Thankfully, if the opinion polls are accurate, McGuinness is no-where in contention. To paraphrase Garret Fitzgerald, he is of flawed pedigree.

For me this has been a truly dispiriting election campaign. Not a single candidate with any presidential stature at all. Like the Republican line-up in the U.S., if this is the best we can do it speaks volumes to what we've become - on both sides of the Atlantic. At least, as I predicted in these pages, the country seems likely to soundly reject Martin McGuinness. With his odds plummeting from 2 to 1 to 25 to 1, it looks like sanity, common sense and simple human decency has again taken hold.

Amazing - the production of the different videos - we have: A well-lit Mr Mitchell sitting uncomfortably at the end of the table - shh ignore the empty chairs. Ms Davis placed on right of the picture, practically in the dark. Mr Higgins again badly lit, looking like a favourite granddad popping in for his pension. As for Mr Norris why was it necessary to include a well-endowed lady in the picture. Mr McGuinness apparently being interviewed in either the emergency exit or the well shaft. Maybe Dana was sensible to give it a “pass” after all. Then instinctively my hand went to the volume control lest the National Anthem would blast out and disturb the whole house as the Tri-colour bedecked Mr Gallaher in full Presidential pose came into view. As my knowledge is from a few years in Press photography (or should I say USE of press photography) I will ignore what my stop watch was saying about the 30 second limitation on questions! Tut tut - and I almost missed the Halloween pic on the right - topped the bill there?

number 1 - watch and learn - which one has the interests of erin at heart. McGuinness is the only one for the job - such name recognition and backing from across the globe is priceless. The sheep may not understand the power of such a BRAND. His competition are simply well entrenched with the parties who sent erin spiralling down and down and down, with no end in sight. Without the courage to even be a one's own person what has the elf, baldy, queenly, dumpy, hound dog, and missing toother bring to the table.

Thanks ICentral but I haven’t bothered to watch the vids as I’m already up to the neck in the ‘soap opera’ here in Ireland. The quality of all the candidates for the Office of President is not great (not entirely bad either) and its only by a process of elimination, starting with McGuinness at No. 7, Norris at No. 6 and Higgins at No 5 that I will mark my voting slip. How I decide on the others has yet to happen. None of the Seven are Magnificent in my view.