'It could be interpreted as a slide' says the article. Which of course is a lot of crap comparable with the usual Tele output.
It is all about percentages and if Reilly bests the 9% he achieved last time out then it is believe it or not an improvement.

For instance if FF get 30% FG 20% Labour 20% SF 15% and others 15%, Reilly will be in 4th place but will have increased his share by two thirds. A suuccess in the real world but a failure according to the Protestant (sorry Belfast) Telegraph.

Well, the Chronicle poll said 15%. It seems unlikely he can 'lose'

Well what ever happens to Joe, we can be pretty sure the PD's won't 'win'. Not their natural constituency of course, that would be Larne.

Hey Barney,

Am I of the belief that a victory for Joe will be a resounding defeat or that at least 85% of the much reduced turnout will not vote for an Ireland of equals. Some victory.

And a snide comment about the PDs. What point are you trying to make. Don't you respect their mandate??!!

Scenes from a journos bar ...somewhere in Dublin, Belfast, Cork, .....

News Editor- "Hey its time to work some spin on the Meath by-election lads....listen we 've got a problem despite all your sterling work team ( sterling geddit..oh never mind! ) looks like the Fenian vote may stay steady in Meath and shit it might even go up.So what have we got to say about that team??"

hack 1 "Well the poll is lower and we all know that Shinner voters have iron discipline and turn out when the little micro-chip which has replaced their brain is switched to vote mode"

news editor- "Iron discipline, programmed, brain washed! I like it...what else?"

hack 2- "Well popular local candidate...good community base thats another reason"

news ed.- "I see where your going he's not really a shinner at all...sort of like Mary -Lou except he's male and got a beard and if he was'nt all heart he'd be in Fianna Fail...yeah thats a good one for me to run out in the Vincent Browne panel discussion...its kind of err...perceptive sounding"

news ed-answering his mobile- "Yes Stato whats that ? The percentages??I see.. so if their vote goes up they might still get a smaller percentage?...that can't be right...oh I seeeee we could focus in on the position in the poll-if its below where they were last time around its a slide...."

hack 3- "Boss how about electorate demonstrate a mind of their own and are getting sick to the back teeth of being lectured about people who they know well being sort of er demonised"

"You've not been here long son have you?...hey lads I think we've just found our new sheep mart correspondent!Barman Doubles all round!"

97% of the electorate will reject an Ireland of Fascists. Now that's a mandate to be respected.

I notice the bloggers have pointed out that due to boundary changes O'Reilly will have to fight for a seat in the next general election as well as Sinn Fein candidates in Sligo and Leitrim....now the Dublin Government have learned some more dirty tricks from their Gerrymandering from their British and Unionist counterparts.

Barney,

try to keep the nasty references about the PDs to a minimum. If you check the political term fascists you will son see that it doesn't apply to the PDs at all. Indeed, if there is any political organisation which falls into the strict definition of political fascism it could well be the one which you support!!!
Try to respect their mandate please!

Try to respect their mandate please!

Respect has to go two ways. Mc Dowell needs to understand that 342000, and growing, people on this island will not be criminalised to save his political career.

Hang on , since when have PSF respected peoples opinions which differ to their own. And many Irish people , myself included do respect the right of people in this 32 county nation to vote for whoever they wish.

But relly, 'J', did the 300000 voters vote for the shennanigans of your muckers in the ra.

By the way, when you're at it as you are a SF supporter, could you answer two things:
1. how did the PSF come up with this 342000 figure and
2. do you respect the 1500000 who vote for constitutional parties.

still, at least Mitchell will crash and burn in Derry, ha ha!

Sam,

why did you think I was talking about the PD's? Do YOU think the PD's are fascists? Some prefer to think there's an overlap, two sides of the same coin if you like. Seperate but the same and all that. You know the drill.