Sunday, September 21, 2008
Amateurs or Pros?
Although the local elections are still months away the pace is already picking up. Potential candidates are coming out of the woodwork, making their pitches as to why they should be the candidate for their area.
Over the next few weeks there will be a few conventions in the Meath area (for Slane, for Dunshaughlin and for Navan). I'm hoping that the conventions will select people who have got a realistic chance of winning a seat for us. Too often in the past it has been said that candidates are selected "because it's their turn". Unfortunately, that's just not good enough if we are serious about winning seats.
We have to focus on winning seats and if that means wounding the pride of some of our longer-serving party members in the process, then that is the unfortunate price we have to pay. We are all in politics for the common good. We can only be of service if we are elected. So, we need serious candidates, not amateurs fiddling at the edges.
I'm chairing a convention myself, in Dublin South East, the week after next. No doubt the proceedings will be very interesting. The race there will be tight. As a party, we already have some very able candidates in those wards (as well as a sitting Deputy, Ruairi Quinn), so we will be going all out to build on the successes of 2004.
Over the next few weeks there will be a few conventions in the Meath area (for Slane, for Dunshaughlin and for Navan). I'm hoping that the conventions will select people who have got a realistic chance of winning a seat for us. Too often in the past it has been said that candidates are selected "because it's their turn". Unfortunately, that's just not good enough if we are serious about winning seats.
We have to focus on winning seats and if that means wounding the pride of some of our longer-serving party members in the process, then that is the unfortunate price we have to pay. We are all in politics for the common good. We can only be of service if we are elected. So, we need serious candidates, not amateurs fiddling at the edges.
I'm chairing a convention myself, in Dublin South East, the week after next. No doubt the proceedings will be very interesting. The race there will be tight. As a party, we already have some very able candidates in those wards (as well as a sitting Deputy, Ruairi Quinn), so we will be going all out to build on the successes of 2004.
# posted by Senator Dominic Hannigan @ 11:45 AM 
