SF lost momentum because it doesn’t stand for anything

https://www.ontheditch.com/sinn-fein-lost-momentum/

Posted by youbigfatmess

15 Comments

  1. marquess_rostrevor on

    I didn’t know they ran straight opinion pieces but then again I only ever see what gets posted here.

  2. “Irish people want change, which is why we’re making ourselves indistinguishable from Fianna Fail.”

  3. FingalForever on

    SF has much more meaning in the North (respect them a lot more there than in the South). Their raison d’être is the national question, and they take a more aggressive stand than the SDLP (which would be more my perspective).

    In the South, they are aggressive something-something, with views from a perpetual opposition perspective. They associate with rather disreputable parties. They flip-flop instead of having principles (other than the national question).

  4. It’s not that, they do stand for something.

    They passionately stand for what ever the public feels passionate about this week and if the wind public opinion changes miraculously their policies do to!

    Immigration will break them. Their policy has largely been driven I suspect by a vocal minority of activists and newer voters. It is at odds with their grassroots and large sections of the working class.

    Housing is a issue which they have historically done very well on. However that is tied very closely to the immigration issue so there is an obvious method of attack for their detractors.

    Sinn Fein are trying to please everyone and pleasing no one.

  5. 21stCenturyVole on

    As a party, they seem to think that being ‘leadership capable’ means not rocking the boat at all, and adopting centrist/NeoLiberal policies.

    I mean, they just delivered a housing report that is a declaration of intent to fail at resolving the housing crisis.

    The country wants a party that is actually going to resolve the major crises hitting Ireland, but instead we seem to be getting another centrist borderline-NeoLiberal party.

    We don’t want another party that’s going to act as caretaker for continuing various crises, telling us they can’t be solved for their entire term in government.

    I’d rather see the country breakdown and become increasingly violent until _whoever_ is in power starts taking the present fucking crises seriously, as the results of their own policies begin fucking things up for them, too.

    It looks like that is what is going to happen, as well.

  6. sureyouknowurself on

    Would like to see a right libertarian party here. Something different to FF/FG.

  7. TheStoicNihilist on

    What’s the tldr? I managed to wade through three paragraphs before a bit of vomit came up.

  8. SF is finding it hard to shift from a party of protest to a party selling a modern vision. Their instinct is to jump onto every grievance that bubbles up and use that to bash the government but that doesn’t sell SF to middle Ireland. Part of the problem is that there is still a strong Belfast influence on the party in the Republic and they are not really in tune with today’s middle Ireland either. Yes, they can build on their United Ireland credentials but that has to be part of a wider, practical and achievable vision for the country.

  9. MakingBigBank on

    I think it’s more that they stand for and against everything at the same time? Then sometimes stand for something then change to the opposite view.

  10. They need a radical change of leadership, new younger faces with a plan. Something like labour went through in the UK. Unfortunately, I don’t see Mary Lou leaving on her own. Maybe if they bomb in elections, but wouldn’t hold my breath.