Election 2007 – Page 12 – Slugger O'Toole

A vote for McCartney is a vote for Butler…

Mick Fealty on February 21, 2007, 1:14 pm

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There’s several segments to this DUP video blog… But note the middle section, where Jeffrey Donaldson has a very local message aimed at Bob McCartney’s challenge in the constituency (about half way through)… interesting how the complexity of PR election processes can give rise to such straightforward messaging… Butler’s success hinges on a number of factors, and few (one would guess) to do with the face off between the provisionally pro agreement DUP and anti agreement McCartney… but the key …

On Slugger Radio tomorrow night…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 4:28 pm

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A reminder that you can listen to the last three BlogTalk radio shows, complete with interviews with David Ford, Alex Attwood and Reg Empey. Tomorrow night’s programme (starts at 8.30 GMT) will focus on the psephological detail, and we hope to have a number of experts on to give their view (including a short slot from one of Ulster’s leading bookmakers), as well as another discursive interview with a leading political figure. Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He …

Open Election Thread (1)…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 3:48 pm

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I’ve noticed there has been a lot of threads wandering off topic recently. That may be to do with the fact that there is an election on, or that many of our more serious political players are more pre-occupied with knocking doors than scoring points on Slugger… Whatever the cause we’re going to offer a few open threads to let readers talk about what we’ve not covered… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the …

SDLP sending mixed signals…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 3:33 pm

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Just had a report that in one Glengormley suburb the SDLP’s vote management strategy is getting dangerously loose, with posters calling for No 1 votes for Noreen McClelland and Thomas Burns on alternate lamp posts… That’s not the way to do it guys!! Interestingly, Eastwoods are refusing to give a price on either candidate, but are giving David Ford an evens chance to take back his seat, and have Derry import Mitchel McLaughlin at 5/3 on… Adds: I’ve been told …

Sammy Morse on, East Londonderry

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 2:58 pm

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Sammy reckons that there is going to be no change here within the nationalist fight. It looks set to provide one seat apiece for Sinn Fein and the SDLP, though there is some interesting detail on the geographical spread. The real fight is going to be on the Unionist side. Here the UU’s face a similar challenge to that of South Belfast: ie they are standing “three candidates in a constituency where they have a difficult defence of two seats”. …

Cameron, the Tories and importance of getting beyond designation…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 2:04 pm

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Though you’d barely know it from the media coverage, the much feted (elsewhere at least) leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition was campaigning in Bangor yesterday for his party’s North Down candidate James Leslie. Clearly Reg Empey’s focus on whether the Conservatives were Unionist or not, obliterated the kind of upbeat attention the party had hoped would gain them leverage with the mainstream press and media. However in this least dogmatic of all Northern Irish constituencies, they are not failing …

YouTubing on the fly…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 1:54 pm

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Ciaran Mussen is a serious folk musician as well as a Green councillor on Newry and Mourne Council and their candidate for South Down. The sound is not great, and it could do with more work on the messaging side, but in what is rapidly becoming a crowded market, it is at least an attempt to use something more creative than the talk to camera format. Mussen has a popular base in the south of the constituency, and some of …

Alliance and the way back machine to go forward?

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 3:34 am

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Starts in 1972 (like the party)… and engages with loads of metaphors on traffic jams… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

How the parties are turning to the web…

Mick Fealty on February 20, 2007, 2:22 am

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This is definitely turning into the first YouTube election. That’s not Slugger talking, it’s the line from the BBC Newline programme (about 14 mins in). They feature the Reverend Billy video and notes only that some people had a problem with it (no mention of the role Slugger’s readers played in beta testing it, even though they knew about it). Elsewhere, Jeff Jarvis notes why YouTube and online are the way to go… Update: Mark Devenport has a useful update …

Sammy Morse on, East Antrim…

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 8:22 pm

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Trying to keep up with the prolific blogging of Sammy Morse isn’t easy. The next on his list is East Antrim, one of the more stable constituencies in this election. No change in the Unionist game here (ie five out of the six seats), though he is surprised that the DUP is not running a forth to put pressure on the UUP. The sixth seat should comfortably belong to former Alliance leader, Sean Neeson – probably one of three of …

Bob on why he is standing in six seats…

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 7:12 pm

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You can pick up the rest of the interviews on Voice4Democracy… Excellent work guys!!! Check out the way forward segment… It’s good to have the questions split like this, but it would be good to have the option of hearing it from start to finish… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

On the importance of policy…

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 6:58 pm

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The UUP were the first to publish their manifesto, and it is clear that they have put some considerable effort into developing their various policy positions. Yet it would seem, even here on Slugger that they are struggling to get anyone to listen to that detail despite the efforts of the PA Election Panel. The irony is that few in media see why policy might matter in this election as referendum on St Andrews. Yet the truth is that if …

Reverend Billy not to make the mainstream…

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 5:05 pm

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Interesting tack from Mark Devenport on the Green’s Reverend Billy video. It seems that the Greens were simply beta testing it on YouTube (and Slugger)… It looks as though the broadcast they will actually use is this one, which some readers will remember from a previous outing… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, …

Eastwoods offer a McCartney Special….

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 4:58 pm

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Eastwoods are backing Bob McCartney to take one seat 1/2 on, but there’s not much given for him taking no seats at all – 5/4 against. For those (in the UUP?) hoping he will take four, put your money down and Mr Eastwood will pay out at a rate of 100/1… However, he clearly believes two seats is possible at 9/2, and three might even be a nice little earner given perfect storm conditions at 20/1..Bob McCartney to win … …

Cameron’s appearance worrying Reg?

Pete Baker on February 19, 2007, 4:04 pm

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When Slugger talked to UUP leader Sir Reg Empey on BlogTalkRadio last week, links available here, he had some thoughts on the Labour and Conservative parties joining directly in election battles here and the evolution towards normal politics. But with Conserative leader David Cameron reported to be campaigning today on behalf of former Ulster Unionist junior minister James Leslie in North Down, some more familiar, if depressing, concerns are being voiced by the UUP about the Tories.. are they unionists?.. …

Sammy Morse, on West Belfast…

Mick Fealty on February 19, 2007, 2:53 pm

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Sammy gives excellent background on the safest seat in Westminster, and the largest singe Catholic population in Northern Ireland. But the story of West Belfast very much lies on the Unionist side of the fence. Diane Dodds barely scrapped home ahead of a fifth Sinn Fein candidate, and may struggle to do the same. Not, as Sammy points out, because there is not enough people on the Loyalist side of the fence, but because traditionally the turnout is significantly lower. …

Gerry McGeough launches his election blog…

Mick Fealty on February 18, 2007, 9:36 pm

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This guy is clearly one awkward big fish for Sinn Fein to have let get way. McGeough is genial, bright and decidedly right wing. He is also committed to the peaceful transfer of Northern Ireland into a unified all island state. And he beats Sinn Fein to the draw on getting his blog out first. He has a big job on his hands to actually get a seat in Fermanagh South Tyrone. But then again, the nationalist votes down there …

UUP: The Panel’s Verdict…

Mick Fealty on February 18, 2007, 8:47 pm

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The UUP’s manifesto was the first to launch and the first for the Press Association’s Panel to get their teeth into… If their pitch on education were the most important thing, it would provide middle class Catholic parents with what neither of the two main Nationalist parties are providing: undiluted retention of the Grammar School.. ANNE MORAN (EDUCATION): “The proposals on pupil profiling and selection of students by grammar schools could reverse planned changes to purely academic-based secondary school selection. …

BBC Election 07 Blog…

Mick Fealty on February 17, 2007, 2:24 am

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Mark Devenport is leading from the front on the BBC NI Election Blog… Good performance from a standing start, and a good way to keep up to date with the considerable political output we are likely to have from the Beeb… Welcome to the blogosphere Mark, you got here eventually!! 😉 Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and …

DUP PEB: “that was the UUP’s legacy…”

Mick Fealty on February 16, 2007, 10:20 pm

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You can see the DUP’s PEB is here… (shame it’s not on YouTube…) Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty