I think the idea of a snap election is very interesting and the one thing that stands out in your letter / comments. It's not something I have heard floated in the media or papers here. All of your other points are being howled by similarly angry government members at Sinn Fein all over the radio today. I suggest putting a letter together around that as a central point woyuld be provocative. (I too think an election here would be a healthy thing at present if for different reasons)

I have to say that considering the Ganley/Libertas impact on the campaign - the well documented record of these people as US aligned - there is little discussion of that. The irish state is very 'Boston Not Berlin' still and I'd say is very much in a quandry - being attacked by astroturfers wotrking for a 'friend' who they have proved themselves unwilling to upset in any way in the past.

I was speaking to my dad too today (ex-pd)about the whole thing and we agreed that part of the vote is a total unease with a political class who are unwilling to straightforwardly explain the problems facing Ireland as the price of oil and food heads for the stratosphere and the building boom collapses, and, that the vote may be a harbinger of more serious political conflicts in the country in the coming period.