Government’s poll slide is the result of its own insufferable arrogance

THERE seems to be some surprise at the Government’s fall in the latest public opinion poll showing Fine Gael and Labour 9% ahead of the ruling coalition of Fianna Fáil and the PDs.

The poll was taken at the beginning of the week just after the Taoiseach commanded the airwaves with a virtual media blitz on the weekend celebrating Fianna Fáil’s 80 years in existence. He had major TV and radio interviews — on Ryan Tubridy on Saturday night and the This Week programme with Gerald Barry on Sunday afternoon.

These should have given the Government a boost because Bertie Ahern is running well ahead of his party in popularity. What’s gone wrong? The Government has become a victim of its own insufferable arrogance. In the last week alone, for instance, Transport Minister Martin Cullen went missing during the rail strike, which was a bit of a first for him, because he has never been one to pass up an opportunity for publicity.