Constant stream of presidential debates beginning to feel like 'Groundhog Day'

Last year's general election saw just two broadcast debates. The presidential election has already seen five debates, and there's over a week to go

Irish presidential candidates Catherine Connolly, and Heather Humphreys prior to the start of the first presidential debate on 'The Tonight Show', at Virgin Media Television Studios in Dublin, on Sunday, October 12. Picture: Niall Carson/PA

Any moment now, I'm going to punch Ned Ryerson.

Ryerson, the overly-familiar insurance salesman is one of the consistent warning signs that Bill Murray's character Phil Connors in 1993 comedy classic Groundhog Day is reliving the same 24 hours over and over again.

If you are unfamiliar with the film — and you really shouldn't be — as Connors comes to terms with his place in an infinite time loop, he realises there are no consequences for his actions and, in one iteration of his life reliving February 2 over and over, decides to dispense with the small talk and simply punches his former classmate rather than replay their interaction.

Now, while I'm fairly sure the days have changed over the last number of weeks, the number of presidential debates and big media interviews would really make you wonder if a fedora-wearing insurance salesman isn't waiting around the corner for you to plonk your foot in an icy puddle.

While last year's general election saw a number of secondary and constituency debates, there were just two broadcast debates — an unwieldy but entertaining 10-way leaders' affair and a three-way battle between the leaders of the bigger parties. 

This time around, there have already been five debates, and there's over a week to go, in which there will be two more. Add on top of that, big interviews — both Catherine Connolly and Heather Humphreys have done four apiece, with three more on deck — podcasts, newspaper interviews, and local radio, and it's easy to feel as though you're stuck in an infinite loop of the same six questions.

I understand that people like me are not the target audiences for all of those media appearances. I am paid to listen and watch and dissect those events, and I do so nobly and humbly in service of the Irish Examiner readers. But as Connolly and Humphreys headed to Marconi House on Dublin's Digges Lane on Tuesday morning for yet another showdown, there was a question of just how revelatory it might be. 

Sparring match

The Newstalk bulletin right before the debate kicked off billed it as "the first stand-up debate" of the slate and, to be fair, it was nice to see the candidates upright, but it was host Pat Kenny who probably sparked the most life into what was the liveliest sparring match between the two women to date. Not that that is a high bar.

Introducing the pair, it was clear that the veteran broadcaster had tired of the previous iterations and made a point to remind both the Galway TD and the former minister that this was, in fact, a debate, and not a series of talking points to be rattled off at will. He encouraged the pair to interject, to actually debate. Imagine that. 

The problem was that Kenny seemed to occasionally take that instruction himself, jumping in to press for answers or make counterpoints. It wasn't necessarily textbook moderating, but it gave the debate some of the needle the previous iterations have lacked, even if his questions felt esoteric at times. 

From spending 10 minutes establishing where both candidates stood on Michael D Higgins seeking a second term after saying he wouldn't, to asking the question “The Áras. 130 acres. Too much?”, it was vintage Kenny.

With just 10 days to go, this debate was noticeable for the level of engagement and criticism both sides levelled at each other. It wasn't caustic or toxic by any stretch, but the gloves are being tugged at, if not removed.

Sticking points

For both candidates, the sticking points came on issues which continue to hang around, largely due to the fact that the debates are an infinite loop. 

For Humphreys, who turned in a somewhat improved performance, it was the family of Shane O’Farrell rejecting her assertionthat she had done all that she could for them.

The 23-year-old died in August 2011. He was cycling home when he was struck by a car driven by Zigimantas Gridziuska, near Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan. At the time, Gridziuska was on bail in connection with a number of separate incidents.

Humphreys was the family’s local TD and said she was “sorry if [Lucia O’Farrell] thinks I didn’t do enough”.

“I actually counted one day, this is a good while ago, I think I got somewhere in the region of 25,000 representations during my term as a TD, and I did my best for everybody, and I’m sorry if some people think I didn’t do enough.”

Kenny queried if "sorry ifs" were good enough.

For Connolly, it was the hiring of Ursula Ní Sheonnain, which continues to be a millstone around her campaign's neck and one on which Humphreys landed a strong blow.

“You wouldn’t invite a bank robber in to run a bank,” she said.

In the end, no knockout punches were landed, but it feels like there's an infinite number of rounds to go.