Smearing Sean Gallagher has propelled him towards Irish presidency

Posted on Tuesday, October 25, 2011 at 08:56 AM

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Presidential contender Sean Gallagher

Sean Gallagher has risen from the bottom to favorite to become Ireland's next president when the country goes to the polls on Thursday. A few weeks ago he was so far out of it that some in the media were wondering why he didn't just pack it in. He was a 'no-hoper.'

So what happened?

A couple of the other candidates self-destructed, but in early October Labour's Michael D Higgins seemed to have an insurmountable lead. He hasn't really put a foot wrong since.

So what happened?

A month ago Gallagher was virtually unknown. He had made something of a name for himself on a television program, but politically he was unheard of. There have been many debates - I've lost count - in the interim, but nobody could argue that Gallagher's performances have been so astoundingly good that they're the reason he's gone from last to first. If anything, the more Gallagher appears on television the more 'iffy' his prospects seem.
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So what happened!?

He got 'smeared' that's what happened. The media and the opposition parties went to town on him for ... wait for it ... having been associated with the Fianna Fáil party.

Fianna Fáil, if you don't know, dominated Irish politics from the early 30s until this year's election. In February's election Fianna Fáil got 17% of the vote, easily their worst ever performance. In fact, I don't think Fianna Fáil will ever recover. For a real measure of how damaged the Fianna Fáil brand is watch the results from the by-election also being held on Thursday.

The party may be finished, but that doesn't mean that the 40% of the population that voted for them necessarily believes that anyone who was associated with the party in the past is so damaged that they cannot be President of Ireland.

That's what makes this attack campaign so ridiculous. It's one thing to denounce those who were in charge, who were ultimately responsible for bringing the nation down, but it's another to lump in everyone else who ever touched the party.

Now those people have their backs up and whereas early in the campaign they may not have known who Sean Gallagher was, now they know: "He's one of us and they say we're not fit to be president."

This sort of thing happens regularly in Ireland. You'd think the media and the political elitists would learn. When "one of us" is attacked it doesn't matter what they say about him/her, "we vote for our own."

The dumbest thing the political elitists and the media - and they are almost all entirely in the tank for the Labour candidate - did was to point out to the average Fianna Fáil person that Gallagher was "one of us." When he gets the keys to the Presidential Palace - Áras an Uachtaráin - on Friday he should thank the sneering elitists for all their help.

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DaddyMac22 | Nov 09, 2011, 05:20 AM EST

"When he gets the keys to the Presidential Palace - Áras an Uachtaráin - on Friday he should thank the sneering elitists for all their help."<\i>
<\br> chuckle...Yank, you continuously amaze at how you miss the point so often. We didn't elect this schmuck because he was incredibly corrupt. Somehow, you couldn't see that.

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Newrone | Oct 30, 2011, 09:00 AM EDT

What do I think about this?

... "When he gets the keys to the Presidential Palace - Áras an Uachtaráin - on Friday he should thank the sneering elitists for all their help." Quite amusing, to be honest, all that egg on your face.

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funTzus | Oct 29, 2011, 06:33 AM EDT

How did you manage to call it so wrong?! By the 25th it was clear to anyone with eyes that Gallagher was dead as disco. For someone trying to peddle this all knowing ex-pat thing you really don't have your ear to the ground.

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Fergananim | Oct 28, 2011, 08:26 PM EDT

Okay, Yank, who should we have voted for?

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mastersonjp | Oct 28, 2011, 12:57 PM EDT

Martin McGuinness did like Gallagher collectng money for Fianna Fail. If he had a gun and demanded the money provo style McGuinness would have been impressed

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antoman | Oct 25, 2011, 07:04 PM EDT

Sit down to dinner with Gallagher and you had better have five grand in an envelope. Them is costly spuds.

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Johnnyclash | Oct 25, 2011, 03:13 PM EDT

Surprise surprise another liar to fool the masses.

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Towngate | Oct 25, 2011, 02:04 PM EDT

Hi Yank. Last night's debate was a disgrace. Mainly because there seems to have been some collusion by RTE to fatally wound Gallagher. The disgusting Pat Kenny should not have allowed McGuinness to 'spring' the phone call he had from the Diesel man and certainly RTE should not have allowed Kenny to quote the Tweet which totally unsettled Gallagher and which has since been revealed as a Hoax! Sorry,Yank - but bet your bottom dollar Séan will not win. Our only consolation being that McGuinness won't either! The big loser last night was Broadcasting integrity!

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TheYank | Oct 25, 2011, 12:41 PM EDT

ballindaggin

Well, I actually wrote that before last night's debate, but I still think Gallagher will win, but I guess we'll see.

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ballindaggin | Oct 25, 2011, 11:09 AM EDT

You really are totally off the mark on this one Yank.Gallagher was on top but after last nights debate it looks like he has been exposed for the imposter that he really is.God bless Fainna Fail and all who sail in her, for they are doomed.

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hollabackgurl | Oct 25, 2011, 08:46 AM EDT

If by 'sneering elitists' you mean 'informed voters' then yes, I do think they will now not vote for Gallagher.

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