FG doesn’t need a better basher as leader – it needs a policy showcase

FORMER US President Harry Truman once explained: “My choice early in life was either to be a piano player in a whorehouse or a politician. To tell the truth, there’s hardly any difference. I, for one, believe the piano player job to be much more honourable than current politicians.”

Truman has gone down in history as one of the best presidents, even though he was the most unpopular leaving office. He did not try to be popular; he tried to be right.

In a domestic conext, can anyone say what Fine Gael stands for now? The party’s idea of a good leader is somebody who bashes Fianna Fáil, whether right or wrong. That has appeal within the party, but it has never translated into electoral appeal.