Cowen Snubs Laois

I mentioned this briefly on another thread and Cactus Flower thinks it might make a discussion of its own.

On his journey home to the Offaly heartland from whence he hails, Taoiseach Brian Cowen didn't even drive through Laois, never mind stop to wave at Laois voters in Portlaoise.

I know there are a lot of Laois people who are quite put out about it. Brian Cowen was the second highest in the poll-topping stakes and got a huge Laois vote. There are three Fianna Fáil TDs in this constituency and two of them are in Laois.

Clearly, it's a day for Clara and Tullamore to celebrate but it would have taken very little for him to even drive through Portlaoise as county town or even Mountmelllick which is rather close to Tullamore too.

I live in this constituency, Cowen Country and I think it's poor PR if nothing else. John Moloney was only elected by the skin of his teeth last time around and not on transfers from Brian which mostly went to Seán Fleming as I recall. In any case, it's a FF seat on the edge in a five seat constituency that has, as long as I can remember, had three FF seats.

Is ignoring the second half of his constituency a poor first move?

Moloney was only elected by the skin of his teeth last time round ... from another FF candidate, John Foley. Perhaps Brian Cowen is already working on vote management at the next election

I'd forgotten about Foley who was new and shiny and very well resourced last time around. And he is an Offaly man.

Hmmm.

You are the third person I have heard today complaining about this. In terms of recovering the lost love, Cowen is in the position to undo the damage. But it is a sign of the eye being off the ball. Cowen was not elected Taoiseach by the general public and he is heading into difficult economic times. If he throws votes around the way he threw money around in Finance he will not last past the next election.

Kate P wrote:

It's a dull day here in Cowen Country. On the day of his great homecoming he seems to have forgotten that he was elected from two counties, not just one. The people of Laois are, I understand, rather annoyed at being left out. No wonder the sun isn't shining on him.

Did Cowen actually get that many votes from Laois? He got the highest first preferences, but were they all concentrated in Offaly? Is he popular in Laois? Now that you say it, I'm very interested in how Cowen performs in the other half of his constituency. Being a Biffo in Portlaoise isn't much use!

A proliferation of Cowen - Laoise threads looms.

No, a proliferation of threads does not loom. But deGaulle's point got me thinking that Cowen must have his eye on getting Foley in in Offaly next time round. He did not transfer well to Moloney last time round. That would change the balance of the constituency from three Laois to three Offaly TDs as it was when Parlon was in and Flanagan was out.

Foley is an Edenderry man and husband said he was on the platform with Cowen yesterday in Tullamore but he didn't see Fleming or Moloney.

I think Cowen has made his electoral strategy pretty clear and I imagine that he will have a fight on his hands from the people of Laois who are, as you say cactus, feeling snubbed already.

Cowen did poll well in Laois - I know a lot of people in the county who gave him a first preference over their local candidate, even people who wouldn't be FF supporters necessarily and many would have placed him too because he's seen as being an able man.

I think a line in the sand has been drawn.

Locally - ironically - John Moloney is being tipped for a junior ministry. It will be interesting to see what emerges.

I think people are reading too much into this - if he went to Laois first no doubt Offaly people would be complaining.

After all, he is known as BIFFO, not BUFFALO (Big Ugly F***** From All Laois-Offaly).