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NINE YEARS AFTER his death, a new opinion poll has found that some fifteen per cent of voters would support “a character like” Charlie Haughey as Taoiseach.
The figure is contained in the latest Red C survey, carried out in conjunction with Paddy Power.
Although the number might appear surprisingly high — a closer look at the breakdown of the stats perhaps sheds a little more light on the finding.
1,002 adults were surveyed by the polling company this week, on both landlines and mobile phones. The question…
Recently RTE has been airing a TV programme about the former Taoiseach Charles Haughey. Based on what you know, would you like to see a character like Charles Haughey as Taoiseach if he were alive today?
23 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds said ‘yes’ to that query — with the figure dropping only slightly among 25- to 34-year-olds.
In other words, although people might be developing a sneaking regard for Aidan Gillen’s portrayal of the ex-Fianna Fáil leader — the more likely you are to remember living through the Haughey era, the less likely you are to support a Haughey-like Taoiseach.
For instance, approval drops to just one-in-ten amongst those aged 65-plus (ingrates… Does the free travel pass count for nothing?).
Polling figures for Tommy Carcetti and John Boy Power weren’t available at the time of publication (you’re welcome, Gillen fans).
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That’s the mistake we always seem to make – confusing personal charisma with the ability to run a country equitably and fairly. Just because we currently have a leader with zero personal charisma or ability is no excuse to yearn for the return of a Haughey type
We could do with a character similar to Lloyd George. Tonnes of personal charisma, as well as the ability to compromise, straddle left, right and centre, and run a country effectively. Not exactly him, of course, but something along the same lines (also without the elements of corruption like the Marconi Scandal)
Such a thing sadly does not exist
But we have Enda…..
And Enda thinks he has leadership skills and a personality similar to that of C.J. Haughey.
As we saw last year, the buck stops with everyone before it gets to Enda, but I think in 2015 the buck will stop only after running him over several times.
Pity honesty wasn’t part of his “Character” . Great legacy he left us as well – showing that dingbat Ahern how to be just as bad. What a pair of useless parasites.
Holy god! you sometime wonder why things never change in this country. 15% of those survey would like some like Haughey back. A guy who over the course of his political career received the modern equivalent of €45 million in donations from a variety of sources. When you read things like this I despair for this country.
To be fair, Fianna Fail are getting about 18% in all the polls so I’d say a lot of it comes from that. Probably a lot just want someone who would stand up for Ireland and the Irish people, preferably without all the theft and corruption but I suppose €45 million is a drop in the ocean if he was to bring in billions in investment.
As much as I dislike the man and hate the party, he was probably the single most influential figure in bringing about the massive economic growth in the years after his government.
Not to mention the unemployment and emigration.
85% say no and that’s what matters!
I can’t understand why CAB never moved in on the families wealth
Brian, every State Agency was stuffed with cronies. Better the blind eye than no job.
Did Jock Haughy not end up running (a) CAB!?!
Irish politics is musical chairs between FF and FG, you think CAB will risk biting the hand that feeds.
So basically nearly all of FF supporters … They will never change .
Obviously patients on the labotomy ward
Haughey had a set of balls and people like that in a leader . The same can be said for Thatcher . There s nothing worst then having a leader who is a total wimp . They had guts and that’s why they lasted so long in politics .
FDR also lasted very long in politics, 35 years in fact, but he was a much much better leader than Thatcher and Haughey
@tommy or he surround himself with eunuchs
Tommy, the only balls Haughey had were those eyeballs between his two ears which never missed an opportunity to screw and cheat everyone else. The cute hoor lined his own pockets from money he screwed out of property developers, cheated on his wife and pretended under oath in court that he never had a bank account. The guy was a serial liar and it was well proven.
A neck like Jamie Osbornes bollix morelike……bird guts for supper!!
Chris he was completely corrupt but he had a strong character and people like that in a leader . Don’t get me wrong I never like the guy . The fact that he was a evil b.stard was the reason he went so far in politic .
The tribunal also confirmed he took up to £8 million in illegal corrupt payments,he was also responsible for a lot of the politicial corruption that this country is still paying for,the trouble with some very talented and clever people is as Haughey stated himself,he has done the country some service, they can also use their talents for personel gain to the detriment of everybody else.
Tommy, I think that we are both in agreement on most points, however in Haughey’s case you are mistaking stregnth of character for what he really was as an arrogant bully. His strength was in getting re-elected time after time, but he was proven to be corrupt. I don’t blame him for trying to secure beef deals with Saddam Hussein even though it nearly broke the country when those deals wern’t honoured because of the Iran/Iraq war. I was working in the food industry at the time and saw a lot of the dodgy trading that went on including the building of a cheese factory in Cavan that never went into production and the breakup of a viable cooperative. You would not believe how badly the country was being run at that time. Des O’Malley tried to put a halt to Haugheys mismanagement through the introduction of the beef tribunal but there were to many crooks in high places even for him to take on.
The IMF and irish banks would not have gotten away with so much as they have now
I think I would rather see Johnboy run the country.
Charlie was a hero
We need a leader like him today more than ever.
He might have lined his own pockets but he stood up fir the irish nation
@gary gary so,all,the corrupt planning decisions of that period were standing up for the Irish people?
Lining his own pocket with a ‘ sizable portion ‘ of the money that was meant to go to the medical fund of his friend Brian Lenihan for treatment in the US ?
Give me a break ..
As and and all he was he was the only Taoiseach since Dev that actually fought for the 6 counties. Other Taoiseachs did nothing and capitulated to the British. He was a rotten politician but I’ll never forget his efforts to help out brothers up North.
just shows the power of a well timed TV series.
id prefer him to Bertie or cowen.any day
Moronic voters like that puts the country in the toilet, then they wonder why. Pathetic.
Irish people like the “cute hoor”
Or in other words: 15% of Irish people are completely doolally
I don’t think people are yearning for a leader as corrupt as Haughey but perhaps one who has his backbone and balls. It is a damning indictment of the current shower of spineless toads grovelling at the feet of Angela Merkel and our “friends” in Europe. Haughey would never have been as servile nor would he have let Europe humiliate us like they have.
I was at a talk a while ago and leadership styles were being discussed. Garret Fitzgerald knew his limitations and surrounded himself with people who had proven abilities to provide expertise that he was lacking. Charlie Haughey also knew his limitations – but surrounded himself with idiots who wouldn’t outshine him.
That’s great and all but I thought the historical consensus was that Garret’s 1982-87 government was one of the worst in the history of the state. What was it Leo Varadkar said about him?
Apart from the arms running, philandering, corruption, tax dodging and the blatant hypocrisy of living the high life at the public expense when forcing austerity on ordinary people, what did Haughey ever do to hurt the Irish.
Charles Haughey and Liam Cosgrave make a full circle. Haughey send explosives up to the north, Cosgrave helped bring explosives down.
Haughey destroyed Irish army captain James Kelly’s carreer, hung him out to dry over the arms for the north business. Kelly spent the rest of his life trying to clear his name over who gave him the order to supply arms, Haughey’s lies had stitched him up.
Both Kelly and Haughey should have spent most of their lives in Portlaoise Prison, I’ve no sympathy for Kelly, he wasn’t the fall man he was a co-conspirator.
man was a corrupt git in a team of corrupt gits. this country baffles me at times!
The only time Charlie did any good for the country was when its interests coincided with his own or the needs of his rampant ego and delusions of grandeur. Remember he was only “Charlie” at election time otherwise C.J. Haughey to you!
I know plenty of characters like Haughy who had a great charisma and also used to like to get people to sign blank checks for them…unfortunatly they are all in jail so it might be hard to bring back somebody like the c.nt himself
Guess what party them 15% support. Mmmmmm tough one
Imagine that’s how bad Fine Gael and kenny in particular are performing, people would prefare Charlie…boggles the mind
Should the headline to this article not be 85% of people DONT want another Taoiseach like Charlie.
He had some good points but in the whole it’s a no.
Most countries in the world can point to a leader who helped shape their country with foresight and vision – some are lucky enough to expect these characteristics- we have comely maidens followed by gangsters and then the IMF
Get ready to tighten yer belt so…
I’d vote for Charlie for toaiseach but not for Taoiseach
He suis Charlie
je suit charlie
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