No barbs for canvassers as campaign trail remains civil

Bradley Bytes – A sort of political column with Dara Bradley 

Well done to anyone canvassing for the various presidential candidates in the upcoming election.

Getting more people, especially young’uns, involved in politics and the political process can only be a good thing.

Canvassers may be getting a skewed view of the political fray, however. After all, leafleting Shop Street with Michael D Higgins’ literature is hardly taxing.

The worst that’ll happen is a polite refusal from indifferent locals or confused tourists. Not exactly ‘hot n heavy’.

Only until you’re spat at while being called a ‘faggot’ or ‘dyke’ on the doorsteps, like those canvassing during the marriage equality referendum; or labelled a baby murderer, as many women were while on the stump during the abortion referendum on the 8th Amendment of the constitution; or denounced as a traitor and worse, like those knocking on doors looking for votes for Fianna Fáil in the wake of the country’s economic Armageddon post-2008, will you know what it is truly like to canvass for votes in this country.

Shinners divided

You have to laugh at the Shinners . . . 55% of them are going to vote for Michael D Higgins, according to an opinion poll published last week.

Maybe they don’t realise they have a candidate of their own, Liadh Ní Riada, with no mention of Sinn Féin on her presidential election posters. Or is it that the ‘blonde Mary Lou’ just doesn’t appeal to Republicans, or has her fondness for the poppy on Armistice Day put them off?

For more Bradley Bytes see this week’s Galway City Tribune