I think he's a Social Liberal with a leaning towards Classical Liberalism. The problem is that many people think that liberal means socialist, which couldn't be further from the truth.
I think he's a Social Liberal with a leaning towards Classical Liberalism. The problem is that many people think that liberal means socialist, which couldn't be further from the truth.But his description of himself - in his column defending his refusal to assist with Steen's nomination - as a liberal suggested to me that liberalism has many differing definitions, and some of them are more subjective than others!
Was that divorce and abortion?She became famous for trying (and failing, twice) to deny choice to fellow citizens. Hoepfully she and her supporters finally understand the importance of giving people the options they want, even if it's not what you would choose for yourself.
There is no entitlement to have unlimited choice in life. But that is an argument for a different day.to deny choice to fellow citizens
I wouldn't have thought Fingal would be best hunting ground for Steen, lot more other councils around where her message might have been better received but no point trying as they have a FF\FG majority. But I think her better route was via the Oireachtas.Fingal - 24 non Gov councilors, 14 FF/Fg councilors. Steen got 4 votes.
Fingal doesn't have a FF/FG majority. Combined they have 13 out of 40 (I miscounted and gave 14 in previous post)I wouldn't have thought Fingal would be best hunting ground for Steen, lot more other councils around where her message might have been better received but no point trying as they have a FF\FG majority. But I think her better route was via the Oireachtas.
I didn't say it did though: lot more other councils around where her message might have been better received but no point trying as they have a FF\FG majority.Fingal doesn't have a FF/FG majority
So excluding Government TD's and Senators, she got a paltry 16% support from the opposition benches.
Aontú are conservative but hardly right wing. The National Party is. Who else makes up the 4?Realistically though there are only 4 right wing councilors in Fingal and that's where her 4 votes came from. The other 36 (90%) abstained, didn't turn up or voted for Sheridan
Why? They could have also nominated her. FF and FG are being accused of restricting the vote of their elected members (even though that's what political parties always do) so how come the opposition parties aren't getting tarred with the same brush?I assume that before calculating that impressive statistic, you made sure to exclude every member of the "opposition benches" whose party leaders had plumped for the Independent Candidate?
Was that divorce and abortion?
I think same sex marriage and abortion are very different issues and shouldn't be conflated as similar "social issues".Certainly same-sex marriage and abortion. I don't know what her position on divorce is and wouldn't assume either way.
I think same sex marriage and abortion are very different issues and shouldn't be conflated as similar "social issues".
For the record I voted yes to both, the former without any reservation, the latter with many reservations.
My uncle, who is gay, voted against both.
I'm not a fan of Maria Steen but I'm also not a fan of social tribalism or lack of social nuance or identity politics which pigeon-holes people into ill defined groups.
What is extreme is your persistance with this "anti choice" mantra. We all have different views on social issues and all are entitled to be heard and also entitled to advocate for them.The irony is extreme.
I kind of agree with her on that point but I don't blame the Government parties.The point is that Steen and her supporters are upset that voters were not given a choice about a role that many feel does not make much difference.
Again, marriage equality and abortion are vastly different issues.She made her name trying to deny other people very important choices in their lives, e.g. who they can marry or when to start a family.
As she and they entitled to do.She is a member of the Iona Institute which opposes a raft of personal choices from divorce to fertility treatments. The irony is extreme.
Don't agree with that at all, maybe back in the 80s when mcdowell was a young gun with the PDs you could have said that. In reality he is as much a conservative on social issues now as steen is. He was the minister for justice that was responsible for the referendum restricting automatic citizenship to babies born in Ireland to foreign mothers which was being widely abused. That was among the most conservative referendums ever held in Ireland.She's nowhere close to him politically. McDowell is a social liberal and secularist
Struggling to see how that was a "social issue" referendum as opposed to immigration. It is a political issue but it is not a social issue in the same way as divorce, abortion etc.That was among the most conservative referendums ever held in Ireland.
She hasn't been a member of Iona for many years and that has been reportedShe is a member of the Iona Institute
How that referendum is considered amongst the most conservative ever held here or even conservative at all is quiet a statement.He was the minister for justice that was responsible for the referendum restricting automatic citizenship to babies born in Ireland to foreign mothers which was being widely abused. That was among the most conservative referendums ever held in Ireland.
I was also worried about the next election and a SF left alliance, but only half a million votes for Connolly would be modest enough and more a reflection on the government parties’ haphazard approach than huge mobilisation by the left.it’s the failure of FF and FG and the next Dáil election that worries me.
Her chance was through the independents in the Oireachtas. There were a number of independents and Junior Minister Independents who didn’t back her. Healy Rae and Harkin did and Verona might have had if she wasn’t Ceann Comhairle.I think she could have gotten 20 endorsements from the Oireachtas. More chance of that for her imo than 4 county councils
I don’t have a problem with that; I don’t see why a political party would allow somebody into the race which would reduce their chance of winning. It’s a contest after all.They blocked one of her potential paths via county \ city councils.
Same with me and had she got on the ballot she’d have gone close.I'd probably have held my nose and voted from Steen ahead of Connolly.
I personally think their councillors should abstain, and only vote against candidates they think would not be 'fit and proper' for the office \ don't understand it.I don’t see why a political party would allow somebody into the race which would reduce their chance of winning. It’s a contest after all.