THE media have a way of doing things a politician says something, another disagrees, and thus a news story is created.
In the bail referendum all the major parties with the exception of the Green Party have supported the change in the Constitution. Without the constant flow of press releases, without the lobbying by TDs and party press officers trying to get their party's point of view across, the media has simply found other issues to cover.
There have been few posters, little or no leafletting, no politicians seeking your support. Fianna Fail sources claim the party has spent about £180,000 on posters and cinema advertising. However, this relates more to the party's crime campaign than to the bail referendum campaign.
Fine Gael has spent £50,000 on postering, provincial newspaper advertising and a four page Dublin newspaper, with two pages devoted to the referendum. The low key approach was partly due to the Government's reluctance to spend money on this referendum in case it was forced to fund the Right to Bail Campaign under the terms of the McKenna judgment.
In the closing stages of the campaign neither the media nor the political parties has commissioned opinion polls, a vital part of campaigning and coverage. It is polls that kick campaigns into action. One only has to recall the final days of the divorce referendum when the Yes side made a major push after polls showed how close the result could be.
The head of Current Affairs in RTE, Mr Peter Feeney, agreed there had been little coverage. "The level of coverage reflects the public interest," he said.
Last month RTE broadcast an hour long Prime Time special with the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, and a studio audience.
Farrell and Questions and Answers have also given time to the issue.
Questions and Answers returned to it last night. The original plan was that the whole programme would be devoted to the issue, but it was felt there was not enough interest. Tonight Mr John Gormley, the Green Party TD, will be on Prime Time.
RTE faced a similar problem during the divorce referendum when all the parties supported the change in the Constitution. A statutory obligation to produce balance makes the station very cautious. With stop watches at the ready, RTE allows access to the airwaves to senior politicians.
When there are no politicians it is unsure. Can a self appointed lobbyist oppose the Taoiseach in a debate, and will such a confrontation fulfil the need for balance?
During this campaign there have been seven party political broadcasts, five for the change in the Constitution and two against. That, RTE claims, reflects the electoral strength of the parties.
The debate seemed to take off about twice before dying again. The Labour Lawyers opposed their party. But once it was clear this was not going to lead to either disciplinary action or increased support from others in the party, that ceased to be a story.
The other story was the opposition of the Catholic Church, led by the Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Dr Eamonn Walsh. This looked like a good row for the newspapers; the Irish Independent ran a headline stating "Church State. Clash looms over Bail Row". But it failed to set the campaign alight when the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell, pulled back.
The editor of the Evening Herald, Mr Paul Drury, said the No campaign has dominated the media coverage, through the legal profession and the church. "The political establishment has been, remarkably silent," he said. The Herald had attempted to explain, the issues for its readers, he said, and on the eve of the poll it will be running a strong front page editorial calling for a Yes vote.
Both the Sunday Tribune and the Sunday Business Post have carried major pieces supporting the No side. The Sunday Independent, reflecting a perceived lack of interest, did not use its last edition before polling to comment editorially. It ran one opinion piece for, one against.
The media need competition, confrontation, a race. There has been little in this campaign. There is also a firmly held view that any debate ended in June when the journalist Veronica Guerin was murdered. With that, opposition within the main political, parties was silenced and so was any real campaign.