Top 5 reasons why X-Factor is better than the presidential election

ireland / britain | culture | opinion / analysis Friday October 28, 2011 00:58 by Fin O Duibhir - WSM

A light-hearted look at today's Irish presidential election comparing it, unfavourably, to a reality TV programme popular in Ireland and Britain where viewers phone in to vote for their favourite entertainers.

Today Irish citizens go to the polls. Some are complaining that the election has been reduced to a glorified X-Factor.  We disagree, X-Factor is clearly better and here is why. People will vote in two referendums which threaten to change a lot and to select between 7 chancers for President who have between them offered much drama and little substance over the last weeks.  

(Image: wikipedia commons)

#1 We dont pay for X factor
The Presidential election costs us collectively millions of Euros where as X Factor doesn't cost us a penny of public money.

#2 The  X factor contestants are honest about being self serving
No one on X Factor claims they are really doing it for us, that Ireland somehow needs them. Instead they are pretty shameless that they are pursuing a life long dream. All presidential candidates are the same – pursuing a life long dream of power - but none admit this.

#3 X Factor contestants don't try and tell us their success has any bigger meaning.
No one on X factor has the stupidity to actually argue their success would help get Ireland out of recession. However our presidential candidates in particular Gallagher, Mc Guinness, Mitchell and Higgins claim that they can magically lift Ireland out of a global recession.

#4 X Factor does not pretend to be a democracy
X factor is clearly not a democracy nor does it claim to be. The presidential campaign is not a democratic process in any meaningful sense but pretends to be – contestants need political backing to be nominated and then vast amounts of money to run. They also need to be above the age of 35.  Most importantly of all we have to vote for them on trust alone, there is no way to mandate them or recall them if they betray our trust as they inevitably do.

#5 Some X factor candidates can actually sing, Presidential candidates are utterly useless leeches
A lack of talent is something the presidential candidates and X factor contestants generally share, however its not completely impossible for a talented musician to win X factor. To win the presidential election on the other hand requires the winner to be professional politican.  This means for the most part being boring, uncreative, unnoticeable, uncontroversial in all ways, generally unable to communicate unless through the medium of a spin doctor and crucially someone who lies to you for a living.

Read why its a choice between Parliament or Democracy