Michael D's all right, say the kids, as Gallagher talks himself down

ANOTHER DAY, another presidential forum.

This one was interesting, because the audience voted before the discussion began and then again after the talking finished.

Closeted in a lecture theatre in what used to be the old UCD, the young people who came to hear and question the candidates were unaware of Saturday’s breaking news: that one of the five hopefuls before them had just rocketed to the top of the poll rankings.

Having heard what the quintet had to say (Dana and Gay Mitchell were no-shows and consigned to the bracket of irrelevancy by the crowd) would any of them change their minds? Would the attraction that propelled one of their guest speakers way ahead of the pack work its magic on the 200 or so in the auditorium?

The event was organised by the national youth organisation SpunOut.ie, which aims to “engage and empower” young people by encouraging them to take action to bring about positive personal and social change in their lives.

“Forty per cent of the population is aged under 30, so the president needs to engage with young people at every level, whether or not they vote” said Ruairí McKiernan, founder of SpunOut.ie. He was “very disappointed” by Gay Mitchell’s decision not to attend, particularly as he had been given three months notice of the event and left it to the day before to say he wouldn’t be taking part. “I think that says a lot.” And Dana, he said, couldn’t be tracked down. In truth, nobody missed them. That says a lot too.

“Anybody who isn’t running for president, please go to the left!” urged the organisers, trying to usher the energetic audience into the lecture hall, or “The Office of Non-Compliance” as the room has been styled for the Dublin Contemporary exhibition running in the Earlsfort terrace building.

Ironic, given that non-compliance is a thing all the candidates are eager to avoid. They are striving to be non-controversial, non-confrontational and non-committal (unless it’s something we all humbly agree upon) while fully conforming to the requirement that they should be terribly nice.

So while “the young people” might want to rock the vote, the oldsters – Seán Gallagher at a sprightly 49 is the baby – are determined not to rock the boat.

At the outset, one suspected Norris and Higgins might have an advantage, given that they are lecturers and would feel more at ease in the academic setting.

That’s not to say the other three are strangers to public speaking.

Mary Davis has addressed innumerable conferences, Martin McGuinness has shared platforms with Nelson Mandela and Gallagher has a career in motivational speaking.

So naturally, the young people had high hopes. What they got, by and large, was the same old, same old. Only one, Michael D, managed to make his message sound fresh and different. This was down to an injection of passion, an exuberance of language and a celebration of thought, more than it was a departure from the established presidential line.

The audience a glimpse of the missing Michael D – the fiery speaker as opposed to non-threatening avuncular old buffer.

Martin McGuinness performed solidly – but his lines are becoming too familiar. He looked unsettled and came across as a little testy, as if the relentless questioning about his past is getting to him.

Responding to a question on whether he felt cross about media coverage, he was "absolutely" not pleased with the attitude of the Dublin media. And the questions he was asked in the recent Prime Timedebate were "unfair". Mary Davis said she wasn't too pleased either, while David Norris repeated a threat made earlier in the week that if he doesn't win, some people "will bloody soon find out how I feel". Michael D wasn't cross, then added with a smile: "But I will be recommending a period of reflection". Gallagher maintained his pious distance: "I'm not cross, I'm disappointed with the tone of the debate".

Mary Davis came in for a couple of haymakers when she was asked twice if she was in favour of airbrushing images, with particular reference to her own posters.

To hoots of laughter and disbelieving snorts, she insisted that her youthful, hourglass appearance on the posters was down to good make-up, hair-styling, lighting and photography. There had been no digital enhancement.

The photoshop generation didn’t believe her.

Norris, like Michael D, got a noisy and warm response. The young people clearly liked him and they didn’t doubt his credentials in the area of human rights. They got a great kick out of his knockabout, bellowing, music-hall style.

There was a connection, but was he presidential enough?

To Gallagher – the self-proclaimed young, fresh, dynamic face of this election. Youth work, voluntary work, positivity, job creation looking to the future, and the future lies in employment.

There is a touch of Enda Kenny and the Five-Point Plan about Gallagher. Why change? It didn’t do Enda any harm.

“I believe that there is nobody else in this race that understands enterprise,” said Seán, pledging he would bring trade, tourism and foreign direct investment to Ireland. (To do that, he’ll have to move into Government Buildings.) Mary Davis, who ran the Special Olympics, looked at him, askance, from the end of the table. Michael D’s face was a picture, eyebrows arched in amused incredulity.

David Norris had enough. “How many jobs have you created, Seán?” “A hundred jobs, myself,” came the reply.

Norris pointed out that with Bloomsday, he brought in jobs and tourists to the country.

“And there were a few created in the film industry as well,” murmured Michael D, referring to his time as minister for arts.

But Seán’s hard-sell is employment. He sounds like he’s after Micheál Martin’s job, not the presidency. “The real challenge, in terms of what is relevant, is to create the economic circumstances to give everybody an opportunity to have work, and I’m absolutely focused to deliver that.” Unlike the other four, who presumably don’t want more job creation.

The 45 minutes passed quickly. Did anybody change their opinion after what they heard? On the way in, here’s how they voted: Michael D Higgins: 29; David Norris: 25; Seán Gallagher: 24; Martin McGuinness: 14; Mary Davis: 8.

Afterwards, the votes were cast thus: Michael D Higgins: 47; David Norris: 19; Martin McGuinness: 15; Seán Gallagher: 14; Mary Davis: 5.

Back out in the world, the Sunday Business Postpoll conducted nationally had Sean Gallagher streaking 18 points ahead of Michael D Higgins and the rest of the field trailing badly.

Going by the youth forum, Gallagher’s camp should keep him smiling and meeting the people and away from debates. Higgins’s people will have to risk it and set free some of the real Michael D.