Sometimes, you do have to wonder about democracy. Winston Churchill is quoted as saying it was “the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time …”. Not his most pithy phrase.
Democracy gave us Hitler, and Netanyahu, and Trump. Twice! And it gave us 15 would-be presidents of Ireland at a county council meeting I attended last month. Not one received a nomination, and proper order too!
Included was an activist of “the motherhood, apple pie, peace and love the poor” variety. She should have been at the Rose of Tralee. Another detailed his sad mental health history, which, it might be suggested, is necessary in anyone entering public life these days. Yet another was so hard of hearing all questions had to be repeated in his ear by the Cathaoirleach.
One woman’s strongest pitch was her firm belief she “would be an excellent president”, while another insisted councillors ignore the bad things said about her, indicating they should, well, “ ... accentuate the positive/eliminate the negative”.
RM Block
Best of all was the would-be-president who utterly lost her cool as her online presentation clashed with another she had arranged for a separate county council. “The whole country needs to look at this,” she said. Eventually, she calmed down and spoke about “dignity in our democracy”.
A separate online candidate had to be shut down as, against guidelines, he repeatedly named public figures in connection with his favourite grievances and despite repeated warnings from the Cathaoirleach.
Our democracy dictates that every Tom, Dick and Harriet, many with immense delusions of grandeur, should be allowed take the council route towards nomination for the presidency. On paper this is laudable, in practice it can be a farce, better suited to good comedy or satire than the serious business of selecting a head of state.
On the plus side it was also democracy that delivered the relevant county councillors in last year’s local elections. Their sanity, courtesy and patience was impressive before this parade of would-be “primus inter pares” of us all, not least their polite applause for contenders at the end of each presentation, however ludicrous.
Such good manners and sound judgement on their part was also a credit to those who elected them in 2024.
[ The Irish Times view on presidential nominations: Too narrow a fieldOpens in new window ]
Democracy, from Greek dēmokratia for “government by the people”.
