We often hear a lot of complaints about spam at election time but it is odd that inside places like the Law Library and in teaching staff rooms they would be so unconcerned when mass mailed on behalf of perennial candidates. Surely those privy to their colleagues email address should treat them with a bit more respect. But I guess that is why this is seen by the outer 95% as so much of a insider’s election.
The audience drop ins are becoming more and more of a feature in this election, we’ve had people appearing in the crowd at rugby internationals, the selected, the anointed and the disappointing popping up on Vincent Browne and now apparently being in the audience in the Late Late is a platform to ask probing questions of the host. I should really sort out that foursquare thingy and start telling people what street I am on, where I’ve had a pint this weekend and where I went to mass.
And that front page ad in the Irish Examiner has really set the proverbial cat amongst the pigeons. We’ve now got ads on the back pages of national papers, in the personal ads and scrawled on toilet doors.
The NUI appear very put out by the notion that the state of the register is any reflection on them. I’m not sure that we can really pin this one on Seanie Fitz and Denis O’Brien to be honest. If it’s their responsibility to maintain the register and the register is a mess then we can’t blame it on the usual suspects or the boogie.
A couple of us candidates are coming clean and admitting to our donations and spending long before SIPO, cos you don’t have to wait and do the legal minimum to have ethics. I would hope that more might think about doing so by Monday. Let’s get the silent money out in the open!
And yes Fine Gael have mentioned to members that 3 of the candidates are members of the party. I would hope this isn’t a surprise to you but I am one of them. Naturally I am asking that people start at the bottom of the ballot and go from there. In future elections, I will have to ensure that my spouse, should I have one, works hard to get other people elected cos that’s what really counts in deciding on who to support I guess.