All kinds of everything will make for dirty race
Martin McGuinness v Dana may look like a walk-over on paper for the former IRA commander, but let’s not forget songstress Rosemary Scallon has done some giant killing in her time — like when she blew away the much fancied Julio Iglesias in the 1970 Eurovision final.
Both Derry natives also share a knack for convenient political vagueness when the occasion suits.
McGuinness insists he left the IRA in 1973, but has never really explained why. Presumably if that did happen, there had to be a reason — it’s not like letting your gym membership lapse.
That notoriously dark Derry humour is also sceptical about the claim, as Foylesiders find it curious that McGuinness was the only man to leave the Provos after Bloody Sunday when there was such a strong stream of recruitment coming the other way.
Obviously, Dana has more mundane questions to answer, but she still struggled to offer a convincing reply to the most basic of all when called on to explain what she stood for in the presidential race.
While not quite offering the “snowdrops and daffodils” of All Kinds Of Everything, Dana came damn close when she summed up her platform as one of “love and respect”.
Presumably, she will not have to face the wrath of a pro-hate and disrespect candidate in the race for the Áras. But she does have a right old battle on her hands to get the nominations she needs to reach the ballot paper, and as she has left her entry into the race a mere eight days before the deadline, some pundits are wondering just how serious Scallon is about the whole thing.
Most famous politically for her strident anti-abortion views and opposition to European integration offered in treaties like Nice One, Dana was desperately trying to present a less combative and divisive image yesterday as she fished for nominations in a rapidly depleting pool of votes.
The emergence of McGuinness as a serious candidate has electrified the race and puts contenders like Dana, Mary Davis, Sean Gallagher and even David Norris on the defensive to prove they are not just frivolous sideshows the democratic process can no longer afford to indulge.
Such a fragmented field means that it is not impossible for McGuinness to come through the pack and win — an alarming thought for Fine Gael, which will now energise and mobilise around its lack-lustre candidate Gay Mitchell in a way it has noticeably failed to do so far.
However, as Mitchell is considered right wing, even by Fine Gael standards, it is far from certain he would get the transfers needed for victory — which leaves Labour’s Michael D Higgins in the best position as, even though the Shinners will eat into his first preferences, the Big D should emerge as the most acceptable second choice for many.
Add to that the increasingly limelight- junkie antics of Norris and the implosion of Fianna Fáil and we are heading for that most traditional of Irish presidential elections — a really dirty one.
