First Canvass of 09

Image via WikipediaWell I am home after my first night canvassing in 2009. I was out canvassing for Emmet O'Halloran a candidate (for Fine Gael, in case you didn't know) in Cork South Central Ward for Cork City Council. We were canvassing near where I went to secondary school in Deerpark. It had been awhile since I had been out canvassing door to door (last time was the generals in 07) but it didn't take me long to get back into the swing of things and peoples reaction did help alot.

There was alot of anti-FF on the doors tonight. More so then towards the end of the General Election Campaign in 2007. I personally would not like to be a Fianna Fail canvasser this time round. Alot of people were saying never again would they vote for Fianna Fail. The budget, Beverly Cooper-Flynn and Government inaction on the jobs front featured heavily as well as local issues.

Language was an issue I came across tonight. Under EU law all EU Nationals have to right to vote in Local and European Elections, so it is worth my while knocking on the door and hoping they speak English. In a few houses I knocked on, there was an obvious language barrier, which was very annoying for me as I didn't know if the person understood me at all!

Overall I really enjoyed being back on the canvass and I suppose the reaction helped majorly, especially as it was so cold! Looking forward to many more, considering its a good few weeks to June!

So if you live in Cork South Central, very soon you could have me knocking on your door!

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Back on the Canvass

This was originally posted on The Political Gay on GayCork.com

Yes, I know I'm barely back a week and I am out canvassing. Nothing new there really.

I spent Friday evening and Saturday morning canvassing Mahon Point Shopping Centre, we then moved onto the City Centre for part of the afternoon (before the Match of course).

This is the first time I am canvassing (or even voting) in a constitutional referendum so it's all new and interesting for me.

So the reaction. On Friday the reaction to us (campaigning for a Yes Vote, juts in case you are unsure) was fairly balanced Yes/No wise, with the Yes being slightly ahead.

Saturday was quieter on reaction from both sides but most people seamed happy to take a leaflet on the Treaty.

What annoyed me was people who said they didn't know anything about the treaty yet refused to take some literature to actually read up about it.

What I don't get, is people who disagree with you who decide to rip up the leaflet in front of you. Its so heart breaking.... NOT. Get a life like, give it back if you don't want it, save the environment and all that!

The funniest thing that happened to me (Strange things always happen to me canvassing!) was that a woman passed me and then came back ( I didn't hand her a leaflet or attempt as I had been dealing with someone else) and told me I would regret supporting the treaty as under the Treaty of ROME, not Lisbon, that the EU would take over our land, I would be conscripted into an EU Army (I won't, I've done my service, if it was being brought in, which it is) and that the EU is being run by the Freemasons. I was like "huh?", No, I've read the Treaty's (Rome, Nice and Lisbon) and that does not come under them, as Rome was an economic treaty.

Another elderly gentleman gave out to me as the Treaty does not mention God. Why should it? It's an intergovernmental treaty!! Then he mentioned abortion, which is covered by a declaration under the Maastricht (or was it Amsterdam) Treaty, and the EU will not be telling us what to do on it!

Neutrality also came up on the canvass, a young man asked be it as a "straightforward Question" to which he wanted a "straightforward answer", he did ask in a nice way. I of course set the record straight for him. The triple lock will still be in place when the treaty passes (or fails). Also the Seville Declaration attached to the Nice Treaty safeguards our right not to take part in a common defence pact.

Right that's all for now. I am attending a Rally on the Lisbon Treaty on Thursday at 8pm in the Imperial Hotel and I will post my reaction to that also

Your starting early!

God if i heard that one more time yesterday I was going to freak. I was out canvassing with Cllr. Deirdre Clune in Carrigaline and Douglas shopping centres, and we did a walkabout in town afterwards. Great day, good weather for a change. But people were general shocked that we were out canvassing before Christmas. Sure we have to be. We dont know when the election is going to be it could be at any time between March and June next year.

Also the question I hate been asked. Why did I join YFG? Let me say it here and now.
I became aware of my political leanings around the time that John Bruton was Taoiseach. I can remember being in History class in Deerpark CBS, with Mr. O'Halloran teaching us about communism, and he could tell from the look on my face and my answers that I was not a fan of such forms of Government. So we came to the Blueshirts in Irish History and then he saw me liven up and know lots about things! So from then i was know as the Blueshirt when I was in School. Then logically I joined YFG when I started college!

Also people ask why I blog and I found this image which kinda sums it up for me.


I like to post my thoughts on issues and also raise issues as most of my friends check my blogs so therfore what I post up does get read!