SENATOR DAVID Norris has appealed to people to judge his suitability for the presidency on the basis of views he has expressed since he started campaigning for the job.
He was responding to the latest media reporting of comments he made in the past about issues like the age of consent, abortion and prostitution.
“I have a very strong track record in public life, a record of solid achievement, a record of deeds, a record also of passionate words,” said Mr Norris.
“So I stand on my deeds. I don’t think that responsible people like councillors, who have a lot of responsibilities in their local area, or my fellow TDs and Senators, would actually feel it appropriate to judge me on a couple of sensationalised headlines. I don’t think they would judge me on that. I think they would be more inclined to look at my deeds,” he said.
Mr Norris said his campaign started on March 14th of this year. While he accepted responsibility for everything he had said before that date he wanted the focus to be on the kind of presidency he was offering.
“From March 14th I have behaved like a president and I am behaving more like a president all the time. And I feel I am being drawn towards and growing into the job. What I am asking now is that the councillors and my fellow members of the Oireachtas give me the opportunity to let the people decide.” Mr Norris said that from this weekend on he was not going to be derailed into dealing with every issue raised on the media, as there was now one a day in some newspapers.
“If anybody wants to know anything about my views after that they should go to norrisforpresident.ie. Every possible question is answered there. After the weekend I am not going to be diverted.” Citing the biblical phrase “by their deeds you shall know them”, Mr Norris appealed to people to judge him on his political record.
“People have told me that the presidential campaign can get a bit difficult and things can be dug up and flung at you but you have got to show the Irish people that you can rise to that challenge with dignity.
“There were questions about the suitability of Mary Robinson, she got through that with flying colours; there were questions about the suitability of Mary McAleese, she got through that with flying colours; I anticipate and hope I will do the same,” he said.
He added that the election of the last two presidents represented a move forward for the country. “I am hoping that by being elected I will demonstrate another move forward. I will commit myself absolutely to respecting the office, as I always have done.” He said that some of the controversial things he said in the past were appropriate for that period of his life. “I don’t think anybody can challenge me on my record as a debater. Yes I was a fiery debater, I was a passionate debater. I felt keenly about the issues that I championed. That is argument and I was good at it and maybe I walked on a few toes but I am moving on now. The presidency is not an argument, it is a dialogue.
“First during the campaign it is a dialogue with the Irish people. I have been around the country over the last many weeks and I really feel I have been taken into the heart of the Irish people,” said Mr Norris.
He insisted that he had already travelled to almost every county in the country and hoped to pay repeat visits before it was over.
“If I have done nothing else I have ensured that the presidency is returned to the choice of the people and that is a major achievement for anybody.
“I don’t know what is going to come up next. I really don’t know what. I know this will derail me if I give it that attention. I am saying to people, give me an opportunity. Make your mind up. It is all out there. It’s an open book.”
He added that some people complained about politics being bland but he had always given straight answers, even if it meant that he was sometimes misquoted and had to endure inappropriate headlines.
“The great thing for me is my conscience is clear. I know I have done nothing wrong. I know I have not injured anybody. I know I have passionately stood up for the rights of the abused.”