“When I was growing up, the president was always female. I just assumed that it was the role of a woman to be the figurehead of our country.” Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire
As the column inches on the US presidential election grow, I find myself getting increasingly excited for our own presidential race next year. When there’s no incumbent in the running, the contest for the Áras is like the Olympics for me — a rare event that’s deliciously unpredictable, short enough to avoid monotony, and something I feel unusually expert at judging from the comfort of my sofa. I know there’ll be a general election first, but there’s always something much more immediate and cut-throat about the presidential race — it’s more like reality TV somehow, or maybe that’s just because of the candidates.
But what do we really want in a president? Michael D Higgins has held the office for 13 years now, meaning that many voters have come of age during his tenure and have likely never paused to consider what they truly want in a leader. When I was growing up, the president was always female. I just assumed that it was the role of a woman to be the figurehead of our country. Do people who have grown up in the Higgins era assume that the role is suited to a man of a specific vintage who wears his opinions on his sleeve and is an impressive orator?
