ELECTION OPINION: Five reasons why Fine Gael's vote collapsed

Westmeath Independent editor Tadhg Carey outlines his view as to why Fine Gael conspired to lose this election nationally.

1

Where's the recovery stupid?

It may be simplistic to assume that a slogan can have such a significant impact on an election campaign.

But in this case the Fine Gael mantra of choice this election, Keep The Recovery Going, served to symbolise what for many voters appeared to be an out-of-touch government.

In many areas, there is no recovery, or if there is, it's as fragile as the broadband in the Keenagh count centre.

A touch of humility would have yielded a much more significant electoral reward. A slogan like 'Let us finish the job' would have transmitted a more voter-friendly sense of urgency, of a government that realised there was much work to do.

In contrast, the view that the already-existing recovery needed only to be kept chugging along portrayed a complacent Government resting on non-existent laurels.

2.

Arrogance and hubris

Feeding on from the last point, there was a sense that Fine Gael felt they alone knew what was best for everyone.

One political correspondent on RTE this morning spoke of a sense of Fine Gael speaking at people, rather than with people.

The assumption that people would still avoid the poisoned chalice of Fianna Fail was embedded in their campaign.

Instead of realising that it was an election that was theirs to lose and by extension to win, Fine Gael believed they already had the keys of the kingdom in the bag – but might now find the electorate has changed the locks of the palace door.

3.

Enda Kenny

It gives us no pleasure to personalise the issues, but Enda Kenny was a liability to Fine Gael in this election. At times he appeared to be straight from Geppetto school of woodenness. And like his fellow schoolmate, Pinocchio, the Taoiseach found that broken promises had a tangible and visible outcome – instead of his nose growing it was his votes slowing.

His attempts to 'get down wth the voters' are perceived as corny by many.

And the electorate whilst willing to vote Fine Gael last time, despite the Taoiseach, this time opted to avoid the party, in part because of the Taoiseach.

4

Broken promises

There was a huge groundswell of supportin 2011 for Fine Gael's vow to clean up politics, take on the Troika and impose their own democratic revolution.

And whilst the party has gone some way to reforming our political system, every act of cronyism, backtracking on promises and austerity cut was seized upon by an electorate that's increasing congenitally programmed to distrust politicians.

As the old saying goes you can't be disillusioned, if you don't have illusions. Having made such a leap of faith in the Coalition in 2011, it was inevitable the electorate would wait in the long grass to punish what was perceived by many as a Government of broken promises.

5

A nightmare election campaign

Having dragged out the calling of the election for months, the Taoiseach still managed to mangle its announcement, rushing in and out of the Dail before heading to the Aras.

And instead of running full steam into the first week of the election with the headstart usually enjoyed by an incumbent Government who has the gift of choosing the date, the Government found itself chasing its tail from the start.

Momentum is everything in politics and once it had drifted away from Fine Gael, it became almost impossible to regain, particularly as opinion poll after opinion poll began to further underline a sense of a Government that was on its way out.

Fine Gael reacted to everything during the campaign; rarely did they set the agenda.

And there was no sign in the final week of the heavy hitters, Noonan, Varadkar, Bruton seizing control and forcefully laying out their case to an electorate that was beginning to doubt the outgoing coalition more and more.