Page "Michael McDowell (politician)" Paragraph 30

During the 2007 general election campaign, the Progressive Democrats erected posters bearing the slogan, " Left wing government?

No thanks ".

This was an echo of their 2002 election campaign when they issued posters bearing the slogan ; " One party government?

No thanks " which then targeted Fianna Fáil.

In 2007 their target was the Green Party.

While McDowell was unveiling the poster during a press briefing in Ranelagh which was the site of his telegraph pole climb in the 2002 election ; constituency opponent John Gormley of the Green party turned up to confront McDowell on the issue of an accompanying pamphlet which made misleading claims about the Green party.

The ensuing exchange between them was dubbed the Rumble in Ranelagh by the media.

During the 2007 RTÉ Television election debate, McDowell remarked on the state of the opposition parties: " I'm surrounded by the left, the hard-left and the left-overs.