The Dangers of The Power Play

No surprise that there is much space devoted in the Sunday’s to crystal ball gazing. With the Dail rising last week until mid-september there is an inevitable looking forward to the beginning of the campaign in earnest. What is striking is the consensus which is building around the nature of the campaign.

Admittedly both Pat Leahy and Backbencher write for the Business Post but the clear message from both of them is not to expect a policy-heavy election next year. Leahy conjectures that 2007 will be the most spin-dominated election in history. A true postmodern exercise in appearance over reality. The electorate will be swayed by negative campaigning, cunning phrases and a few policy commitments. Its not just them, Gerry O Quigley, Simon McGarr and others on this site have all expressed a deep discomfort with the prosecution of politics in the run up to next year.

There are, as I see it, two clear and distinct dangers in the prosecution of brand and appearance politics over the more fundamental debate on issues.

1) The disengagement of voters. Voters are falling away with every single election. Less and less of Irish citizens exercise their right to vote. Of coures the reasons are as varies as the people who dont vote. You can bet however that when the issues of politics are not motivating the citizenry then all other issues which come into conflict with voting shall win out. When the importance of politics is undermined in the eyes of the public they would prefer to spend their time elsewhere than at the polling booth or making their decisions.

To this extent it is almost a truism to state that the further retreat of our parties from the front line of poltical conflict is giving in to voter apathy. The political parties which spend most of their time pursuing power via personal attacks, policy light agendas and public engagment more becoming of Dickie Rock than Dick Roche are effectively accepting the notion that politics isn’t really for voters.

They are making the hard headed decision that their short term interests are better served winning a popularity contest than deepening and strengthening democracy and politics in this country. Perhaps it coincides with the growing numbers of young people and changes in work and socia practices but that doesnt make it right. Parties ought to act out of loyalty to democratic principles as much as out of a desire for power. Indeed their main purpose should be to synthesise both. It should not be an either or situation to chose between democratic prinicples or power.

By giving up for dead those who dont vote currently or have little inclination to vote, the parties are focussing on a more exclusive group who will be giving direction to the whole country. Some might say that is the fault of those who do not vote and perhaps there is truth in that. BUt democracy is a symbiotic relationship between rulers and ruled. Those who rule have a responsibility to keep the public engaged and informed on the matters of state. Thus at election time we are fully aware of what is at stake.

In this country what is at stake is incresingly power and office. No longer do parties descend to the notion of ideals, direction and-perhaps-progress. They are content to offer us the opportunity to shuffle the deck and that ought to suffice. Tony Benn was fond of pointing out that a politician who doesnt act out of a belief they are changing society for the better is only interested in polls and so we have it here today. We are heading into 2007 to choose between different suits and ties. What lies behind these men (and they are invariably men) is the same desire to get into office. Beyond that they arent really saying.

When they come to your door, ask them why they want office.

2) The policy light electioneering, dominated as it is by focus groups and populist pronouncements is likely to play into the hands of one or two parties. The clearest victor is Sinn Fein. Sinn Fein have managed to marry a hardcore leftwing base to a hardcore nationalist/republican base. The party is content to fight on left-wing and republican policies and do ok. If the main parties arent careful, their short-termism sacrificing policy at the altar of power may come back and bite them in the butt.

SF are content to wait in the long grass and use the next Dail to lay down their credentials as a credible left wing party. They are willing to talk from notions of ideals and direction while the others are throwing shapes (our socialist Taoiseach?). Similarly if a PD party returns to the backbenches you can be sure they will find their position at the principle end of irish politics.

The main parties have the support currently to take politics in this direction, they can be the ones to begin a moral/political dialogue on the direction of the country. They can be the ones to go beyond platitudes and demand of the electorate a clear decision on the direction of the country. If they dont then it may well benefit them in 2007, beyond that they can prepare to be slowly overtaken.

Their is a certain high-mindedness associated with advocating a deeper political engagement than PR, ads and nice phots on billboards but there is also a necessity. Voting is at the moment the key interaction between politicians and public. Its the only democratic point in our 5-year cycle of government. When we give up this final point of democracy to the few who are motivated only by power we lose the ability to govern ourselves.