Irish voters hold the fate of the latest Euro treaty in their hands, but what have they chosen?
The European Union's Lisbon treaty appears to be in peril, with weak turnout in Ireland's referendum on Thursday leaving the outcome in doubt.
Irish voters were the only citizens in the 27-member bloc to be given the chance to vote in a referendum on the treaty, which replaces a rejected European Union constitution.
"It's knife-edge stuff," a governing party source said, acknowledging that authorities had counted on a higher turnout.
"We're just not sure if we've done enough or not."
When will we get a result?
But the Irish media conducted no exit polling to gauge the actual result. This information vacuum set the stage for a suspenseful wait Friday in the national count center, Dublin Castle, where the outcome will be announced.
Suspenseful for some, but not all.
Jane,
It looks like we have a U.S. Open thread.
Thank you, TM.
Posted by: Elliott | June 12, 2008 at 07:41 PM
LOL, Elliott. You are on a roll today.
Posted by: Ann | June 12, 2008 at 07:57 PM
Euro2008 Football!
It's like golf, only no commercials.
.
Posted by: BumperStickerist | June 12, 2008 at 09:44 PM
I hope the Irish came thru and saved Europe. I really do.
Posted by: clarice | June 12, 2008 at 09:47 PM
Amen to that, Clarice, though it seems almost too much to hope for.
Posted by: JM Hanes | June 12, 2008 at 10:42 PM
Is this the US Open thread?
Posted by Stephen F. Hayes on the Weekly Standard blog--
"Looking for someone to support in this weekend's U.S. Open? Rory Sabbatini is your man. Sabbatini teed off today wearing a camouflage golf shirt to honor The Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund. Sabbatini, who is from South Africa, has raised more than $1 million for charities benefitting U.S. troops and their families. Solid."
Not that I am not cheering for Tiger, Jane.
Posted by: Caro | June 12, 2008 at 10:52 PM
jmh, the last poll I saw before the vote the Irish were substantially against the EU.I am concerned about the low turnout because I can't figure out which side did turn up--maybe EU referendum has more.
Posted by: clarice | June 12, 2008 at 11:09 PM
EU referendum notes that turnout for the 2001 Nice Treaty vote was low and it resulted in a noe vote..They also report"UPDATE: French prime minister Francois Fillon is saying that an Irish rejection of the treaty would mean the end. "If the Irish people decide to reject the treaty of Lisbon, naturally, there will be no treaty of Lisbon," he is reported as saying in an interview on French television.
UPDATE: Ireland's major gambling company, Paddy Power PLC, has paid out more than €180,000 in winning bets to people who wagered on a "yes" victory. Paddy Power spokeswoman Sharon McHugh said the company decided a "yes" appeared the likely outcome - despite the low turnout and the fact not a single ballot had been counted - because gamblers inundated their Irish Web site with big bets for a treaty triumph in the hours before polling closed. "All the betting on Thursday night suggests a 'Yes' vote is in the bag, but we could be left with egg on our faces if we've called it wrong," she said."
Posted by: clarice | June 12, 2008 at 11:21 PM
Caro,
He's not the only one you can root for on that account.
And, no, I did not post that to receive a "Harummph" from Jane. As for this, well...
Posted by: Elliott | June 12, 2008 at 11:41 PM
Who are you rooting for BumperStickerist? It could be an interesting day in group C tomorrow. For those looking for a proxy by which to determine their allegiance, among the teams still in contention at Euro2008, the Netherlands has the highest ranking in the 2008 Index of Economic Freedom.
Jane, did you catch the Celtics' comeback?
Posted by: Elliott | June 12, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Hey, Caro, I saw that and it warmed my heart on a cold political day. Thanks for posting it.
Elliott,
I so hope it comes down to Tiger and Manboobies. What fun for us. I have decided next to Kevin Costner, V J Sing is the best dressed. We need a project runway for golf. What do ya think?
Posted by: Ann | June 12, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Ann,
It's not Project Runway, but the first Hackel has been awarded.
However, I believe the correct answer to your question is "Lorena Ochoa."
Posted by: Elliott | June 13, 2008 at 12:16 AM
Via Hot Air, Ward Connerly, for whom I have the utmost respect and admiration, weighs in on Obama.
Posted by: Elliott | June 13, 2008 at 12:20 AM
Elliott,
I had no idea there was the award winning "Hackel", LOL. I did know there was an award winning Hillary Cacklin’.
I don't get the Lorena Ochoa thing, sorry????
Posted by: Ann | June 13, 2008 at 12:30 AM
I noticed that Emptyhead said the Rule Of Law prevailed. So much for her agitations we were living in a fascist state all this time. Gotta love leftist propaganda.
Posted by: Topsecretk9 | June 13, 2008 at 12:39 AM
oops, to above - wrong thread.
Posted by: Topsecretk9 | June 13, 2008 at 12:40 AM
Hackel is the last name of Golf Digest's fashion editor.
I was casting my vote* for Lorena Ochoa in the best">http://www.golfdigest.com/images/golfworld/2008/04/gwar01_080405ochoa.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/2008/04/20080405kraftap&h=330&w=470&sz=33&hl=en&start=45&tbnid=6vJCFjb2A52cjM:&tbnh=91&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3D%2522lorena%2Bochoa%2522%26start%3D40%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D20%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN">best dressed category.
______________
*I do admit that I hadn't seen the capris at that point.
Posted by: Elliott | June 13, 2008 at 12:40 AM
BBC:"Early unofficial vote tallies around Ireland are indicating a strong showing for the No vote in a referendum on the European Union's Lisbon Treaty. "
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 07:37 AM
EU Referendum indicates that Ireland, the only country which allowed its citizens to vote on the Lisbon Treaty, appears to have voted against ratifying it and since it cannot go into effect untill every country covered agrees to it, it appears that the Lisbon Treaty is dead.
http://eureferendum.blogspot.com/2008/06/low-turnout-in-ireland.html
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 09:41 AM
There is a lesson, there, c.
================
Posted by: kim | June 13, 2008 at 09:46 AM
This is kinda funny.....
Bookmaker Paddypower has admitted it made a mistake, after paying out more than €80,000 in bets on a "yes" vote. As polls closed at last night, the bookmaker made a decision to pay out punters who had backed a Yes vote after unofficial exit polls indicated a late surge in support for the treaty. The blunder means the bookmaker will be forced to pay out over €180,000 in referendum bets.
Posted by: glasater | June 13, 2008 at 09:51 AM
I'm going to wager that EUland will claim that the low turnout nullifies the 'no' vote in some way. The EU government is much the same as Democrats in Washington state (or many other places) - just keep counting until the "right" result is achieved.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | June 13, 2008 at 09:52 AM
I think not. France has already indicated it Ireland votes against it, it's over. (Chirac's gone now.) Little Ireland saved Europe from the machinations of its overreaching bureaucratic elite which having seen the citizens opposed this, maneuvered the levers of every other country to foreclose the citizenry from having a voice in this important matter.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 09:56 AM
The freeing up of the economy in Ireland from burdensome regulations and even heavier taxation has made Ireland the miracle of Europe. Now it seem to have sunk in to the Irish that all of that was potentially at risk. Funny how that works.
Posted by: GMax | June 13, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Do you know, clarice, how Ireland avoided the disenfranchisement manipulated in all the other countries?
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Posted by: kim | June 13, 2008 at 10:08 AM
Clarice,
This is what I'm referring to:
It's a 'Night Of The Living Dead' situation - killed in 2002, killed again in 2005, killed again (now) in 2008.
But it ain't dead.
It won't die for at at least another 10-15 years. That's when the demographic bubble of EUland goes into a state of population collapse similiar to what Russia is undergoing.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | June 13, 2008 at 10:12 AM
All I could see was that (a) voters felt thay had already lost their national character and this would make it even more deracinating and (b) they didn't understand the treaty and until they did they wouldn't vote for it.
OTOH Rick may have a point, the bureaucrats are already fighting back against yet another loss:
"Ireland's possible rejection of The Lisbon Treaty should not stop other member states ratifying it, France's Secretary of State for European Affairs Jean-Pierre Jouyet claimed today.
"The most important thing is that ratification should continue in other countries (if Ireland has voted "no") and I have good reasons to think that the process of ratification will continue," Mr Jouyet told LCI television.
"We would have to see with the Irish at the end of the ratification process how we could make it work and what legal arrangement we could come to."
His view of was at odds with comments by French Prime Minister Francois Fillon, who said yesterday:
"If the Irish people decide to reject the treaty of Lisbon, naturally, there will be no treaty of Lisbon."
The approval of all 27 EU member states is required to ratify the treaty, which was hammered out last year after a previous charter was rejected by French and Dutch voters.
EU leaders meeting in Brussels next week are expected to reaffirm their commitment to it and may ask Ireland to indicate how it intends to proceed.
That would put the onus on Mr Cowen either to seek changes, opt-outs or assurances and put them to a second referendum, or to find a way to allow the others to proceed with the key reforms without Ireland.
Fourteen countries have already ratified the treaty in their national parliaments"
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0613/breaking66.htm>EU never loses
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 10:13 AM
Maybe they can simply kill off all the voters faster, Rick.It may be the only way to get this baby passed.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Clarice,
This may appear to be unrelated but watch it unfold. The firing of the Air Force leadership is tied more to the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. being able to 'reach out and touch someone' than to the misplacement of weapons.
The Airbus jobs program isn't doing well and EU subsidies can't last forever. What happens in Europe when the "economic security" promised by the lying socialists is finally revealed to have never existed? When one worker is supporting two pensioners as well as himself?
Posted by: Rick Ballard | June 13, 2008 at 10:37 AM
Interesting, Rick.
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 10:49 AM
Here is the running tally on the Irish vote.
http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0613/breaking66.htm>When Irish Eyes are Smiling
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 10:51 AM
No self-respecting lover of individual liberty could tolerate life in the UK today.
Posted by: Danube of Thought | June 13, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Some very careful thinking on what this means--and how hard the elites are going to continue to fight the will of the European citizens.
http://www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/774111/ireland-votes-no-now-whats-next.thtml>Elites hanging on by their thumbnails to this fercocked scheme
Posted by: clarice | June 13, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Rick, it was insubordination in the Air Force.
===========================
Posted by: kim | June 13, 2008 at 11:54 AM
It was the insistence by the fighter jocks on more of the F-22, and resistance to a rapid ramp-up of predator capability. The Air Force was not as responsive to contemporary combat needs as Gates wanted. Their new Chief of Staff is a special forces and transportation specialist, which is what the rest of our military needs more of from the Air Force. The nuclear mistakes were just the excuse.
==================
Posted by: kim | June 13, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Kim,
I agree that the weapons errors made good cover but I'll wait for the GAO report before dismissing interference by Northrup/EADS. Only 3 A380s have been ordered in 2008 versus 79 787s. Airbus is gasping like a fish on the beach.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | June 13, 2008 at 12:17 PM
Well, you may be right, particularly if Boeing ends up with it. Were the Secretary and CoS big fans of the Airbus contract?
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Posted by: kim | June 13, 2008 at 02:10 PM
"It won't die for at at least another 10-15 years. That's when the demographic bubble of EUland goes into a state of population collapse similiar to what Russia is undergoing."
At that point the EU will have been non-Sharia compliant.
"If the Irish people decide to reject the treaty of Lisbon, naturally, there will be no treaty of Lisbon."
It will be called the Treaty of Barcelona or somesuch.
"No self-respecting lover of individual liberty could tolerate life in the UK today."
We're leaving as fast as we can !
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