This has become an election about the nature of the presidency itself
What the presidency is now reduced to is a question of damage limitation. We have one candidate who is harmless. And one who has the potential to do some harm, but also the capacity to do considerable good. One option is no risk and precious little reward; the other is high risk but possibly real reward.
I keep thinking of a famous moment in American political history involving two otherwise forgettable politicians. The 1988 vice-presidential debate was between the young and bumptious Republican Dan Quayle and the grizzled old Democrat Lloyd Bentsen. Asked about his political callowness, Quayle said: “I have as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency.” Bentsen sprung the devastating reply: “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”
It’s no insult to any of the three candidates (Jim Gavin is still on the ballot paper) to look at them and say: “You’re no Mary Robinson; you’re no Mary McAleese; you’re no Michael D Higgins.” This is one bar in Irish politics that has been set pretty high. Given a choice, Irish voters have opted for 35 years now for public intellectuals who could hold any audience, at home or........
© The Irish Times
