Mary McAleese's presidential campaign could not have got off to a better start yesterday morning, writes Vincent Browne
First there was a 10-12 minute party political broadcast on her behalf, produced, paid for and sponsored by RTÉ. Just a single murmur about her Presidency, the rest straightforward hype.
Then there was her own performance, broadcast live on RTÉ radio and television. And it was a confident, fluent, performance. Also, she looked great.
This is a formidable woman and a formidable campaigner and she will seek to wipe away any opponent in the course of the campaign. Her husband, Martin, was also impressive.
But there was one question left hanging from that press conference. It was why a woman, as obviously competent and assured as she, would want to hold a non-office for another seven years, a total of 14.
Actually, at one stage she said she had not given a thought to what she might do for another seven years were she not to be President. "There is no plan B," she said. Did she want to do something vital with the office, something that mattered? Something other than feiseanna opener and a super-trade saleswoman? She had started off by saying how she had found the Presidency "deeply, deeply fulfilling".
She spoke of Ireland being "wealthy, self-confident, self-achieving". She wanted to be part of "the big debate with our emerging Ireland". She still wakes every morning with a buzz. She was proud of her role as salesperson, "showcasing" Ireland's culture, achievements and success. Actually she believed that in thus showcasing Ireland she thought she had pushed out the boundaries of the Presidency! She thought the Presidency was "the best job in Ireland, one of the most important jobs in the country".
Is that it? More of the bland, insipid same? You would have to be of a certain peculiar mindset to think the Presidency was one of the best jobs in Ireland. You would have to be in cloud-cuckoo-land to believe it was one of the most important jobs in the country.
So we are being promised more of the same. More of the insipidness, the nothingness, tinged with self-importance.
Mary Robinson sought to use the Presidency as an agent of social and political change and, to an extent, she achieved that. Mary McAleese wants to showcase Ireland abroad! Oh. And build bridges.
A lot is being made these last few days about the behind-the-scenes work Mary and Martin McAleese have been doing building bridges with Northern loyalism. I suppose it is vaguely plausible that some animosities among some people have been eased by the soirees in the Áras. But. . . come on.
The point of the Presidency is not to do anything behind the scenes. It is a symbolic office and for symbolism to work it has to be done in public; and, in public, Mary McAleese's Presidency has been largely a non-event. That doesn't much matter but it is a pity and it would be even more of a pity if parties of the Left, among whom, for the purpose of this column, I include Labour and the Greens, did not use the opportunity of the presidential campaign to campaign for social and political change. Their candidate(s) might not win the election - although I do not share the belief Mary McAleese is unbeatable - but that would not matter much if the campaign was effective in mobilising support around a programme for fairness in Irish society.
Remember Labour's "Spring tide" in the 1992 general election, following on the heels of Mary Robinson's inspirational presidential campaign in 1990.
Mary Robinson won the Presidency by a fluke but her campaign was no fluke nor were the reverberations from that campaign.
In Croke Park on Sunday last at the All-Ireland Hurling Final, the crowd rose respectfully when the President was introduced and there was a modest round of applause, at least as far as I could discern from the lower deck of the Hogan Stand. But, more interestingly, after Mary McAleese had been introduced to the players and was on her way back to the stand, waving awkwardly at the crowd, there was almost no applause at all or at least none that I could hear.
I think the vast majority of people right now may be in favour of the re-election of Mary McAleese but I suspect the support is thin and that a good, well-run, inspirational campaign could upset her and even unseat her.
But will we get that kind of campaign? There is a chance, for it seems, from the glimpse into Pat Rabbitte's mind as seen on Questions and Answers on Monday night, he is in favour of a contest and, if Labour is not to run a candidate, he and Labour will support Eamon Ryan of the Green Party.
Incidentally, Pat Rabbitte suffered some significant collateral damage from a hilarious onslaught by Nell McCafferty. A good presidential campaign could undo that damage as well.