On the front page of The Irish Independent yesterday was a large picture of Bertie Ahern watching the Manchester Utd. V Arsenal game in 3D in a pub. While inside Brian Cowen is being bashed as per usual. Will we be as kind to BIFFO, as he was dubbed, when he finishes up? Now I am not for a moment claiming to be a fan of our current Taoiseach or his decisions but it just seems that, at least in the media, blame for our bleak financial time isn’t being equally shared.
I am no expert on politics and probably never will be but even from my limited knowledge of the political and economic goings on of Ireland in the last few years I am baffled by how Bertie Ahern has become an almost a loveable character in the eyes of the Irish Media.
Again, forgive me for my basic level of understanding but isn’t Cowen just attempting to fix the mess brought on by Bertie and the backlash of the Celtic Tiger? Maybe not in the most efficient or successful of ways but trying none the less. Yet Bertie is still appearing on TV shows and writing for sports pages and still earning over 98,000 Euro as a TD, according to the Independant.
No one seems to remember the tribunal or the accusations of less than above board goings on while Mr Ahern was in office. I know he got his fair share of bad press while in office but the nation, well the Irish media rather, seem all too forgiving.It’s as though he has become Irelands crazy old uncle Bertie, doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing but sure, you have to laugh at him.
Now I know Bertie had his own achievements with the peace process among other things however, this is the same man who apparently spent thousands on make up for appearences while in office. The man caught up in many a scandal after his resignation. It just seems as though people have short memories and it goes to show how fickle the media is and how they love you one day and hate you the next, the nature of the beast.
Perhaps if after his time in charge Cowen gets a sudden burst of charisma he’ll be given a rest by the media. It can be safely said that while Ireland is still in tough times and as long as he’s the man in charge Brian Cowen won’t being seeing any pleasant headlines anytime soon.
Nobody’s friends with the boss Brian.
JM
So true, Janna. Bertie is smarter than we give him credit for-he deliberately puts on the act as 'the man down the road', 'your fellow Man United supporter' or 'the friendly chap on the street', as he knows this appeals to the Irish mindset. Yet, I've never noticed 'the man down the road' or 'the fellow Man United supporter' spend thousands of taxpayers money on keeping up their physical appearances... DC
ReplyDeleteI'm sick of people perpetuating this image of Bertie Ahern as a "lovable rogue". For some reason the Irish public will forgive Bertie anything, and I confused as to why this is.
ReplyDeleteAH
I think Brian Cowen has been slandered for not being able to do the impossible. He came in at the worst time where he had to pick up the pieces of Bertie's mess and there is too many pieces for one man to clean up.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why the media don't realise he took the fall for Bertie's blunders and why Bertie is portrayed as a glorified ex-leader.
However, I disagree that Bertie did not know what he was doing. He knew precisely what was coming, he saw that the pile of dirt he created was reaching its peak and he got out before it fell on him.
Even though he is a crook you've got to admire his cunning and his wit to shift the eye of the media away from him. It was his charisma that branded him a loveable rogue and this is what Brian Cowen lacks and this is why no-one likes him. Hopefully, people will see that he is trying his best even if he has a very dull way of showing it!
SOS