Writing about the SU Presidential race last week, I wondered if the curse of Cathal Horan was about to strike on Ryan Bartlett with the strong showing of Aaron Heffernan. The reality is, it already has.
With Heffernan’s withdrawal from the race last night, Bartlett is the only candidate left on the ballot. While I would expect that RON (Re-Open Nominations) will make a strong showing, one would expect that Bartlett will be elected.
However, he is damaged goods and he will be lacking a clear mandate during his term. It will be obvious to all, not least Bartlett himself, that he won essentially by default and that if Heffernan had remained in the race, the ‘joke’ candidate would probably have beaten him.
As most people don’t know the candidates before the election begins, the campaign period is the only real way the electorate have of assessing how the candidates would perform in office. Bartlett has run a workmanlike campaign – competent but not outstanding. That is his problem. He didn’t inspire or capture the imagination of the electorate. Bartlett appealed to voter’s heads. Heffernan won their hearts.
It appears that our student politicians are as incapable of inspiring the student electorate as our national politicians are of inspiring the national voters.
