Twitter and politics… November 15, 2019
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
Telling to see that FF by-election candidate Lorraine Clifford-Lee was in hot water over a range of quite noxious tweets at the weekend (though curiously not a word of this in the paper of record until Wednesday or thereabouts). Not entirely surprising unfortunately to discover those views expressed, but perhaps more surprising that someone directly involved in politics would do so. Needless to say FG are making great hay of this, and really one wonders does Micheál Martin ever raise his hands in disbelief at some of those in his own party.
And this raises the now decade old question as to why it is that people are so incontinent on social media in expressing views that are problematic on so many levels? It really is a puzzle. It is as if no lessons have been learned from other political or other figures who have run into trouble largely and small due to this sort of behaviour? Is it arrogance, or a form of obliviousness?
But someone I was talking to asked why these comments hadn’t been, as it were ‘scrubbed’ when said candidate assumed a higher political profile. There’s a puzzle.
BTW, any impact, little or none on the by-election?
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
The fact that this didn’t come up in the last General Election when she ran (or indeed the 2014 Locals when she ran) meant it wasn’t on the radar. I presume every candidate is going through their social media now.
As for an impact on the by-election, I think it has, mainly because the candidate was seen as a modern progressive liberal voice within FF and was hoping to have a wide appeal. She won’t be as transfer friendly now.
On a related note ,Labour people are getting increasingly confident of being in the shake up here of winning the seat.
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Something like that wd potentially put voters off her, but she has the passage of time in her favour, she has matured in her outlook since blah blah. Compare that with Noel Grealish who, when indicated to regarding the size of the hole he digs for himself, starts shovelling twice as fast
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Interesting contrast with a FG bye-election candidate who issued a letter welcoming a decision not to provide housing to Travellers. She hasn’t been the focus of nearly as much attention, and Leo V’s closing down of her behaviour has been accepted in the media.
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“Although protesting that she has “evolved” this past nine years into a more tolerant person, the words she wrote remained in the public domain and she made no effort to address them until a third party brought them to the attention of the general public in what appears to be an attempt to damage her election prospects….
Since the controversy broke, Ms Clifford-Lee has not given any indication as to where she believes her prejudice came from, how and when she identified her failing, and what measures she employed to cure herself of it.
Her statements are all the more depressing and worrying as they were coming from a person trained in the law….
It is really unimaginable how a well-balanced, thinking person could hold the views that her tweeted words suggest, and it is vital that we fully understand what lies behind what emerged.”-Jim O’Sullivan, letter to Irish Times.
https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/clifford-lee-s-apology-1.4084355
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Big dent in the new caring sharing FF image.
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