Having watched the Late Late debate, I thought I’d share a few quick thoughts on each of the candidates.
Gay Mitchell
– Strong and confident in most of his answers.
– But, not much time to answer due to the speedy Gonzalez approach from “Tubs”, but he did seem to have them.
– That being said, he didn’t get many difficult questions.
Martin McGuinness
– As always, he was ultra defensive throughout.
– He can’t pronounce the word “situation”.
– The constant talk about Sinn Fein’s wage policy does not change the dodginess.
– He is misrepresenting the power of the office and what he could achieve if elected.
– Tubs really didn’t like him.
Mary Davis
– Boy, she waffled a lot.
– She was on 23 state/semi-state boards!?
– She claimed a lack of legal experience was not a weakness. Umm….
– Did you know Mary Davis was involved with Special Olympics Ireland? Because she seemed to shoehorn that in to every answer.
Dana
– She really went hard for the anti-EU crowd.
– Her comments bordered on hysterical at times.
– Just very very not good.
Sean Gallagher
– Quite effective in his message.
– I liked his emphasis on job creation and enterprise and I felt he argued successfully how the President could help with it.
– “Tubs” acted like an ass towards him, trying to treat him like the joke candidate.
Michael D. Higgins
– Very vague and general in all of his answers and ideas. A very distinct lack of specifics.
– He looked very stiff and uncomfortable in the chair. His age is an issue, whether he like it nor not.
– Of course Higgins knows the in’s and out’s of the office, I would expect nothing less of a Presidential candidate! He gets nothing for claiming that.
David Norris
– He tried to turn every answer into an inspirational speech, which came off horribly.
– No other candidate is as good at evading questions.
– Very weak. Are the wheels coming of the bus?
Combined with the news regarding Mary Davis’ income from those state boards, which I cannot deem acceptable in a Presidential candidate, this debate has made me reconsider certain choices. Davis came off badly, while Gallagher and Mitchell impressed me. In fact, I would say Gallagher was the best of the seven. Even Mitchell is beginning to make an effect on me.
Right now, there are four candidates that will be getting preferences – Higgins, Davis, Gallagher and Mitchell – from me, but I am undecided as to the order.
