Editorial – Race to Aras will make us think

THEREâ€Ë†HASâ€Ë†NEVER been anything like it. In the staid history of Irish presidential elections, the closest we got to high drama was the gaffe perpetrated by the late Brian Lehihan which immortalised the phrase 'on mature recollection' and catapulted Mary Robinson into Aras an Uachtaráin. Now, with less than a day to go to the close of nominations, we still do not know whether we will have five, six or seven candidates. What we may be certain of is that this election to the highest office in the land will dominate our national news headlines from now until October 27. Up to 1997 the choice was among representatives of the mainstream political parties. That changed with the entry of Derek Nally and Dana Rosemary Scallon, but the excellence of Mary McAleese's performance ensured a non-election in 2004. Now we are assured of candidates representing business and the voluntary sector as well as the political parties, with the possibility of an extreme liberal, David Norris, and a conservative, Dana. And then there is the biggest talking point of them all â€â€ Sinn Féin's Martin McGuinness. His candidacy brings the weight of modern history on this island to a Republic of Ireland election in a way that has never been seen before. While one result can reasonably be predicted â€â€ that none of the candidates will be elected on the first or even the second count â€â€ we can also be sure that the intensity of debate will be higher than we would normally expect. Already one candidate, Mary Davis, has warned against negative campaigning. She is right. The office of President is insignificant in the day to day running of this country. Who holds the office is irrelevant, most of the time. But perhaps it is this that may be reflected in Henry Kissinger's famous comment on university politics, that they are so vicious because the stakes are so small. This election should be an opportunity not for vicious diatribes but for a reasoned debate on our attitudes and priorities as a nation. Such a debate will come to no definite conclusion, not even when the result of the election is known, but as we approach the centenary of the 1916 Rising it would be worth our while to think deeply, honestly and dispassionately about what we are and what we want to be â€â€ and who we want to represent us.