Thanks to The Donald – we all became Political Commentators last week!

There were probably more words written on last week’s US Presidential election, since records began. Just when those records began no one knows. But rest assured 8^th November 2016 will go down in the annals of history, when every person with access to social media, was suddenly to become a qualified Political Commentator!

As soon as the election results started trickling through, from around 02:00 on the 9^th November, it became very clear that things were not going Hillary’s way. The Donald started securing more and more Electoral College votes. Was he to be the latest political force to rubbish and poo poo ALL the highly paid, soon to be extinct pollsters – oh yes he was!

When The Donald finally crossed the whitewash, the social media backlash started. All and sundry suddenly became interested in politics. But not Irish politics, the politics of the United States of America. For some unexpected reason this became everyone’s raison d'etre. Well, on the plus side, this did, thankfully, signal the end of “Brexit Bashing”, but not unfortunately, the end of Mr Farage, who now seems to be Donald’s Bestie UK politician.

Social Media, all of a sudden, had people believing that they were Jeremy Paxman, Andrew Neil, The Dimbleby brothers....the list was endless. We even had the conspiracy theorists somehow inextricably linking the 9^th of November with the 11^th of September - just because they share the same day and month digits, in an abbreviated calendar! Now, I am no believer in conspiracy theories at the best of times, but lads, come on, get a life!

In the cold light of day only around 55% of US citizen voted in the election. That meant that there were over one hundred million, that’s 100,000,000, eligible voters, who simply did not bother to go out and vote. That is voter apathy on an enormous scale. You have to wonder just why nobody actually twigged to the fact, that there were so many latent votes to be secured. By somehow relating to this enormous legion, forgotten in all the poles and predictions, either side could have ensured a landslide victory.

Now, the common thread on Social Media, was that The Donald somehow encouraged all manner of lunatic, numpty, fringe voters to carry him to the magical 270 Electoral College votes, required to win. He secured over 60,000,000 votes and surely not all of these voters are the uneducated loonies the media painted? A similar sentiment has been suggested at the “leave” voters in Brexit. But the truth be told, is that so many are just missing the point.

After years and years of obnoxious and elite political rule, the “normal people” on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, were simply sick and tired of politicians NOT listening, to the very people who employ them. Protest voting will become the norm in the next few years across many European countries and if Governments wish to stop this happening again, then they MUST listen to the disenchanted, disillusioned voters. Not listening will increasingly generate these types of election results.

The Donald mobilised and capitalised on so many people, who wished to stick two fingers up to their Government and give them more than just a bloody nose. They wanted to say “HEY, we are here and you are NOT listening to us, so accept the consequences of your continued indifference!”

Perhaps, we in Waterford and across the South East could learn a thing or two from the lack of concern, shown by our national politicians. We need to remember that TDs are elected to work for us and not the other way around. We do appear to be very accepting of poor performance and yet this infertility for Waterford has just been rewarded with a €5,000 pay increase.

I only wish, that those who have turned to politics in the last few weeks, would channel that energy and passion towards our Waterford problems. Just imagine the fear that we could engender by striking at the heart of Government, if we could marshal the voters across the whole South East!

Ifs, buts and maybes!

As a passionate Scot, I could not let this week go by without writing about the Auld Country and of course the Brexit Referendum.

With the mountains of dust beginning to settle, on what was an astonishing decision for both the remain and leave faction, I get the very distinct impression that politicians on both sides of this troublesome fence have been, at best, stretching the truth and at worst, telling big fat porky pies!

From across the Irish Sea, where we are slightly removed from the real political bandwagon - that Big Red Bus with its dubious £350 million statement - we were only getting snippets of news, reports and sentiment, as reported through RTE.

However, if you are interested in politics, as I am, you would have been tuning into the BBC, Channel Four etc to get the real meat of the argument. More importantly you got to look into the proverbial eyes of politicians when tackled by a Dimbleby, a Neil or a Marr.

Over the weeks and days leading up to the historic vote, it became very clear that each side was spinning the truth. The collateral damage after the event has shown this to be the case.

The two main battle ground issues of the £350 million a week going to the EU, which would now be diverted to the NHS, was a lie! The Immigration Crisis was clearly not the problem Nigel and Boris made it out to be!

I suspect that there was far more going on in this campaign, as there always is with politics, than the issues that grabbed the headlines.

Clearly, Boris and his Machiavellian cohorts, have been plotting in the background to orchestrate a leadership change in the Tory Party. However, history will tell you that the assassin does not always become King and if he does his reign is often short lived.

Deep down, I would not be surprised if Boris actually appreciated Europe more than most on the leave side and what he actually tried to manipulate, was a referendum result where the “Leave Team” lost by 4%, Cameron resigned, and he took over the Tory Party leadership, without the need to leave the European Union!

“The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men, Gang aft agley” (Robert Burns 1785, “Tae a Moose”).

Unfortunately, for Boris, this was not the final result, as Farage was the stick in the bicycle wheel spokes, tossing the rider from his seat. The Farage far right rhetoric, bordering on racist scaremongering, made sure that Boris and his schemers lost this vote.

Unlike other elections, this vote cannot be reversed after a political term in office, where we can vote out the usurpers. Decision made – you’re stuck with it!

So what did we learn from this referendum? Boris is being lined up for short-term gain but long-term disaster and Corbyn is driving with the handbrake on.

Politicians are NOT in touch with the people who vote them in and this is endemic right through the political process. Unless you are paying attention to the political system, taking a keen interest, then at every election, National or Local, you will be hoodwinked by the “lies, damned lies and statistics” that our representatives blabber when your vote IS most needed.

There appears to be no turning back, but like all these convoluted processes, there may well be light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

I suspect that once Boris or A.N. Other sacrificial lamb, negotiates Brexit we will see all manner of compromise, on both sides of the European Border, and a pseudo exit will be negotiated.

Will we learn from this historic decision? Of course we won’t because we will always vote for a monkey and not an organ grinder.

The good news is we can now bring back “Spitting Image”, as the Boris and Trump combo, will be the Thatcher and Reagan of this 21^st Century.