Irish Election are pleased to announce our collection of Irish 
Varadker Criticises Fine Gael/Yes Campaign
Read more about: Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Irish Election, Irish Politics, Lisbon Treaty, Lisbon Treaty, Parties
I posted after Friday’s results were finalised that Enda Kenny could well find himself in the most precarious position of the three major party leaders. Kenny has increasingly bolshie elements within the party, a few more years in opposition and the pressure of maintaining progress next year to deal with and no foreign negotiations to focus minds.
So it is unsurprising that earlier today Leo Varadker made known his dismay at the conduct of the Yes campaign. Perhaps he is only auditioning for the role of Director of Elections at the rerun of Lisbon, or perhaps not:
Fine Gael worked very hard but we didn’t run a very smart campaign,” Mr Varadkar said Newstalk 106’s Breakfast Show . “We didn’t sell the Treaty. We allowed the No side, who eventually deceived the Irish people, to get ahead of us, months and months ahead.
…
Asked about the use of Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny’s photograph on posters, Mr Varadkar said “Yes, and I think that was wrong. There were Gay Mitchell ones, and I put some up too and I put my hands up.
“What we did with the poster campaign was cynical and wrong. What we should have done is put up posters with Vote Yes For a Democratic Europe, because the Lisbon Treaty was the democratic revolution for Europe… ironically a lot of people voted No because they wanted democracy… We should have put up posters saying Save Our Commissioner because now we’re going to lose our commissioner.”
it would seem the collapse of the pds is the worstthing to happen to the fine gaelers does varadker and the other cabal of hayes and creighton want to redefine themselves by targeting the pd vote and sounding like mcdowell of old. its a strategy but also a brand of politics i dont like. still poor old enda is i think a busted flush. the Q&A debate on lisbon was a poor outing for him and he looked like a councillor rather than a putative taoiseach. varadker or the others would have easily surpassed him.
Jer a good point, the gap left by the PDs was always one that fine gael would benefit from and the intake of new TDS in the form of Reilly and Varadker seem to be making a play to shore up that ground. It would offer them stablity in Dublin too - a vital element of any future success.
Enda is certainly under pressure in my mind, Gilmore and Cowen are both fresh to the job and able to harness dynamics in their favour - Enda may well spend some time lookin over his shoulder instead of facing forward. Wil he get to contest the local elections I wonder. Two bad polls in a row may be enough.
I definetely that it is time for Enda to step aside because there are many reasons,
He is the only Leader of the 5 main Parties (FG, FF,GR,LAB,PD) Left after the General Election, Bertie Ahern,GONE, Pat Rabitte,GONE,Trevor Sargent,GONE,Micheal McDowell,GONE.
The Important Reason is that in the polls FINE GAEL have gone down 3 points 4 times in a row, and I think it is because the people are getting fed up of him, it has been nearly 6 years since he took over. The bad Polls are woorying because if it continues then FINE GAEL will be down 20 Seats never mind up 20 Seats.
In recent TV interviews he has been very slow to react most obviously on Q&A a few weeks ago, he was letting Michweal Martin, Declan Ganley, Mary Lou McDonald and even the audience guests pass him out.
In my opinion Richard Bruton is just briliant and is wasted not being in control because he is real Taoiseach Material, he is energetic, fresh and full of ideas, even at his speach at the FINE GAEL Ard Fhéis he was so inspiring and energetic during it. If Richard Bruton Becomes Leader then FINE GAEL will be finally in power in 2012,and with Richard at the helm. Also Leo Varadkar would be a great deputy Leader!
I really do admire Enda and he has done a lot for FINE GAEL and had brilliant success i the Europen Elections, Local Elections and General Election but very frankly, he has lost his shine.
If he is still Leader in 2012 then Fine Gael are going to loose heavily, but if he wants FINE GAEL to be in power, and to see Brian Cowen and those cocky, iggnerant and obnoctious Greens aswell as all of those power driven, and coorupt Fianna Fáilers on the opposition benches, then he will do the right thing and resign.