We take it back, writes Kathy Sheridan in Portlaoise. Yesterday, Fine Gael recognised the folly of rip-off press conferences and put on a 40-minute value-for-money show that had even the most cynical hacks resembling farmers spotting bargains at a mart, leaning forward, ears cocked, eyes squinting.
The creeping fatigue of Tuesday's wreck on the deck had dissipated. Yep, the lads up on the platform were beginning to look like The Men. Real contenders. The more exquisitely telepathic FFers might have experienced a chilly prickle of apprehension.
Some, including Enda, had demonstrated serious stamina the night before (as least as good as Bertie's), behaving like proper Irish politicians and gracing the bar 'till 4am, singing songs, telling stories and being a tad angsty about what the other shower might have in store for them.
The worry is that FG/Labour synergy could spark an explosion of Harry Potter magic, but the other crowd would still somehow contrive to buy the election.
One senior deputy agonised over the €15 billion worth of SSIAs due to hit the country well within living memory of even the doziest voter come the next election, not to mention the estimated 1.5 billion of that that could revert to a gleeful Government in VRT taxes, etc. How could the FFers, bursting with cunning stunts like that, not look good? The media were accusing FG of being all mouth and no policies, but if they came up with the most brilliantly creative policies in history now, the other shower would just pick them apart and use them to batter poor Fine Gael - or they'd just re-package them and steal them. See? Can't win.
Long lead-ins give FF a chance to flash the cash and spin to win.
"Fine Gael does better at snap elections," sighed the FGer.
Well, they might need 30 seats and Labour might need to up its game dramatically, but the FG top cats were not pretending to be upbeat yesterday.
They were upbeat and no mistake.
Some of the lads on the podium - Enda, Richard Bruton, Dr Liam Twomey, Tom Hayes and a droll Phil Hogan - might have been operating on four hours' sleep but they were wide awake, assured and even amusing.
The tempering of the rather shrill optimism of the past made their performance all the more convincing.
It was evident in Phil Hogan's gentle jibe at the media for wondering what planet he was on last year when he said FG would be hunting 60 seats; it was starting to look credible, he hoped we noticed.