Taoiseach Agonistes

One day an asteroid will emerge from deep space and hit the earth on land or water with such devastating speed and weight that dust and steam and smoke will obliterate most life on earth with the possible exception of rats, spiders and scorpions. That’s the way of the universe. Sudden things happen out of the blue and change everything.

Members of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party know all about it. Things were bad as they slipped into the Ardilaun Hotel. They were a lot worse as they slipped out a few days later.
Anybody who ever took to the bar at a conference or wedding knew exactly what they were hearing when the Taoiseach began to speak on Morning Ireland. Morning person or not, we heard the smoky congested echo of the night before, of laughter and song and pints and good times…
It was clearly unwise of Brian Cowen to take to the airwaves sounding like that and he’s been paying for it ever since. The commentariat is in overdrive. If you have fingers, prepare to point.
The great and good speak as one and, unsurprisingly, the public follows. As Jim Morrison said, ‘Whoever controls the media, controls the mind’.
In fact, I had that quote in mind for a different piece, one on ownership of the media and the prospects of News International gaining control of Sky and Rupert Murdoch becoming the most powerful person in the UK and therefore a pretty worrying influence here, but events rather overtook that.
It still seems apposite. We are having another bout of moral panic and much of the commentary would do an early 19th century reforming Protestant pastor proud. Those who have, in a sense, been that soldier, singing songs and telling jokes in the bar after all the sensible souls have left must have felt a pang of empathy. But if so, few are prepared to say so.
Yet, one suspects that if Cowen survives this week then the episode won’t have done him too much damage on a personal level. The Irish forgive these things once the din of righteousness dies down.
Is this a good thing? Another quote, this time from Master Po in Kung Fu: ‘Who among us is without flaw?’ or from Plato, ‘Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle’.
And on the whole we are and we’ll move on from what Joe Duffy wittily called Cowengate. (Cow and gate…geddit?). But the voters will take far far longer to move on from the black hole that is Anglo-Irish Bank.
Why? Well, mainly it’s because it’s money out of their pockets. It has put the economic wellbeing of the whole State at risk. Emigration and unemployment are back with a vengeance. It’s as though the last twenty years were a dream.
That’s more substantive than a bit of hoarseness after a late night. But maybe that’s just me…
Meanwhile, just as the leaves start to turn, the first candidates for the post of President have begun to reveal themselves. There will be a testing period as political parties are canvassed to nominate potential candidates. You can’t just pay a deposit and put yourself forward, you need backing.
Best feet will be put forward, pious and philosophical sonorities will be fin-tuned, quite probably of a puritanical and temperance tone, to suit the mood of the nation.
There will certainly be a contest – no all-Party agreed candidate this time.
On the Fianna Fáil side so far, three women named Mary have been suggested, Mary White, Mary Davis and Mary O’Rourke. No harm to them, but to have a third Mary after Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese would mean three Hail Marys! That would be too much like a penance and the people are already suffering too much ;-)
But the winner might not be a woman. Most of the so-far suggested candidates are men. And why not?
Interestingly, there has also already been some discussion about the role and modus operandi of the next presidency. Some people have expressed unease that the office is seen as a bit too matey and as a kind of official validator for community effort.
It’s a bit unfair, to be honest. Mary McAleese has been tireless in her exercise of her responsibilities both at home and abroad. It would be a pity if the next campaign were to seen to cast shadows on her legacy.
And great care should be taken to separate out the presidential race from the current political situation. There’s a strong probability that being nominated by Fianna Fáil will work to a candidate’s disadvantage as the tar from the economic crisis sticks even though the presidency and parliamentary politics are unconnected.
All to play for, team! But you can bet your ass on one thing for sure. None of the candidates will go on Morning Ireland after swallyin’ pints and singin’ ballads till three in the morning.
In fact, I’d be surprised if any of them showed any sign of being a bit of crack to go along with the great track records of humanitarianism and public service they will no doubt bring to the debate.
And that might be a pity…we could all do with a lift, couldn’t we?