Ireland 2009

[Verily]

By the way, when did this happen?

http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/view/32786/fine_gael_holds_on_to_lead_in_ireland/

Fine Gael: 33 (-2 on Nov 2008)
Fianna Fail: 28 (-2)
Labour: 14 (nc)
Sinn Fein: 9 (+1)
Green: 8 (+3)

[Verily]

I meant a more general question about when it happened that Fianna Fail's fortunes went so far south. Clearly it's not an immediately recent development since the November poll also had them 5 points behind Fine Gael. I suppose it's probably economic crisis-related.

It's interesting to see in which countries the governing parties are suffering for the bad economy against where the governing parties seem to be doing swimmingly. (Compare Britain and Ireland to Australia, where the ALP has seen its poll ratings soar to the immense pre-election leads they had in 2007.) The US is not great for comparison because we've had a party change since the crisis began.

[Verily]

The Greens are crazy to not bring down the government at this point. Just doing so would be worth a big bump in their approval ratings, if not necessarily support.

[Verily]

Pity it has to be the ALDE. I'd rather they not taint liberalism. Why not the EPP-ED?

[Verily]

Pity it has to be the ALDE. Why not the EPP-ED?

Because that's Fine Gael (IIRC).

They could have joined ED. Fine Gael is in the EPP. Although I guess that opens up rivalries with the British Conservatives.