IS THE POLITICS OF RTE? ( Archived) (19)

Where's the "irrelevant" button in the poll? Rte seldom gives people the whole story. It's all state funded anyway, so just click the button that best describes the current government, at least, in the light they wish to be portrayed.

Am I the only one worried that a cabinet minister gave an incorrect American definition of liberal? The type of politics that the yanks refer to as liberal is Social Democratic here.

I take it that this is in light of the fake tweet which wrecked yer man's chances of becoming president.

I have no bias here being a non Irish national so I wouldn't have any ideas about the personalities involved.....BUT.....I remember thinking at the time that the decision had been made in the early stages that Michael D. Higgins was to win and that anyone threatening that position would be discredited.

Initially David Norris was streets ahead so the dredged up an incident from his past and had that not worked, I'm sure they had plenty more to hand.

Then when Seán Gallagher was streets ahead of everyone the fake tweet was announced and Sean's chances scuppered.

I still remember the smug look on Martin McGuinness's face which is a shame as I was starting to warm towards him having been told by the BBC that he was the enemy since 1969.

What it does tell me is that Adams, McGuinness et al will do anything for power including subverting democracy and that is not good news for Ireland in these troubled times. We badly need some real statesmen.

I'm not so sure about that GG. Norris was never going to win or even come close. He had a false lead in the polls for being a celebrity, but this is still too much of a backwards nation to electa gay president. Undoubtedly there was a campaign against him, but not sure if that was by RTE as such. As for Gallagher, the central allegation was basically correct, the timeline was slightly out, but he did collect money off a business man for FF. That the source was from a morryah twitter account or whatever is neither here nor there. Gallagher's reaction showed that he knew he had plenty FF related skeletons in his closet. He wouldn't have beaten Michael D anyway, although I suppose it did remove whatever slight chance he had.

After 14 years with a bad president I certainly won't cry any tears that we were spared 7 years of an ever worse one.

Hi Scribs. Did McGuiness not claim to have evidence of money changing hands and the name of the person who gave it. I'll grant you Gallagher didn't do himself any favours talking about sealed envelopes.

It depends. I could dip my toe in the ocean and then tell everyone I'm sopping wet if I wanted.

RTE will "conserve" their budget. I don't rate them much as a channel, news or otherwise. Watching other international news programmes, I've seen reports that RTE leaves out.

Watching a Russian news channel during the recent situation in Libya - a report was broadcast stating that Rebels had made a deal with the Western Allies - America, France and Britain, - in return for airstrikes on Libyan positions, they would get 50% of the oil exports when the Rebels took over in government.

Watched RTE news that day - nothing. Guys smiling and waving AKs and some people swimming in the ocean. Fluff. Next day the same. Don't remember hearing anything else about that deal until weeks later when Gadaffi was dead. There was some quick mention of "helping the Libyan people get their oil industry functioning again".

Now we have Sarkozy stating publicly that the West have to "help the Syrian people by providing them with air support". There's talk about Russia and China opposing the uprising, but little mention of the actual reason. Basically, Russia and China have big oil interests in Syria, and now the West wants it. They'll achieve that by supporting an uprising in Syria and installing a new government in return for oil interests - same as Lybia.

Now, anyone, disagree away if you want, but has anyone seen any of that on RTE? Media has to be independent by it's very nature, a supposedly impartial news channel funded by a state is a paradox and a major conflict of interests. So we know through RTE, most of the time, that something is going on somewhere, but the details and reasons are often left out.