THINK BIG is the watchword of James Leslie, the Ulster Unionist candidate in North Antrim. A publicity handout for his campaign is headed: "Upset for Paisley forecast in North Antrim". A DUP spokesman has a counter headline: "Pigs will fly".
The UUP candidate in 1992 was Joe Gaston, Mayor of Ballymoney and a leading local, Orangeman. The UUP standard bearer this time is not Orangeman, he is an Eton and Cambridge educated 39 year old who has a background in business and banking and comes from a well known Ballymoney farming family.
Mr Leslie's first job in 1980 was as a graduate trainee for seven months at Standard Chartered Bank in Dawson Street, Dublin. He has been in Dublin since and his impression of the southern attitude is that "they really don't want any closer association with Northern Ireland."
Although he is seen as a member of the UUP's liberal wing, he cautions that he is "most certainly not liberal in relation to the maintenance of the Union".
He says in last May's Forum elections over 38 percent of the constituency's electorate did not vote and that the outcome can be decided by these people.
Dr Paisley expressed amusement to The Irish Times yesterday about Mr Leslie's strategy of appealing to non voters to come out for the UUP. He said people stayed at home because they were so confident of a Paisley win.
"He's far from a David," he said, when the David and Goliath analogy was suggested to him. The DUP leader and Bible expert was dismissive of his opponents: "The uncircumcised dwell in the Ulster Unionist camp; the true Israelites dwell in the DUP camp."
North Antrim is of course the site of the Harryville church protests. Mr Leslie has the support of the Mayor of Ballymena, James Currie, who supports the right of Catholic parishioners to go to Mass.
The SDLP candidate, Sean Farren, received wide media exposure for his opposition to the Harryville protest and this should be reflected in an increased vote for his party. His biggest challenge will be to stay ahead of the Alliance Party - only 64 votes separated them last May. The Alliance candidate, David Alderdice, is a brother of the party leader, Lord Alderdice.
Mr James McCarry has the unenviable task of flying the Sinn Fein banner in Paisley country: the party's share of the vote increased during the Forum poll. The Women's Coalition, through their candidate, Ms Bronagh Hinds, should improve on its Forum showing of only 272 votes: this group has shown a flair for publicity that is at times reminiscent of Dr Paisley.