Five more years for Bertie Ahern: Saturday AM

If one was under any doubt about Bertie Ahern’s current hatred of the media it was clearly on view for those who stayed up late to watch his television interview with RTE’s Mark Little.
Some of his feelings about the Press are entirely understandable, given some of the things that were written and said about Fianna Fail during the campaign. A few of them are, undoubtedly, right.
But his charge that they were dishonestly made “in return for good pay and expenses” is unworthy of him. And it is deeply, bloody offensive to the vast numbers of reporters, who might make a million mistakes a day, but who do not go around telling lies.
Let us look back for a moment. What was wrong about the coverage. Firstly, not all media reported everything in the same way. Secondly, much of it centred around the reportage of opinion polls.
The early ones were negative for Fianna Fail. Few doubted their general accuracy. Fianna Fail argued, but there was nobody in FF at the start of the campaign telling anyone that they were on 41%.
Therefore, opinions change, as they often do during elections. However, the Taoiseach is making the mistake that because people report an favourable opinion poll - and not everybody reports all of them as enthusiasticallly - then they must be an enemy.
So what else did the media do wrong? It questioned Ahern and others about the financing of his house. Clearly, he is still furious about that, though why he believes it is not a matter worthy of investigation is strange.
If this happened anywhere else it would be the subject of questions. Anywhere else. But the fact that questions are being asked does not mean that the people asking the questions are party to a conspiracy.
Let us imagine for a moment that there was a conspiracy. Just for a moment. The conspirators conspire and the target rises eight points in the polls. Is somebody seriously that the conspirators would come back for a second bite? Would you?
No matter how many times Fianna Fail, or, indeed, other politicians are told, they continue to insist on believing that all journalists are partisan, and biased. Most other parties believe the same thing when they are under the cosh, so there’s no real difference, there.
Certainly, a few of them are. But the vast majority of us do not care enough about them to be biased. Politicians are characters upon the stage. They come, they go. The reporters remain, and report.
Though final figures are not yet in, Fianna Fail has undoubtedly produced one of the most extraordinary results in the long history of the party. They will get 78, according to predictions this morning.
It could have been even better, but it now leaves open the possibility of a pact with the Greens, though that will be harder to achieve now following the lamented loss of the Greens’ Cork South Central, Dan Boyle.
Since he is close to 80, Mr Ahern might try to repeat the 1997 minority administration, which depended on loyal support from four Independents, but that could be a bit more difficult to organise this time. Still, nothing is impossible.
Jackie Healy Rae will be back, as will Beverly Flynn, while Michael Lowry, though formerly of a Fine Gael-hue, could be brought into a loose tent.
The Greens’ National Conference would have to meet to approve the opening of the negotiations, let alone agreeing to a deal, and it would then have to come back for a final verdict.
A lot of Independent ex-Fianna Fail “gene pool” TDs have disappeared after one of the toughest days in Irish politics, particularly people like Paddy McHugh.
However, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern could look at people like Dublin North Central’s Finian McGrath if he survives battle with Fianna Fail’s Ivor Callely.
The departure of Progressive Democrats’ Michael McDowell from the world of politics will be regretted by many, if only for the endless stream of excitement that he brought to the business frequently.
Though hated by many in the world outside Leinster House, most inhabitants of said building - even if they disagreed with him fundamentally - actually rather like him, even if they would not want this fact known too publicly.
He is often guilty of rash judgement, but those close to him insisted tonight that his decision was final. Mary Harney, presumably, will now resume the role of leadership, one that she only relinquished six months ago. Noel Grealish will hardly want the job.
FF ministers have all produced fine performances. Dick Roche’s success in Wicklow and Martin Cullen’s showing in Waterford will do much to enhance the chances of both of them staying on in the Cabinet, regardless of their lack of popularity.

ends