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At Large
The David Norris Show
Sex and intellectualism mark the Irish presidential race. And one morally bankrupt candidate is putting on a show for the ages.
(Page 2 of 2)
Though Norris “hopes to” resume campaigning, he faces what Irishcentral.com calls “an uphill battle.” Before the scandal, his independent campaign was well-funded and wildly popular, and his path to getting on the ballot (similar to an American third-party candidate) was paved with gold. In the aftermath of the scandal, it seems he needs to secure a major party nomination. On Wednesday morning, Fianna Fáil — the last contending party without a nominee — announced that it would not endorse any candidate in the presidential election. It was a direct slap in the face to Norris.
If Norris still wants to run as an independent, he needs the signatures of 20 members of the Irish Parliament. Though he wittily refused to tell Ryan Tubridy how many signatures he’s obtained, it is speculated that he currently has about eleven. With the major parties blocking him from the ballot, he needs nine more from the remaining sixteen independent Parliament members. “There is a feeling in political circles,” Tubridy ventured on the Late Late Show, “that the numbers aren’t stacking up for you, senator.”
The Norris campaign, once seemingly scandal-proof by virtue of its sheer candor, has gone down in scandal. Ultimately it doesn’t matter (Mailer and Breslin didn’t win, either) but it deserves a place in the history books. Against the backdrop of economic devastation, one strange and charming old man launched a radical, largely apolitical campaign for an office of no direct importance — and fascinated the public to an unprecedented degree. Was it substantive? Was it sound? No. But it certainly was a great show. In the absence of real consequence, politics sure can be a lot of fun.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
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Moe Blotz| 9.22.11 @ 7:40AM
Pity the poofter did not have a sympathetic media such as ours behind him,his message of hope and change would have carried him to victory.
jomo2009| 9.22.11 @ 3:07PM
I'm sure they would prefer to be behind him rather than vice versa.
Burt Control | 9.22.11 @ 9:28AM
Excellent overview. Norris, despite his faults, appears the be the best of a very poor field. He might have some skeletons in his closet, but better that than real skeletons buried in unmarked graves...
As of this afternoon, Norris appears to be only 3 short of the magic figure of 20 nominations. He might just get into the Aras after all! And good luck to him.
Burt Control | 9.22.11 @ 3:09PM
Speaking of David Norris shows, this takes the preverbial biscuit. It's the unofficial campaign anthem, Rabble Arouser (David Norris - Stick Him In the Aras). Unreal tune for an unreal election...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYrSKteVcY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpYrSKteVcY
Shane Murphy| 9.22.11 @ 11:21AM
I sincerely hope you don't have a large readership considering the amount of errors and misquotes contained in the above article including calling Charlie McCreevy our "Prime minister". I assume you mean the Taoiseach, a position which Charlie Mc Creevy never held, he was European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services in the period 2004-2010. Bertie Ahern was Taoiseach from 1997-2008 and Brian Cowen afterwards from 2008-2011. Even using wikipedia to find your facts would make it more accurate.
I'd love to see links for Norris' non contextual quotes. Also, curious as to why you would reference such a small online publication such as Irish central when every other major publication in the republic is saying Norris is just 3 Oireachtas members away from nomination as "Burt Control" pointed out above?
Gerard| 9.22.11 @ 11:40AM
One of the most factually inaccurate articles I've ever read. Norris admitted his mistake and sorrow at sending that lettter; and I, as an Irish Citizen and voter in the upcoming election, accept that. His comments on Pope Benedict are spot on. Best of luck David; if nominated (and it looks like you will be) - the Irish people stand ready to vote you into office. As for McGuinness running on his 'running on his peace-negotiation credentials in Northern Ireland ' - laughing out loud to that one.
Pucan Mhicil Phaidin| 9.22.11 @ 3:19PM
Norris is intellectually as light as a feather. As Brendan Kennelly once quipped: "Norris knows f*** all about Joyce."
A country that built it's economy on the illusion of the an eternal German willingness to underwrite debt deserves a fraud such as Norris.
Occam's Tool| 9.22.11 @ 4:55PM
Well, the Irish ruling class are pro-Nazi and pro-child sodomy (Oscar Wilde did his thing with adults---sorry, 15 years old doth push).
Who woulda thunk it?
kingsmill| 9.22.11 @ 6:22PM
Your history is almost Norris-like in it's idiocy.
Oscar Wilde was a product of the Anglo-Irish Ascendency-the instrument of the British ruling class in Ireland.
The only proto fascist elements in Ireland were a small faction known as the Blueshirts akin to the Mosley proto fascists in Britain.
Occam's Tool| 9.23.11 @ 12:13AM
Kingsmill: The Prime Minister of Ireland visited the German Embassy after Hitler died to offer his condolences.
(Wilde I simply mention as the best known Irish poofter, Anglo-Irish aristocracy or not. On him I'm torn---he adored Doctors, but disliked Jews. As a Jewish Doctor, I don't know.)
But Ireland was Neutral against the Nazis in the worst hour of the Western World and the above condolence offering to the worst regime in history did happen from De Valera, for which he deserved 100 whippings to his testicles.
Apparently the Irish Jews liked him, though, but you'd have to be pretty psychotic to be a Jew in Ireland. (There have never been even as many as 2000 Jews in ireland. For comparison, Houston, TX, not known as a prominent player in the American jewish community, has 25,000 Jews.)
In short, Kingsmill, when it comes to Jewish history, which is what the De Valera condolence offering is part of, you can "kish mir tuchus." It shpould also be noted that De Valera was one of the most PRO-Jewish politicians in Ireland.
kingsmill| 9.23.11 @ 12:12PM
DeValera, as an Irish Nationalist, almost executed by the Brits in 1916 (spared due to his father's American citizenship), was absolutely correct in remaining neutral in 1940.
If you actually believe that an Irish nationalist, who had opposed the creation of the Irish Free State in 1921, due to it's status as a technical part of the British Commonwealth could join with Britain in a common front than I have land in Florida you may want to have a look at.
The British introduction of terrorist Black and Tans and Auxiliary shock troops into Ireland in the 1920s, along with the just concluded economic war with Britain in the 1930s, left no possibility of any course except neutrality for an Irish nationalist.
I suppose you despise John Adams for not joining Britain in it's wars against revolutionary France. The situations are analogous.
His visit to the German embassy to offer condolences upon Hitler's death was based on his legalistic mindset and rigid adherence to the neutrality principle. A complete fraud would have abandoned neutrality and lined up with the victors.
I could make the argument that Menachem Begin and Irgun were commie sympathisers by carrying out the bombing of the King David Hotel in 1946. It would be pure bull-crap- just like your argument concerning DeValera.
Ken (Old Texican)| 9.22.11 @ 5:44PM
Patrick,
WHO GIVES A DAMN?
The only folks left in Ireland are the folks who missed the boat....to the new world.
Can you pronounce the word "culls"?
Gerard| 9.23.11 @ 4:35AM
The new world! America, where bigotry thrives, independent thought is thrown out the window and people become a slave to their 'moral'.
Belloc| 9.24.11 @ 11:40AM
The Euro world! Where unelected apparatchiks impose their world views on the benighted. The sheepeople in Ireland swallow their castor oil, so long as they are supplied a chaser of Euro subsidies and their debt is wished away.....
ManassasGrandma| 9.22.11 @ 8:22PM
The obvious admiration for a man supporting child molestation is appalling to me.
Gerard| 9.23.11 @ 4:33AM
No, it's not a man supportive of child molestation. Get your facts right before making such a post.
Tony| 9.26.11 @ 8:19AM
The facts are these - Norris in his interview in Magill Magazine in 2002 stated:
"In terms of classic paedophilia, as practised by the Greeks for example, where it is an older man introducing a younger man or boy to adult life, I think there can be something to be said for it. And in terms of North African experience this is endemic.
Now again, this is not something that appeals to me, although when I was younger it would most certainly have appealed to me in the sense that I would have greatly relished the prospect of an older, attractive, mature man taking me under his wing, lovingly introducing me to sexual realities, and treating me with affection and teaching me about life - yes, I think that would be lovely; I would have enjoyed that."...
"But I think there is complete and utter hysteria about this subject, and there is also confusion between ... paedophilia and pederasty..."
He even tried to categorise child molestation, in another part he said:
"In my opinion, the teacher, or Christian Brother, who puts his hand into a boy's pocket during a history lesson, that is one end of the spectrum. but then there is another: there is the person who attacks children of either sex, rapes them, brutalises them, and then murders them. But the way things are presented here it's almost as if they were all exactly the same and I don't think they are. and I have to tell you this -- I think that the children in some instances are more damaged by the condemnation than by the actual experience."
The author of the piece was of the opinion that Norris was all in favour of unfettered sexual activity regardless of age and guided only by "mutual consent". She went on to state that Norris did not appear to endorse any minimum age or endure any protest that a child was not capable of giving informed consent. He stated: "The law in this sphere should take in to account consent rather than age". When he was asked about incest, he hesitated, and concluded that in the case of girls a case could be made for a ban, as possible resulting pregnancy might be genetically undesirable.
In my opinion this guy endorses classic paedophilic reasoning and as he clearly cannot draw a distinction between children and adults in matters of sexuality, is clearly a danger to children everywhere. The man is an immoral pervert.
Belloc| 9.24.11 @ 11:23AM
David is just very understanding about the attractions of pedophilia. He wouldn't do it himself, mind you, but he certainly wouldn't be so narrow minded as to denounce anyone else for their preferences.
POST American| 9.23.11 @ 4:06AM
------Nice piece.
Af course, what now links the US, Ireland,
Britain ---indeed, the entire northern hemisphere
now, even beyond the USURY and EUGENICS
mafia ------is fallout.
Fallout from ------FUKISHIMA
--------------------------FUKISHIMA
------------------------------FUKISHIMA
---------------------------------FUKISHIMA
Gerard| 9.23.11 @ 8:04AM
"Though Sinn Fein is an extreme party historically affiliated with the Provisional IRA, McGuinness is running on his peace-negotiation credentials in Northern Ireland and the now popular (and recently, historically executed) platform of welcoming the Queen to the Republic"
He didn't welcome the Queen to Ireland; Sinn Fein were invited but boycotted it on the grounds that her visit was 'premature'. Where are you getting your facts from, a pulpit?
Belloc| 9.25.11 @ 12:53PM
these "facts" sound as if they came from a bathhouse not a pulpit.
supra | 10.18.11 @ 1:52AM
Your article really fascinates the core of my interest.Thanks you!
john long| 10.20.11 @ 6:04AM
David Norris is an inspirational man who has shown integrity in the face of a media barrage... when Ireland can elect an openly gay protestant candidate because he is the right man it will truly be a Republic free from the shackles of the catholic church