Cowen’s real problem

WHILE those in the proverbial smoke-filled rooms cogitate about the future of Brian Cowen as Taoiseach they ought to understand nobody can successfully hold that office until he or she has won a general election.

Cowen does not have the mandate of the electorate to hold the office of Taoiseach and until he earns that mandate he is like the holder of a provisional driver’s licence — authorised to conduct the office but with very compromised empowerment. That is the primary reason for his low popularity in opinion polls.

If the FF parliamentary party think they can run candidates in and out of the office of Taoiseach to radiate their transient political mood they had better realise their next selection may have the wisdom of Solomon and the virtues of a saint, but if that candidate does not promptly make a case directly to the electorate his or her legitimacy as Taoiseach will be very shortlived and severely compromised.