Enda focuses on negatives as Richard targets heavy hitters

WITH America and France rejoicing in their rock star presidents, Enda Kenny made an unlikely pitch to be Ireland’s boyband blueshirt.

Even Simon Cowell would have had to admire the sheer pizzazz of the man as Enda taunted the Take That X-Factor special that was going head-to-head with him in the TV schedules by strolling on stage to the sound of the group’s cheese-fest anthem Shine.

Though always more Daniel O’Donnell than Kurt Cobain, Enda did try to “rock out” a bit at the end with Bruce Springsteen’s The Rising — a theme song borrowed from Barack Obama which proved a more successful steal from the US campaign than a bizarre attempt to repeat the president-elect’s call and response rhetorical elegance.