ONE might have expected a Young Leader for a Young Country to make a mild fashion statement for his big night, but Bertie wore yet another of those old fashioned double breasted suit with Batwing lapels. So did John Bruton, of course, but somehow it seems more appropriate on a plump Meath farmer.
The more modish single breasted outfits favoured by Tony Blair's new cabinet seem not to have been taken on board by the Soldiers of Destiny - hardly surprising in a party which was still struggling with the sideburns issue at the end of the 1980s.
Despite the best efforts of the handlers, there's still a touch of the First Communions about Bertie's good suit, especially when, as last night, he appeared to have rubbed some sort of pomade into his newly shorn locks.
Perhaps the Taoiseach should have followed his example, though as the programme wore on the distinctive Bruton mane of white hair began to rise up alarmingly.
Fianna Fail might feel entitled to complain about Anne Doyle's announcement on the evening news that the debate would take place at 9.30 p.m., when what we got at that time was Fine Gael's final party political broadcast, a paean to "partnership" which looked suspiciously like the current Bord Failte campaign.
Voters, therefore, still had the lingering images of the Taoiseach bestriding the world stage like a colossus by the time Mr Bruton stepped up to make his opening address, seamlessly continuing the partnership theme.
Mr Bruton conspicuously plonked himself ideologically to the left of Mr Ahern in a speech which oozed Clintonesque compassion; somebody, it was clear, had been doing a lot of work on the Taoiseach's television technique and the little folksy memories of trips to hospitals for insights into the Irish soul were surprisingly slick.
Mr Ahern, by contrast, seemed nervous and lacked the prime ministerial gravitas which the Taoiseach has developed in recent years. It was striking, indeed, how effectively Mr Bruton managed to compete with Mr Ahern in the likeability stakes.
If there was an overall impression, though, it was of two nice but rather dull men, neither of whom had the fluency or debating skills displayed by their junior partners on Monday.
Except for the committed, it was hardly gripping television, and it would not have been surprising if many hands had reached for the zapper.
Appropriately enough, over on BBC 2 there was an old episode of Yes, Prime Minister, while even better, the movie on UTV was Accidental Hero.
