# No voters - why? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414 "2009-09-24T20:45:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/1 "2009-09-24T20:45:37Z")
When you divide up the groups supporting a No vote on the Lisbon Treaty, and those voting Yes, the differences are stark. **Yes:** All the main parties -Fianna Fail -Fine Gael -Labour -The Greens Other Groups -The Liberals -We Belong -Generation Yes -Ireland for Europe -IBEC -Exporters Organisation -Most trade unions \*\* No:\*\* Sinn Fein - the terrorists Socialist Party Socialist Workers Party Coir - Catholic headbangers Eireann go Brath - Celtic Fascists Libertas UKIP Now it comes out that the woman who coined the term “wife-swapping sodomites” to describe Yes voters during the Divorce Referendum, is an active member of Coir. Seriously, at this point, after claims of a new minimum wage of €1.84 and the introduction of euthanasia for old people, the No side has no credibility left. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/2 "2009-09-24T22:39:41Z")
??? ??? ??? ??? ??? [COIR’s case for a no vote](http://www.coircampaign.org/index.php/info-euguide/case-for-no-vote) [Lisbon treaty](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Lisbon) ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/3 "2009-09-24T22:46:07Z")
Opponents are concerned that the Lisbon Treaty will increase the power of the EU at the expense of state sovereignty, and, especially when it came up the first time, require Ireland to liberalize its laws on things like abortion and homosexuality. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/4 "2009-09-24T23:00:36Z")
i’m not Irish or European, but I’d vote NO. You’d basically be approving a EU constitution and elect guys who could modify at will without the people’s vote. Also, the Irish have vote before NO, is it vote-till-you-get-a-yes-and-then-so-long-suckers? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/5 "2009-09-25T00:23:55Z")
And what differences are these? I see a coalition of left to right parties on Yes. On no I see… the same, along with groups who were explicitly created to oppose the treaty. Of course they’re against it. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/6 "2009-09-25T00:30:31Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > And what differences are these? I see a coalition of left to right parties on Yes. On no I see… the same, along with groups who were explicitly created to oppose the treaty. Of course they’re against it. Are you actually comparing the headbangers in Coir and Eire go Brath (or however you spell it), and ever major political party bar one? Yes side: the rational middle. No side: the far nutjobs on both sides. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/7 "2009-09-25T00:35:35Z")
> [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > i’m not Irish or European, but I’d vote NO. > You’d basically be approving a EU constitution and elect guys who could modify at will without the people’s vote. No. There was an EU Constitution, with an anthem and flag, but no-one wanted it. As for electing guys to modify it without a vote, within the terms of the Crotty judgment that isn’t true. > [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](#): > > Also, the Irish have vote before NO, is it vote-till-you-get-a-yes-and-then-so-long-suckers? No, it’s a you-had-some-concerns-we-did-our-best-to-address-them-now-what-do-you-think? People were told that they would be conscripted into a European army, that abortion would be brought in etc. These issues and others were clarified, and we got to keep our commissioner. Now we are being asked to vote again, with the guarantees. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-voters-why/511414/8 "2009-09-25T12:56:28Z")
I think it is ridiculous that we few million voters get to decide this. It should be an EU-wide referendum if these changes are so important. I’d vote no only because we already had a referendum and I don’t like being bullied.