FF the Flip Flop party. Mícheál Martin explicitly said that they would not go into coalition with FG during the GE… He said the same about SF… Says they don’t have a mandate to go into government with SF as a result…. Where’s the mandate to go into government with FG?

@ObsidianShine: noun-verb-’…for the good of the country’ and something about Brexit. Mandates be damned.

@Tom o brien: all like minded politicians from all over, who were voted as a TD, now is your chance to join SF, to make effected government and let FFG get lost.

@James Moore: I can see them now looking at the journal comments for clarity as to the choice they should make!!!!!

@Tom o brien: I don’t think SF would want that loose cannon

@Paddy Dunne: No they dont, they need a 3rd leg..

@Paddy Dunne:how many of their seats did they get by not meeting the quota… FF and FG do NOT have a mandate

@Honeybee: 75% of the country did not vote sf.

@Donal Hogan: 75% did not give SF a first preference. Even a casual examination of the results would show you that a substantial number of your 75% gave SF a second, third or fourth preference. That includes myself, who gave SF a 4th preference and completely excluded FF and FG.

@Donal Hogan: Most people Donal voted for change, to cast off the entrenched two party system which does not serve the electorate very well for all of the known reasons.There is no denying the poor showing of FFG and very many of those who were elected only did so on the back of transfers from SF surplus votes. If the election results are that the main vote is split in three then by virtue of the fact that the two government parties exclude SF from talks then it becomes a replay of the status quo and the denial of real democracy,there must be another election in fairness and it is up to the electorate then to make the decision.

@Donal Hogan: where did u get that figure. fake news.

@Honeybee: what electorate 25 percent

@Sean Barry: Why do you focus on the SF vote only, the electorate comprises very many other voters that your comment does not take account of yet who are stakeholders in this election. For your information the % voting pattern is as follows and FF have an extra seat as the ceann comhairle is automatically elected ( non contested seat)
SF 24.53%,FF 22.18% ,FG 20.86%, Ind 15.39%,GP 7.13%, Lab 4.38%, SD 2.90%,SPBP, 2.63%, So therefore the electorate are a diverse group not limited to SF voters.

@Donal Hogan: the number is 85% of the electorate. 75% only covers those that actually voted. Less than 15% of the entire electorate voted for SF. I did not notice this word “change” on the ballot paper. People voted for candidates and this “change” concept seems to have jumped out of the reality and muddied the waters completely. I will go searching for this elusive “change” beast and report back regularly.

@Honeybee: every right not to speak to the shinners

@Tom McHugh: change is implied – obviously. The fact SF have done better than ever while both traditional parties have lost votes and TDs is a “change” in and of itself.

@Shazam37: Implied and voted for by 15% of the electorate makes it overwhelming as I have seen quoted in multiple sources. Methinks that “fake news” has indeed come to our shores.

@Tom McHugh: you’re believing your own narrative Tom. and you don’t know what fake news is.

“Fake news” is the reporting of alternative facts as factual – when in actuality they’re not facts at all. In other words – lies.

Whether or not the wider public want “change” is a matter of opinion based on facts. It’s an
Opinion.

But that opinion is shared widely across both the political and media spectrums.

You want proof? In the three way debate all three candidates – Varadkar, Martin, McDonald – had opening statements emphasising …. you guessed it…”Change”. They all used the specific word “Change” multiple times. Go back an watch. You think that was an accident? Or a coincidence? They all use focus groups and use internal polls.

And that was before the election which resulted in an unprecedented shift away from the establishment parties.

If you don’t think the result reflects a desire for a change from the electorate, and you genuinely think it’s all just “fake news” – I think you’ve lost any sense of objectivity.

@Paddy Dunne: ya they do for the moment but they can’t deny the people want change. Most of sf candidates were elected on the first count. Ff got most of their seats from transfers. I see another general election and more sf candidates than before leading to a left government

@Shazam37: As they all have similar levels of representation, by your own words, they all reflect “change”. No one party can copywrite the claim. Still “fake news” in my book and that book is the only one to which I refer my opinions.

@Tom McHugh: Your “book” Is rife with inaccuracies.

I might as well write a book on thermodynamics and call it my reference guide On the subject.

How on earth could the parties that have run the country for the last 100 years be considered as “change”

It’s true the old really cannot open their eyes or minds can they. You’re the kind of guy watching the tide coming in determined to believe his feet won’t get wet.

@Shazam37: I would love to read your book on thermodynamics. Given they way you are triggered on this subject, which is anything but objective your treatment of the gas equation would be very interesting.

@Tom McHugh: Come to think of it, you couldn’t have chosen a poorer analogy. Aligning political spin with highly defined mathematical models requires great imagination. Do you really believe that the whole issue has any factual basis? The wriggle room for any government is severely curtailed by the fiscal rules and any incoming government, especially one that has never governed in the past, will be at best tweaking what already exists. What is most important is whether they will be able to spin it as well as the current clowns.

@Tom McHugh: Jesus I often wonder about the IQ of people that use the word “triggered” like it’s some sort of insult.

Listen to the IT political podcast and it might give you some insight into the election. Far better than reading your own “book”.

@Honeybee: a majority don’t want change. That’s democracy. Not something that Sinn Fein are accustomed to

@Honeybee: 73 seats returned, bigger numbers of county councillors since 2019. Someone is voting them in . Shinners are embarrassing themselves with crack pot stuff like this

@GrumpyAulFella: Cause its not a majority, brexit wouldn’t have happened if only 43% of the people wanted it.

@Tjamr: yea – you’re confusing a binary referendum with a complex system of proportional voting and representation.

The two aren’t comparable. This isn’t the US Presidency.

@Shazam37: Obfuscation, that’s what we’re dealing with here…trying to make something fundamental seem “complex”…we all no the difference between binary elections and proportional representation but we also know that when a party (FF) pre-election rules out going into power with two parties (FG [for "change" reasons] and SF [for "policy" reasons]) and post-election ‘appears’ to change their mind ONLY WITH ONE PARTNER then there is unfairness

@Spartacus Ireland: we don’t all “no” that.

“Unfairness” isn’t remotely relevant: this is professional politics.

@GrumpyAulFella: 43% may have voted for these parties between them but the vast majority of these did not vote for them to go into coalition together.

@GrumpyAulFella: because 67% didn’t…..

@Brian Hackett: You might need to check your maths.

@Shazam37: Politics has everything to do with fairness: treating the population unfairly or being seen to be unfair effects voters….btw “no” is acceptable in text-speech these days (not part of ‘old boys club’), ask Simon Coveney who started his tweet with “U” recently…give him a call there and correct him in the same didactic manner…you were and are obfuscating

@GrumpyAulFella: Wrong, 21% vote FG, 23% voted FF

0% voted for a coalition of the two

@Spartacus Ireland: Blather. Maybe you can pray to Eamon de Valera to let the Shinners play? Cos the big boys are being meanies.

This has nothing to do with “fairness” – Jesus. What’s unfair about it?

God what a childish post.

@GrumpyAulFella: Well the toxic FFG will unfortunately continue..F.F. brought this country to it’s knees, F.G. just compounded the mess. Democracy according to FFG.

@GrumpyAulFella: Clearly SF were and are the prefered choice. they got outstanding results with their 1st prefs. I would like to see the ballot papers of all fg and ff candidates, did everyone mark the paper in ink or pencil. WE ARE THE BOSS OVER POLITICIANS THEY MUST OBEY . OUT WITH UNFIT TOXIC FG FF .

I’m neither a Republican nor a socialist. But I am most certainly opposed to the interference of any religious ideology in my life.

@Stephen Cumbers: do you not undertand majority of people were devout Catholics at the time?

@Joey Byrne: devout or in fear ?

@Stephen Cumbers: what a ridiculous statement, you wouldnt attend mass out of fear

@Joey Byrne: you are obviously very naive to the power the church wielded in the past. Thankfully this country has finally shown up the church for the bullies that they are !

@Stephen Cumbers: you have one those plantation names which might explain a lot that you are hiding behind ..

@Bobby wilson: you really need to look in a mirror you muppet.
Wilson is the third most common surname in Scotland. In the sixteenth and seventeenth century the surname was greatly increased in Ulster by the thousands of Scottish settlers and as a result of this settlement it is the most common Surname in Northern Ireland.

@Stephen Cumbers: yes both my family come from both protestant and catholic traditions from around 9 county Ulster province and Dublin north inner city fish dealer’s. The point is I don’t speak any hurtful words about anyone religion or cultures and offence them

@CJ Stewart: how is it anti democratic. 55% of the electorate’s first preference votes were for centralist parties. That is democracy in action as far as I can see.

@Rochelle We all know whats in store….FF+FG+ Lap Dog…This caper is only political play acting to cover up the reality of their conspiracy… It will come back to bite them..

@CJ Stewart: it’s hardly a conspiracy.

@GrumpyAulFella: Not to the homeless unfortunates dying in the streets!

@Joe: Is closing the door on 24.5% of the vote really democratic.. especially when those closing it have less support…???? Is being forced to endure policies of the right, who only gathered 43% collectively and instinctively block the door of co-operation and compromise to protect vested interests, is that democratic..? Is it acceptable to place this on the people of Ireland, when it fact they voted against such right policies in a majority..Is it fair that we endure another 5 years of of vested interests, high rents, no housing, hospital queue’s and god knows what else, simply because FF & FG carve the pie up between each other again,, it is pure political hypocrisy…All I can say..is long runs the fox..

@Joe: FF and FG are not centrist, no matter how many times the lie is repeated

@GrumpyAulFella: not when their policies make a health sector crisis even worse.

@CJ Stewart: how have ff less support. Ireland elections are proportional representation not the party with most votes. FF is the party with the most seats full stop

@Sean Barry: When I was young in the North, a protestants definition of democracy include gerrymandering ..they seen nothing wrong with .. So what happened when they refused to compromise, talk or negotiate with catholics ..??? … You are missing the point here Sean Barry..SF commanded 24.5 % against 22.2 and 20.9 % FF & FG. …Now look at the first line of my comment ‘ At such a critical juncture in Irish political life’…..It is abundantly clear that the majority of Irish people have voted against FF & FG collectively..yet both still choose to obnoxiously ignore this and WILL join in strength collectively to go against the will of the majority…The bottom line is all that three parties have history with the IRA, recent or past, all three hold a sizable balance of votes and all three agree over the major problems this country is experiencing… So how arrogant is it for one or two of these parties to turn their backs on everyone else regardless ..and insist on doing it their way..away that has failed time over and time over …’Compromise’.. it aint feckin rocket science..SF were prepared to do it !

@CJ Stewart: ah, blowing up innocent people to force a political movement against the will of the majority of the people is a little more undemocratic than three democratically elected parties forming a government at the exclusion of a terrorist political wing. Let’s be real here.

@The Risen: depends on where you’re looking from

@The Risen: of course they are centrist. There has never been a true right and left in Ireland. Just parties they sit slightly either side of the line. That was until SF, PBP, and the weirdo right wing parties as well!

@CJ Stewart: yes because the majority voted for mainstream centrist parties and political stability not for an extreme left party.

@CJ Stewart: what you don’t realise is that over 75% of the electorate voted against the shinners. Having analysed their financial policies the other parties are correct in their decision not to talk to them
Up the RA, Brits out, drug dealers, wife of garda murderer. Need o say anymore.
Shinners have a long way to go.
For your information i am living north of rhe border for 43 years.

@Sean Barry: depends what part of the north you live in and what things you witnessed there. I was born there and have witnessed a lot of things by all sides. Just remember there were no provos until after 1969. Do you remember pre 1969 and how democratic it was, NOT.

@Sean Fahey: Bottom line..Ireland voted for change..they won..but they still aren’t getting it !

@Mona Murphy: North Belfast 1965..Democracy was a big NO for us… and like it or not, if it wasn’t for the guns of republicanism we would still be suffering.

@CJ Stewart: the IRA packed it in years ago ! Keep up ……… Things CHANGE for a reason

@Hector Son: Probably not, unless they can vote from abroad where FFG austerity drove them.

@GrumpyAulFella: Biggest vote was SF .
Do keep up old chap.

@Bobby wilson: Again, biggest vote was SF.
Should FFG coalesce , that vote will multiply .

@Willy Mc Entire: that works both way it can galvanize the over 70% of Irish people who are centre left and centre right to come out strength right across urban/rural/ working-class /middle-class areas to ensure that centre parties win like what happen when unionists /loyalist areas came out to vote in Hugh numbers across the six county state when they seen combined Nationalist vote started to vote rise after 20 of flat line ..I appeal to SF to move to centre left and move away from the hard left policies……

@Bobby wilson: I sincerely doubt it. I’m one of that ~70% that did not vote SF as their first preference. Remember, that 24.5% was first preference votes. SF got my number 4. If it was a straight up choice between FF, FG and SF, you can be guaranteed that SF would get my number 1. And there are a lot just like me. Meanwhile, anyone who did give SF their number 1 would still give SF their number 1. Your arithmetic and predictions are off, I’d say.

@Willy Mc Entire: @ SF vote and that includes the total Nationalist has flat line over the past 20 years which is absolute disgrace especially when the Nationalist population has risen to 50% i wish they could get Nationalist population out to vote in large numbers by the PBP don’t even class themselves as Nationalists in stormont.

@Bobby wilson: I’m curious, what in Sinn Fein’s manifesto did you see as “Hard Left” and how do you suggest they go to “Centre-Left”.

It also goes to show that if FF has gone to coalition with SF, the left/right balance might have been achieved but MM would rather political point score than actually solve the problems of the country

@Adam J:SF makes no excuses that they are left wing have a lot in common with the non Nationalist socialist PBP party .

@Aidan: They certainly don’t like that. The politics of self interest has crippled the country.