Contact

Should we be covering something? Email us your ideas, rumours or comments.

More from the frontlines

Read more about: Irish Election, Irish Politics

Things the media considers important, but have yet to come up at a single, solitary doorstep I’ve been on since the election began:

Stamp Duty.

Immigration (To my own astonishment).

Bertiegate, all various strands.

Things the media seems relatively uninterested in, but come up very frequently:

Social Housing waiting lists.

Carers. The Means Test and the other restrictions on it.

Playgrounds/sporting facilities.

Most serious case raised by a voter:

An ongoing threat to her life, and that of her family, by a criminal in prison who falsely believed a member of the family had supplied information that had led to his arrest. The threat has so far led to three attacks on family homes and two serious assaults by his associates.

Least serious case raised by a voter:

“I travel a lot around the world and there are these six people, all Irish, who follow me everywhere. Two of them followed me to Thailand three weeks ago. It’s been going on for years and I don’t know why.”

Most heartbreaking case:

A late middle aged woman suffering from mild MS, married to a serious alcoholic who is the sole caregiver to her bed-bound alzheimer’s suffering mother and receives no state support.

Angriest voters:

Nurses. Pissed off and articulate with it. Often very cute too.

Weirdest voter:

‘What’s your party’s position on the Bilderburg Group and the New World Order?’

2nd Weirdest voter:

‘I’ll give you a vote. Me dog didn’t bark when you came in and he barked at the other ones so you must be alright.’

4 Responses to “More from the frontlines”

  1. # Comment by Patrick May 14th, 2007 19:05

    In the last local election, when i introduced my self as a canvasser for FF, the door was the people said, “i wouldn’t vote for your lot after you brought in the smoking ban”. This happened on two occasions. This was the only complaint people had.

  2. # Comment by eyes up to heavens May 14th, 2007 22:05

    Stamp duty - Once.

    Bertiegate - Twice, both last week.

    Immigration. Once (also to my surprise)

    Most frequent.

    Housing. Social and the affordablity for young people.

    Health.

    Anti-social behaviour.

    Oddest/Most surprising.

    Gay marriage.

  3. # Comment by sliabh May 15th, 2007 00:05

    Any sign of childcare as an issue? I was planning to talk to canvassers about it, but none have appeared at my door yet.

  4. # Comment by neil May 18th, 2007 19:05

    As a 17 year old, the thing myself and plenty of my friends (some voting 18 year olds) find most insulting and most likely to turn us off voting for your party is when we open the door to a canvasser, they give us a leaflet before saying “give that to your parents” and walking away.

    Are our opinions not valid?

Post a comment below:

Get Irish Election updates via email. Enter your email address:

Latest Links of Interest

  • Here’s the Dept of Finance statement issued late last evening about the Minister’s discussion with the banks.  I think we know why some banks didn’t want to be in the guarantee scheme: those in the scheme can be made an offer they can’t refuse: to merge.

    no comments » 29 Nov
  • Mary Harney’s expensive trip to Houston and Phoenix.

    The FAS/Florida row is not the only time the issue of her travel costs has arisen.

    no comments » 27 Nov
  • techPresident – The Future of Campaign Technology: The Ground Game

    Irish Parties looking at learning online and database lessons from Obama could do worse than bear this post in mind. Almost as soon as the election is over, improvements and evolution are making some parts redundant and others essential. Get your campaign an i-phone for everyone? Might be better than printing flyers, it goes to show how parties, if they take it seriously, need to keep ahead of the wave - not just follow.

    no comments » 10 Nov
  • Lisbon Is Doomed

    Colman at the EuroTrib give his reasoning on why Lisbon is dead. The Government's incapable handling of the budget cuts are the nail in the coffin.

    no comments » 7 Nov
  • Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar offers his view on how the SBP Opinion Poll would translate in an election.

    no comments » 27 Oct

Links Feed Links Archives »