Slugger O'Toole

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Mc Slaggart has commented 752 times (0 in the last month).

1. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 12 March 2013 at 11:15 am

   zep

   According to you and Mick their is no party which is not ““enslaved to the ‘ethnic vote’. As Mick has given me his view that as Jim Nicholson the “conservative” who had very few if any Nationalist votes one could afterwards call the conservatives “enslaved to the ‘ethnic vote’ .

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2. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 12 March 2013 at 10:24 am

   Mick

   When (if) FF get elected representatives in Northern Ireland and if no “Protestants” vote for them does that change the nature of the FF party?

   Jim Nicholson the “conservative” no very few if any Nationalist votes. I wonder would anyone normally call the conservatives “enslaved to the ‘ethnic vote’ ?

   http://www.conservativeeurope.com/meps-northern-ireland.aspx

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3. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 12 March 2013 at 10:17 am

   zep

   “Surely Irish nationalism, like unionism or Marxism or any other political stance, is an informed choice. ”

   Zep how many people do you know act politically out of informed choice? Most people do not even read the election literature that is stuffed though their letter box.

   Being Irish in West Tyrone is no different than being Irish in East Donegal. The only real difference is that Orange men in East Donegal cannot get a British passport but go to the sea side in Donegal. Orange men in Castelderg can get a British passport and go to the sea side in Portrush.

   I am curious what are the range of “choices” that I should offer an Irish person from Castlederg?

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4. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 12 March 2013 at 9:17 am

   zep

   You objection to the sdlp is that they are a “Irish nationalist party”. Which is a perfectly reasonable position.

   Using terms such as “enslaved to the ‘ethnic’” or “‘trad’ baggage” for me is “sectarian “.

   A lot of the people are Irish nationalists. Its not a lifestyle choice. The sdlp is a nationalist party in the same way Alliance is a Unionist one.

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5. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 12 March 2013 at 8:48 am

   tmitch57

   “In the mainland UK i.e. in Britain, the differences among the Tories, LibDems and Labor are not primarily ethnic but rather ideological as in the U.S. ”

   I think you raise and interesting question how ” ideological” driven are Irish political parties? I don’t think the DUP are any more ideological driven than FG? UUP/FF/SF are as much political movements than political parties. The sdlp I would contend is strongly ideologically driven.

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6. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 11 March 2013 at 10:51 pm

   “Mick Fealty (profile) 11 March 2013 at 10:04 pm

   “He’s on a yellow, shortly to go red for this particularly thran habit of going literalist”

   Language matters! Thoughtless rhetoric, stereotype mixed with assumption is dangerous.

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7. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 11 March 2013 at 10:27 pm

   Zep

   “We are voting on the flag, always the flag”

   I cannot say for greater Belfast but in places like Tyrone its not an issue. (1: examples that I know off)

   The current Belfast flag dispute has been a cause of jokes and great discomfort by those who should have been supporting it.

   ” flag-waving antics of the majority of our local politicos”

   I have never seen the sdlp as particularly flag waving?

   Your “without the ‘trad’ baggage that the SDLP seem unable to lose.” makes me think my view of your original post was correct.

   Mr McGlone speaks and promotes “Irish” is that part of the ‘trad’ baggage the sdlp need to leave behind?

   1:

   The only current example is UUP v DUP election offices in Omagh which are funny as there Flags get bigger by the day.

   I do remember Bridge Rodgers running for MP and putting on the Tyrone strip. (any GAA supporter would tell you she should have worn the Donegal strip.)

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8. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 11 March 2013 at 9:37 pm

   Rory Carr

   “I see speculation from time-to-time (most recently on an earlier thread on this topic) that perhaps Mid-Ulster could be saved (if not from Sodomy or Satan) at least from the dreaded Shinners if the unionists got all clever and did not stand a candidate:”

   I would agree that is what they should have done.

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9. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
   on 11 March 2013 at 9:34 pm

   zep

   “our electorate is largely tribalised”

   All electorate are “tribalised” that is why we have different political parties.

   “nationalism of any shade does not appeal to me”

   Even the Greens suffer from nationalism.

   The only party that I know off that meets your criteria is the pirate party.

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pirate_Party

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10. Comment on After Mid Ulster: What lessons for the SDLP?
    on 11 March 2013 at 9:23 pm

    Mick

    I will make it simpler for you people form east Tyrone were very much in action during the battles that you claim was “the south of the country successfully revolted”.

    I am left to wonder how it was a success when a Nationalist majority county Tyrone did not actually get away and Donegal gets to be part of the “south”?

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