Presidential election

THE race to find Mary McAleese’s successor continues unabated. In many ways, this Presidential election trail has been handled in a disgraceful way by the political parties who have taken their eye of the ball big time by back-room misbehaviour of the kind that suggests we are possibly the “biggest eejits” in the EC.

 Now that was something we probably should have known a long time ago when we allowed German and French banks to pour money into the greed-ridden elitist run economy  - and then pull the plug to save their bondholders.

Now we’re showing our cards to the world again by allowing a group of candidates put forward their names for the Presidency – people that wouldn’t lace the boots/dainty shoes of previous holders (some) of this high office.

We have two Gays (Mitchell) and another one who has come back from a political suicide mission to demand that he be let back in the race. There are others, the names of whom escape me and everyone else in the country too, but I suppose the only one of consequence with some decent type of political record is that man Higgins (Michael D) from the west, although there is an IRA representative in the form of Martin McGuinness.

That last one (McGuinness) is a real good message to send out to big wide world - don’t ye all think?

Now that former singer Dana has intimated she would like to re-enter the race to the Aras, it seems like it’s really a case of All Kinds of Everyone  and not of Everything. That’s as good a reason as any to wonder if there should even be a President.

But then, given the track record of Mary Robinson and Mary McAleese, and their positive impact on the wider world, it’s much less objectionable to have a President than a Taoiseach!

Every single one of the candidates has their own particular reasons to be put forward for the job. But with this upcoming election, surely a lottery amongst unworthy candidates, maybe it’s time to consider the claims of a Cork mother of seven, who this week said she would run if given any backing, insisting she would make a better President than any of the candidates.

The 57 year old Mary Buckley, farmer, is not actively involved in politics and said the challenge of bringing up seven children on a small farm without a weekly wage, a medical card, health insurance or college grants gave her all the tools and experience needed to run the country.

“Ireland is broke, but I know how to live on the breadline as I have plenty of practice for the past 33 years. I never received a single penny from the state but managed to put my children through college and they were never hungry a day in their lives.

“While the crowd up in Dail Eireann were tucking into steak, we were down here eating mince.”

Is that food for thought?