"During the 2007 general election, when Bertie Ahern was on a roll as taoiseach, he was still looking after his home turf, out pounding the pavements in Drumcondra. When he knocked on the door of one voter, he found a former friendly face who was extremely angry after losing a certain social welfare benefit because he had taken on a couple of hours' ­extra work."
"When he knocked on the door of one voter, he found a former friendly face who was extremely angry after losing a certain social welfare benefit because he had taken on a couple of hours' ­extra work."
A Dublin by-election canvass produced an unexpected backlash. During the 2007 general election, Bertie Ahern campaigned in Drumcondra while serving as taoiseach. He knocked on a voter’s door and encountered a former friendly face who was extremely angry. The anger stemmed from losing a social welfare benefit after taking on a couple of hours of extra work. The incident illustrates how local campaigning can trigger strong reactions when voters feel their benefits or livelihoods are affected.
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