Ciarán Cannon wins PD Leadership

Quote :

Senator Ciaran Cannon is the new leader of the Progressive Democrats.

He narrowly beat fellow Senator Fiona O'Malley in the race to succeed Mary Harney, by 51% to 49%.

RTE.ie

Now that was a close election. I would have put my money on O'Malley.

Will Cannon be able to administer with authority, while Mary Harney is a member of the cabinet ? Unusual situation, no?

I think he will, EVM. The remaining PDs are very keen to make progress and Harney will be an asset in the cabinet rather than a noose around his neck.

The only concern I can see being raised is about his mandate; it's a very, very narrow majority - possibly only a couple of votes in real terms and a lot will depend on the response of O'Malley and how she lends her support to Cannon.

How relevant is Harney? As with Bertie, we're all just waiting for her to shuffle off. Certainly her position within the party is weak, or so I would imagine.

As for her cabinet position, I think it might nhave mattered a couple of years ago when the PDs actually had some clout. But now she's really just minister for Angola. At the very least, she'll have her hands full there to worry about the fortunes of a party she seems to have written off herself.

Oddy enough I thought it more likely he would win. I'm amazed it's so close. The thing is, how does this then impact on the PDs more broadly. Can a leader work from the Senate? Perhaps, but its a big ask in a party which has two TDs, one who is retiring and one who can reasonably be termed as semi-detached.

I'd certainly agree that there is a faction within the PDs willing to make a go of it... interesting stuff.

905 wrote:

How relevant is Harney? As with Bertie, we're all just waiting for her to shuffle off. Certainly her position within the party is weak, or so I would imagine.

As for her cabinet position, I think it might nhave mattered a couple of years ago when the PDs actually had some clout. But now she's really just minister for Angola. At the very least, she'll have her hands full there to worry about the fortunes of a party she seems to have written off herself.

I agree. She has had her fair crack at health, but her primary agenda there is evidently to steer the ship into the privatised area, whilst trying to shuffle everything else off onto the clearly disfunctional HSE. I think she has become a political liability.

Well, the privitisation bit wouldn't make her a liability to the PDs. But the disaster bit coupled with loss of cabinet influence would.

So, would it make sense then, that in order for the PDs to regroup before the '09 locals, they should vacate the health department.

Considering health has been, and still is such a huge chaotic expensive mess, if I were Cannon I think I would cut and run, and use the next year to wash my bib.

Harney could merge with FF no bother, though it does kind of look bad now that you mention it. Has Grealish left yet? They'd be reduced to the status of the Socialist party.

905 wrote:

Harney could merge with FF no bother, though it does kind of look bad now that you mention it. Has Grealish left yet? They'd be reduced to the status of the Socialist party.

905, I hope you don't mind me mentioning it, but the hyperactive quality of your avatar is distracting me from the thoughtful content of your posts.

I think he compliments them wonderfully. A reminder not to take the most serious issues too seriously. Charlie Chaplin's The great dictator did more for the allied cause than all the Canadians.

Go Hitler, go!

I am most definately far from being well versed on this issue but on the face of it it is very exciting. Would I be right in thinking that Cannon must take a radical approach to ensure that he can remove one of the 4 veterans in Galway East because it is hard to see how he will be a senator after the next election. Would this enter Cowen's head and influence his decision on a quick election to really embarrass and screw the PDs. Having an election now would be the smart option for Cowen so I suppose therefore it should be discounted.

51%, I was taken aback by the narrowness of the margin. I expected either himself or Malley to win by 60%+ votes. I think he at least went through a firm but fair election process and has a mandate to lead his party. Brian Cowen, Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore and Caomghín O'Caoláin are all(AFAIK) un-elected leaders to their parties. Only John Gormley(defeated McKenna) has the same inalienable right to rule their parties. The rest of them are interlopers in their positions, since they're only there because nobody else was interested in the position.

Fair play, Cannon, I hope the PDs regain their sense of purpose and continue to challenge the pre-conceptions of the Irish bodypolitik.

Where is Johnny now that we need him?

Why is there an extra O in the title? Unless Senator Ciarán Cannon has decided to change his name.

Apologies, fixed now. I'm fairly sure I cut and paste that title from RTE.

I wouldn't be able to come up with a title like that all by myself.

EvotingMachine0197 wrote:

Apologies, fixed now. I'm fairly sure I cut and paste that title from RTE.

I wouldn't be able to come up with a title like that all by myself.

Mis-spelling good, upstanding and noble Irish names! More proof of the West-Brit conspiracy at the heart of ORRR TEEE EEEE!

If what I suspect is correct Cannon is a shrewd operator. He`s created a National profile for himself. He won`t be blamed if the PDs don`t go anywhere but he`ll have strengthened his own hand when it comes to negotiating a jumping of ship to Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil. A year and a half`s time will give a better idea of the way the wind is blowing regarding Cowan`s leadership.

4 TDs in East Galway
Ulick Burke and Paul Connaughton are in their mid sixties. (Fine Gael)

Noel Treacy and Michael Kitt are in their mid-late fifties. (Fianna Fáil).

Burke is from Cannon`s area. (Treacy wouldn`t be a million miles away either in fairness)

He'll have to work hard and fast to hold onto councillors across the country who have been considering their options of late. There has been canvassing going on since the GE and now will be seen as a good time to jump ship if there is ship-jumping to be done.

Cannon by becoming leader will have boosted his profile in East Galway, as opposed to his home area, no end. He would be an attractive poach for FF or FG, particularly if he can sway successful post-local election candidates to follow him in a particular direction.

I heard him speak a couple of times over the last month. I had not heard him before and I was very impressed.

This talk of jumping ship is a bit premature.

If we tank (again) in the Locals next year then anything that is left will disappear or switch side; thats a given.

The biggest problem now is motivation. We desperatly need a fresh vision to invigourate the troops. I think he has that vision and it will begin to emerge over the next couple of months.

At the moment he is the butt of all political jokes and slaggings and hopefully that will die off. Its a bit immature.
I think the public will give him a chance to have his say even if the political chattering classes laugh at him. Indeed it may work to his advantage because if expactations are low, this lad will shine.

As for the close vote, it's thought that Fiona got a "bounce" from her stand on Bertie. Our members like this kind of stuff. Ciaran would do well to take note.

Personally I feel his battle is so hard that to maintain the status quo would be a major acheivement in itself but would not be enough in the long run.

We need 30-40 councilors and I dont see that swing there at this time, but this time next year? who knows.

I said before the election that this was a great gig to get purely from a political point of view. If you win your a hero; if you lose sure you'll get the credit for being brave enough to have had a crack at it. Voters like underdogs...sometimes.

It's all organisation. Get people down on the ground, pressing the flesh, building a ground-swell and you'll get CCs elected and from that, TDs elected.

Irish voters are not ideological. The gap between Labour and the PDs is a lot narrower than people think. Irish people want reults and they want the local TD to listen to them and take care of them. If PDs can do that better than anyone else, they'll get elected.

They also need to remain attractive to transfers, especially from FF. Annoying FF in the run-up to Election 2007 cost Tim O'Malley, Fiona O'Malleym Michael McDowell and Liz O'Donnell seats. Get those transfers back from SF and Labour and the PDS will do better.

I hope that Cannon can re-invigorate the PDs and make them relevant again. The PDs are a great party and the Irish bodypolitick would be poorer without them.

I actually followed the election in Galway East on P.ie and there was a great advocate for Cannon called Candid who I guess went down with the ship because he was never heard of again. My question is about this poaching. Would the voters be that empty headed that they would vote for a man who owes his good fortunes to date to the pd party. If it occurs after the election then it would not be taken well especially if it remained 2 each. If Cannon was elected then would he not stay an independent at least