Overall, your team of writers gave the Coalition a score of 56pc, or 73 out of a possible 130 marks. Not exactly Leaving Certificate standards.
Culture and Media got 2/10, with Minister Catherine Martin having had a terrible year with RTÉ.
Immigration also just got 2/10.
Housing got 5/10. Probably a tad generous, I thought. Health got 7/10.
Your business editor Donal O’Donovan gave the Government 6/10 for the economy, which most people would agree with. But then your deputy business editor John Burns went on to give the outgoing Coalition whopping 9/10 for business.
With small businesses struggling all over the country, maybe the generation that lives on streaming and take-outs does not realise how serious the situation is.
The Government will be hoping there won’t be any major storms on the ground or in election headquarters that might skew their carefully laid plans.
After all, it was Tánaiste Micheál Martin that said campaigning is easy, governing is the hard part.
Tom McElligott, Listowel, Co Kerry
Trump’s clowning around as Donald McDonald can set him up for his next job
Donald Trump has taken some time to “work” at McDonald’s, a bit later in life than when Kamala Harris did.
He could look for a permanent job there if his current job application fails next month.
There are even a few of their characters whose role he could fill, perhaps Hamburglar, as he tried to steal an election in 2020, or Grimace, who is portrayed as a well-meaning simpleton. Or even Ronald McDonald, a clown in yellow.
Sometimes there are better ways of getting publicity when you are out there begging for votes.
Dennis Fitzgerald, Melbourne, Australia
Kamala Harris bypasses the traditional campaign strategies to great effect
Kamala Harris is rewriting the rules of presidential campaign media strategy.
While the mainstream media spent years avoiding Donald Trump’s mental decline and authoritarian behaviour, Harris forced their hand.
She calls him “unsteady” and “unstable” at every turn, making it impossible for outlets to continue ignoring his erratic behaviour.
Without scolding the press, Harris simply made them cover what they should have been covering all along – Trump’s unfitness for office.
That’s not all. Harris is bypassing the traditional media gatekeepers, going to platforms like podcasts, radio shows and town halls to connect directly with voters.
On shows like Call Her Daddy and The View, she has discussed real policy – childcare, taxes, housing – in a way that resonates with everyday people, not just political insiders.
Her strategy isn’t just savvy; it’s a game-changer.
Harris disarmed Fox News in a remarkable interview with Bret Baier, exposing the network’s blatant bias and turning the tables on their usual tactics. It was a master class in confronting disinformation, proving she’s not afraid to hold Fox accountable.
Jessica Toal, Belfast
We must all be mindful not to spook animals while celebrating Halloween
Halloween celebrations become bigger and scarier every year, and it’s important to remain mindful that we don’t harm animals while scaring ourselves silly.
With a few simple rules of thumb, we can all ensure we’re never ghouls to animals on All Hallows’ Eve.
Balloons, streamers, fake cobwebs and other decorations can entangle small animals, while chocolate, raisins, nuts and items sweetened with xylitol can be deadly, so keep them out of reach of small paws.
Never attend a Halloween event that features live animals. Rats, snakes, bugs and spiders aren’t really scary, they’re fascinating creatures who deserve to live in peace without being handled and harassed – or cast as Halloween villains.
And please avoid dressing up animal companions in costumes that could restrict their movement or cause them distress.
Use pumpkins in vegan pies or soups. After your Jack-o’-lantern has lit up the holiday, make a meal of it for yourself or dispose of it safely rather than leaving it for wildlife to eat.
Pumpkin isn’t a natural wild food source for many animals and can make them sick.
Jennifer White, Peta UK
Can the real world leaders please stand up? And that includes our Taoiseach
Where are our world leaders? Every day we see women, children and the elderly killed by the IDF in Gaza and now Lebanon, yet apart from words of concern, the Western world’s leaders continue to allow it to happen.
In World War II, the Allies were aware of the concentration camps, yet failed to act by bombing them, thus allowing hundreds of thousands more Jewish people to be slaughtered when they could have been saved.
Something similar is happening now in Gaza due to the absence of strong world leaders.
US president Joe Biden and the other allies of Israel could stop the humanitarian breaches in Gaza and Lebanon immediately by telling Israel to accept a ceasefire.
It is the bombs of the allies of Israel that are killing the innocents. But our world leaders seem prepared to allow the killing to continue.
America holds the key to solving the war, but is refusing to use it. How can Mr Biden express concern for the loss of life in the bombing when it is his country’s bombs (and those of other Israeli allies) that are causing it?
The Irish government condemns the actions of Israel, but dithers on the implication of the bill to ban goods from the illegal settlements, kicking the ball down the road using the EU as an excuse to delay implication.
Taoiseach Simon Harris, pass the bill into law, and if challenged, let it go to the Supreme Court to determine its legality.
The Taoiseach needs to show leadership to the other EU member states and cease playing with words. Words have no meaning unless they amount to something.
What do Simon Harris’s words amount to? Taoiseach, are you a man or a mouse?
Bart Daly, Mount Merrion, Co Dublin
This post was originally published on here
