2.19.2006
After an insane week of actual work, dipping in and out of news yielded but the bare bones of political coverage. How in the name of (nondescript divine entity) does this qualify for coverage? Ok I get that both the political correspondents and Sean himself were outwinked by the master of winks and nods, indeed by the sounds of it Haughey may have been led to get his hoped up. In the end Bertie appointed someone else. This is NOT a shock, the guys cabinet arithmatic is never going to be predictable nor understood.
Saint has it right, not for the first time, the guy is taking this opportunity to grandstand, knowing full well that a bit of grandstanding is the only real key to getting a promotion next time round. You only qualify by bleating louder than the other maligned backbench TDs who dont fit the electoral math and/or have the right story.
Some of the best work pol cors could churn out this week was a sob story for some guy who didnt get a promotion, kicked up a fuss and didnt leave. He didnt leave because he is up there for the next promotion. An honest assesment of this "saga" would tell politically interested readers that on a grand scale this matters not one jot. The government will not fall, policy won't chage and we will hear little from Haughey near-term. Policy in the department affected is unlikely to get altered much. Overall this has little or no seismic impact. Yet for some reason the job of scrutinising government/political discourse is dominated by this non-story.
Personality politics is a fact of life, it sells more papers, ads or whatever. This really is scraping the barrel though, there are hardly any personalities to speak of.
[aaahhhh that feels much better.]
RR
Categories: Irishpolitics, Media, Comment, Venting
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