratic. Seriously? That is democracy. Why are BS supporting her so much? I find it unedifying for a so-called independent non main stream media outlet.

  5. Jackdaw

    I for one am disappointed she didn’t make the ballot and make a complete eejit of herself in the debates. It would have been entertaining.

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