Appropriate Irish political party for the preceding poster?

[Hash]

Been a long time since we had these/

[Democratic Hawk]

Fianna Fail

[bullmoose88]

*Skip me and put dave in the right party*

But could someone give the Idiot's (Bullmoose) Guide to Irish Political Parties?

(Skip!)

[Verily]

Dave... Fine Gael.

And for Bullmoose (though if an Irish poster takes issue with my descriptions, please correct them):

Fianna Fail: Mildly socially conservative and tepid on economic issues (usually influenced by coalition partner), were on the anti-treaty side of the Civil War, currently in government
Fine Gael: Also mildly socially conservative, slightly more left-wing than Fianna Fail mostly because of longstanding alliance with Labour, were on the pro-treaty side of the Civil War (and, yes, which side of the Civil War you were on is still salient)
Labour: Somewhat left-wing, long-time coalition partner of Fine Gael (slightly smaller), but recently seem to be breaking away
Greens: Relatively new party, economically centrist and socially liberal, currently in coalition with Fianna Fail in government
Progressive Democrats: economically right-wing and socially centrist, dying party that will probably be subsumed into Fianna Fail within a few years, currently in coalition with Fianna Fail in government
Sinn Fein: Very leftist economically and (obviously) Irish nationalists
Socialists: Very leftist economically, socially liberal, narrowly lost their only seat in 2007 but could very well win a seat in the next election

[Colin]

Verily would most likely be a Green Party voter.

[Sensei]

Greens

[Јas]

Sensei: Green or Labour

*Skip me and put dave in the right party*

But could someone give the Idiot's (Bullmoose) Guide to Irish Political Parties?

(Skip!)

On differentiating Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in particular, I'd refer you to here. My post and Gully's that follows it, I think provide a good relatively short guide to those parties. I'd also refer you to Wikipedia's article Political Parties in the Republic of Ireland which gives a short synopsis on each of the major parties.

[minionofmidas]

Hmmm... SDLP?

[Hash]

Socialist?

[Bono]

Fine Gael.

[Јas]

None that are really 'appropriate'.
Closest would be the Progressive Democrats.

Hmmm... SDLP?

[Colin]

Greens, possibly. What are you in real life?

[Sensei]

greens, slim chance of Fine Gael

[Јas]

*skip me*

Greens, possibly. What are you in real life?

Not a black and white answer, unfortunately.
I've voted #1 for Independents each of the 3 elections I've been able to vote in - in significant part due to poor candidates being nominated by the various parties. There are members of pretty much every party I could vote for and certainly members of every party I wouldn't for. Of what there is of party platforms and such, I'm most sympathetic towards Labour (it's just unfortunate about the quality of a good many of their candidates). Reasonably moderate social democrats. They have their baggage and issues, but in this context they're probably the best answer for me.

In the run up to the election earlier this year, I was very impressed by the Greens - but they have hugely tarnished themselves IMO since the election - in their performance in negotiating a programme for government and in their execution in office so far.

Fine Gael always convey a 'holier than thou' sense to me which doesn't appeal. Any sense of the social democracy of the 80s is long gone in favour of their natural Christian democratic styling - which doesn't appeal to me. Fianna Fáil value power over policy (never mind principle) - though they have some very good people, they have more than enough incompetents and miscreants to keep them from my holding them in any great esteem. I have no time for Sinn Féin whatsoever, a party which seems intent now on moulding itself into a FF-lite entity.

The Progressive Democrats are dying and may not even make the next election. In recent years, they lost all credibility under their last leader. Up until about 2002 though, they did bring  a reasonable amount of positives to Irish politics and helped economic growth. They also had members who I would have a lot of time for. Finally, the Socialists - I'd definitely have voted for their only TD, Joe Higgins, who lost his seat in the election this year - not for policy reasons or because he'd have any input into government, but because he was very effective at raising important issues and put in (IMO) a more creditable performance as an opposition to the Government than certainly FG have managed in recent times.

Make of that what one will...

*skip me*

[Хahar 🤔]

Sinn Fein

[Hash]

Socialist or Workers' Party

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Fine Gael.

Funny I this thread was originally posted during my week plus hiatus from the boards; though I don't plan on staying very long. It is just that today has been slow and depressing.

I think most people on here would be FF\FG voters; though to disinguish between the two is sometimes difficult especially for a foreigner; to identity one as a classic FF or FG voting type often requires to understand bizarre nuances which only Irish people skilled in some dark art of political knowledge comprehend. Some are obvious, like Don who would clearly transfer his love of the GOP over to the Fianna Fail. He often comes across as the type who had been born in Ireland had a Fianna Fail voting for all time Granddaddy from County Kerry; who during the civil war shot three free state cows outside of Killorgin for their treachery.. But I digress.

I tend to agree with Jas; Over the past six months my opinion of Fine Gael whatever it was; has gone down quite a bit.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

None really. Hater of FF/FG.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

None really. Hater of FF/FG.

Al is a curious case - simply because the type of causes he usually epouses don't really exist anymore in the Republic of Ireland: Farmers-Industrial Labourers. Once there was a great class of the former; but were extremely conservative (after they got ownership of their land from 1870s-1910s; "The Land War" period of our history might be something you would be interested in actually..) and insular and often in earlier periods of history trained many of their children, of which there were many, towards emigration and as for the latter, there has never been an industrial working class in the R of Ireland - even if the Dublin Slums c.1915 were among the worst in all of Europe class politics never really emerged after 1913.

Which explains the problems of the Labour party here. Which soon after independance acted really as more a trade unionist-conservative catholic subsidary to the major parties; or at least the party leadership did. (Most of the classic "labour" support really went over to Fianna Fail and has stayed there.) In 1950 it opposed a further nationalization of the health service as it opposed by the Catholic Church (long story..) and thus assumingly their voters; most of whom were small farmers and Agricultural labourers mainly based in Munster and occasional small town workers in ports and mining towns across Lenister (but not in Dublin) known for their conservatism and dedicated anti-communism; the party even split in 1940s in a competition between two sides to show which was more anti-communist.

In the 1960s its support in Dublin as increased as more "left-wing intellectuals" came into the party; who proved in government between 73-77 that they were not very left-wing or intellectual; the backing men in quite possibly the most right-wing government we have ever had; especially on civil liberties in an enviornment of internment, IRA violence and official policy of ignoring (or encouraging?) garda beatings of suspected 'terrorists'.

And nowadays it is pretty much an unoffensive alternative to FF even if they did go into coalition with them in 1992 after their leader pre-campaign described FF as "the cancer of Irish Society". Such is politics. They do better in Dublin in both Poorer and better-off areas; perhaps their old cottier-agricultural labourer no longer exists while the Soft left has exploded dramatically. Mary Robinson when running for President in 1990 forbid her staff from mentioning her Labour party credentials in her posters, etc - as it was felt that lower her chances down in the country; where in many parts Labour Party associated with Dublin Issues such as Abortion and contraception.

All of which is say nothing about the question, really just rant about the labour party. You would still vote for them, probably out of real alternatives - even if the tradition you espouse hasn't existed in Ireland since 1913 (if not 1881).

[Hash]

Hates both, and would by consequence probably not like the Greens or PD because  they joined the FF government. I would guess he'd vote either for Indies or some other small(er) party, although not SF methinks.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

Hates both, and would by consequence probably not like the Greens or PD because  they joined the FF government. I would guess he'd vote either for Indies or some other small(er) party, although not SF methinks.

The Smaller parties here are insane and are mainly made out of 8 men in stolen grey overcoats sitting in a room obsessing with issues no-one in the name of all that is holy Jebus cares about. They are small for a reason - Campaign expenses are not high; money is not that big of an issue.

My opinions on the greens have gone under serious revision as of late; and then further serious revisions to those revisions. But yeah I dislike the Greens and I even further dislike the "Mary Harney reason for being party" (aka 'the PDs')

For you, I think the Fine Gael support does suit you.

[minionofmidas]

Sinn  Fein, of course. (*whistles innocently*)

[afleitch]

I have a feeling he would vote on a candidate by candidate basis rather than by party. I can't see him slotting into any party neatly.

[Јas]

I was going to say Fine Gael and leave it at that, but on reflection and depending on his constituency, I think afleitch would have voted Progressive Democrat in many if not most elections from their foundation in the late 80s - and like many would have abandoned them in 2007 in favour of FG.

[Bleeding heart conservative, HTMLdon]

What is the big difference between FF and FG?  I really don't know where I'd fit, since to me they seem kinda similar (except that FF is wierd for being in that nationalist EU group)