Why would anyone get involved in politics?

Why would anyone do it? Would you do it? Would you encourage your son or daughter, or niece or nephew to do it? To do what? To become a politician that is.

What? A politician! Chances are that most readers are recoiling in horror. Run? For politics? One of mine? Not a chance.

On the other hand, many people assume that all the pay and pensions and expenses and allowances and long holidays - the Dáil is not sitting now until after Easter - must make it the handiest job in the world. So, why not encourage someone you know?

There is no more devalued line of work in Ireland than politician, perhaps only rivalled by that of priest. Why has that come about? A collapse in trust in authority. An assumption that ‘they are all at it’. The idea that the activity of politics is an inherently - as opposed to just potentially individually – corrupt practice. These things are hard-wired into our culture right now.

But still some come forward and others - though not our outgoing Taoiseach - plough on. Why? Some like the prestige, some like the public service, some don’t know what else they would do if they left it. Despite that, many are concluding that enough is enough, deciding that 20 years or fewer is a long enough stint.

There has always been some element of this in politicians, but as the criticism of politicians has become sharper, so the practice of politics has become shallower.

In 1986, Garret FitzGerald proposed the introduction of divorce, not just because he was a liberal, but because he felt it was necessary to extend an olive branch to unionists: to counter and ultimately overcome their view that the Roman Catholic Church controlled independent Ireland. He lost the referendum and took a lot of criticism, but many admired him for trying, because there was strategy and vision and courage about it. Now, if a politician was to raise an idea - any idea - that required short-term unpopularity in order to achieve some strategic aim, they would be howled out of it, relentlessly.

This is why politicians spend so much of their time now either ferociously criticising everything (if in opposition), or promoting some gimmick (if in government). Is political courage dead and gone, with O’Leary, in the grave? It is, of course, easy to be the brave hurler on the ditch and make this point just another criticism of politicians. But any politician who does anything actually brave these days has their motives questioned, they may well find themselves physically threatened, their children may even be targeted for attack. In such circumstances, would you be brave? Would you want a family member to? So politicians have to choose cautiously what issues to get involved with.

Also, politicians have always known that leadership doesn’t come from shouting your mouth off at the first meeting on an issue. And they know that you don’t bring people along with you by telling them how wrong they are on this, that or other issue. And - clutch your pearls here now, folks - they also know that telling people the unvarnished truth all the time isn’t always a wise strategy. Once upon a time these realities were appreciated, or at least acknowledged. Now such approaches are treated with contempt.

So, what does that all mean for anyone going into politics?

The first thing is that a politician in this era needs a narrow emotional range. If you get too worked up about things, it is no longer a business for you. Once upon a time if you were like this all you had to do was learn to bite your tongue at a public meeting, or learn to say ‘yes, yes, good point, you said much that is sensible there’, when in fact every part of you just wanted to say ‘you absolute eejit, if we listened to you we would be ruined.’ That strategy of managing public restraint for a short spell is no longer available, for of course the phone cannot be ignored. 

The politician of today must post on social media. But having posted, you must not respond to the replies, because so many of them will be more of the nonsense and outrageous personalised criticism that follow you everywhere through that little device. Imagine that, sitting at home, on the train, with your family, hovering over the phone, tempted to reply to the most vicious attacks. And stopping yourself. Over and over. This is why they need a narrow emotional range. You can judge if that is a good thing.

None of this is good for anyone. The art of politics and the practice of being a politician is something which is badly needed. We need people who can help us overcome the divided views that exist in any society, that can help us navigate challenges, that can lead us when we need it, and manage us when we don’t. We need people who can talk to us about serious things, and explain to us that there are choices in this world, with pros and cons whatever you do, and that we - the people - have to make them.

So, if you do have a relative thinking about it, here are some suggestions you might give them.

From your first day in politics, start on the basis that if someone is hostile to you personally, rather than to your views, that you won’t engage with them. Don’t placate them, don’t plamas them. Ignore them.

Be sure and have some views and some idea of how you want to help the community. If you don’t, don’t run. Have the courage to hold informed views about the world and don’t be afraid to state them, even if you think they will cost you votes. If you succumb to agreeing with things you think are nonsense, you will be a dinghy on the Atlantic.

Try and develop some understanding of what the other side think – and why – before you criticise them. And if someone invites you to say excessive things about your own side or unkind things about your opponents, have some self respect and respect for others and don’t do it.

Don’t think that you always have to be taking ‘action’ or ‘talking tough’ in response to whatever is the latest issue. Take some time to read and think and tell people that is what you are doing. If they complain, tell them that is what you are paid to do – whether they like it or not. It is your judgment not your outrage that is valuable.

Have a time every week when you are off duty and put the phone away. Take a holiday and don’t apologise for it. If invited to talk down your own profession, decline. If anyone calls to your house looking for service, send them to the office. Do that on your first day and they will get used to it. They can always vote for one of the other politicians they went to on the same matter.

And if someone tells you that they won’t vote for you because of some position you hold, shake their hand and wish them well.

I can’t tell you how many votes your relative would get. It might not be many. But they would get mine, as well, no doubt, as yours.