Presidential Election 2025

[Brabantje]

If you include the 12% or so of spoiled votes, yes. Otherwise it's hovering around 40%. Apart from 2018, the only other one coming close on low turnout was 1997 (47%).

I'm seeing the figure on RTE, so no idea whether spoils are included

[Carlovian]

Mairead M Guinness would have won. As would Stein. As would Kelliher. A very lucky tankie this evening.

Fine Gael are 0 from 10 for Presidential elections because they are a lot like FG. McGuinness wouldn’t have won and Kelleher would’ve had the same problem of being a government rep.

Stein wouldn’t have the organisation behind her to run a national campaign but she would’ve been strong in the debates.

You’ve seven years for the maybes and regrets but Connolly was by a mile the best qualified candidate.

[p.ie man]

Steen probably would have been a source of transfers for Heather, had she been allowed run.

[Pantaloon Jeopardy]

Steen probably would have been a source of transfers for Heather, had she been allowed run.

Steen was allowed run. Nothing blocked her, she just failed to get nominated.

[Gatsbygirl]

The Daily Mail being its usual balanced, under-stated self

Comments are hilarious.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ggins.html

Extremist left-winger Catherine Connolly who said Israel behaved like 'terrorist state' and called Hamas 'part of the civil society of Palestine' becomes new Irish president and arrives at Dublin Castle after landslide triumph
2.2k

[Pantaloon Jeopardy]

Mairead M Guinness would have won. As would Stein. As would Kelliher. A very lucky tankie this evening.

Come on, it was obvious from day one that Steen was the far right puppet and was just there to be a focus forthe post-election whinging.

[p.ie man]

[Socthesecond]

Decent acceptance speech that's all folks. The dogs bark and the caravan moves on.

[Pantaloon Jeopardy]

What's this, do people think that far right candidates have an automatic entitlement to be nominated? Seems like "political hubris" to me.

[Carlovian]

The Daily Mail being its usual balanced, under-stated self

Comments are hilarious.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/articl ... ggins.html

Extremist left-winger Catherine Connolly who said Israel behaved like 'terrorist state' and called Hamas 'part of the civil society of Palestine' becomes new Irish president and arrives at Dublin Castle after landslide triumph
2.2k

The Irish English Daily mail were just as bad during the campaign.

They hate the Irish, always have, always will.

[schmittel]

Yea with a 22.5% turnout - so no she’s not.

Where are you getting 22.5% turnout from?

[p.ie man]

[Gatsbygirl]

Decent acceptance speech that's all folks. The dogs bark and the caravan moves on.

Very nice warm atmosphere st Dublin Castle. Everyone gracious, warm and magnanimous in defeat

Especially good vibes between CC snd HH who, according to Connolly, will be having "a gin and elderflower" later

In her acceptance speech Connelly mentioned "the existential threat posed by climate change". I didn't watch all the debates, but I don't remember many references to climate change, which one would have expected to be high on the agenda. So kudos there

Also good to hear her wanting to be a voice for all "the new people who have come to our country". A calming voice on this issue will be welcome too.

[midlander12]

Very nice warm atmosphere st Dublin Castle. Everyone gracious, warm and magnanimous in defeat

Especially good vibes between CC snd HH who, according to Connolly, will be having "a gin and elderflower" later

In her acceptance speech Connelly mentioned "the existential threat posed by climate change". I didn't watch all the debates, but I don't remember many references to climate change, which one would have expected to be high on the agenda. So kudos there

Also good to hear her wanting to be a voice for all "the new people who have come to our country". A calming voice on this issue will be welcome too.

Glad to hear that - both issues conspicuously absent from the campaign, and ones where the President can actually have at least an influence on sentiment, without necessarily overstepping any constitutional marks.

[Bubblypop]

Percentage wise, yes. No idea in terms of raw numbers yet.

Percentage of a low turnout means nothing IMO

[schmittel]

Percentage of a low turnout means nothing IMO

Turnout yesterday was higher than 2018 when Michael D was regarded to have won a landslide on a lower % of first prefs, and the result regarded as incontrovertible of what an incredibly popular president.

Seems a bit inconsistent TBH

[Bubblypop]

Turnout yesterday was higher than 2018 when Michael D was regarded to have won a landslide on a lower % of first prefs, and the result regarded as incontrovertible of what an incredibly popular president.

Seems a bit inconsistent TBH

Really? I hadn't seen that anywhere. Thanks.
I suppose maybe people thought he was such a definite that they didn't bother that year. I must admit, I was overseas that year and having travelled home for the referendum earlier the same year, I figured Michael D had it in the bag and didn't come back for it.

Even though I personally didn't want CC, I didn't particularly want HH either. And I think CC will be a capable president.

[schmittel]

Really? I hadn't seen that anywhere. Thanks.
I suppose maybe people thought he was such a definite that they didn't bother that year. I must admit, I was overseas that year and having travelled home for the referendum earlier the same year, I figured Michael D had it in the bag and didn't come back for it.

Even though I personally didn't want CC, I didn't particularly want HH either. And I think CC will be a capable president.

Note doubt the Michael D is a shoe in vibe depressed the turnout somewhat, but nonetheless nobody claimed the low turnout undermined the legitimacy of his victory.

Quite the opposite, he was lauded for the strength of the result.

[Carlovian]

Yea with a 22.5% turnout - so no she’s not.

45.8% turnout which was higher than the last Presidential election.

CC got the highest percentage in history of 63.4% making her a record breaker for popularity.

[Carlovian]

Where are you getting 22.5% turnout from?

It’s a made up figure.

The turnout was 45.8%.

[schmittel]

It’s a made up figure.

The turnout was 45.8%.

Yep that was kind of the point! It's bizarre to dismiss the legitimacy of this result on any grounds other than sour grapes.

[Brabantje]

Yep that was kind of the point! It's bizarre to dismiss the legitimacy of this result on any grounds other than sour grapes.

A few things. The talking up of legitamacy based on turnout delegtamises Michael D's second term as turn out was actually less, and it delegitamises spoiled votes which amounted to 6% of the valid electorate. There's also the question of the state of the register which according to recent reports may be out by as much as 500k people.

Making the argument that low turnout delegitamises results, would actually mean that Ireland (and pretty much every European democracy) has never actually had a government that commanded an absolute majority of the electorate.

[Gatsbygirl]

A few things. The talking up of legitamacy based on turnout delegtamises Michael D's second term as turn out was actually less, and it delegitamises spoiled votes which amounted to 6% of the valid electorate. There's also the question of the state of the register which according to recent reports may be out by as much as 500k people.

Making the argument that low turnout delegitamises results, would actually mean that Ireland (and pretty much every European democracy) has never actually had a government that commanded an absolute majority of the electorate.

People can always find ways of taking the air out of the victory balloon. Remember a poster back on Pie who had various arguments why Michael D didn't REALLY win either of his two elections with any degree of legitimacy

Connelly had a fantastic win and is now our President. No matter what we think of her , we have to accept that.

I think SF's support was indeed a "gamechanger". They have an incredible electoral machine, and the resources to fund it. Just reading about CC'S campaign, it was incredible.

For all the talk of "authenticity" and CC cycling around dressed in down-home, nondescript clothes, her campaign was in fact backed up by corporate levels of styling and branding

It was an incredibly slick, on-trend campaign.

There was "merch"---merchandise of stylishly designed jumpers, tee shirts, scarves, logos...a graphic designer set the Celtic theme for the designs...music concerts in Vicar St and UCD, celebrity endorsements...Students For Connolly....cutting edge podcasts...slick videos going viral like the keepy-uppy one...armies of young volunteers organised by Sinn Fein...social media hopping

Poor Heather's campaign was stuck back somewhere in the 1980s..it didn't have the lift, the branding, the style, the music, the young people.

[Brabantje]

The Irish English Daily mail were just as bad during the campaign.

They hate the Irish, always have, always will.

Not enough is being made of the fact that the Irish Daily Mail introduced Humphreys' religion into the debate.
The fact that their editor is married to a sitting FF candidate is 100%, pure coincidence.

[Carlovian]

Not enough is being made of the fact that the Irish Daily Mail introduced Humphreys' religion into the debate.
The fact that their editor is married to a sitting FF candidate is 100%, pure coincidence.

The Daily mail also had an opinion piece musing about Connolly shooting a citizen and today ask for her to be kept on a “tight leash”

Their editorial claimed at the start of the campaign that Connolly shouldn’t be allowed stand due to her opinions,

The English Irish mail like the English Irish Sun. Anybody who buys these rags don’t know their history.