Yates blasts candidates as ‘inept’
BROADCASTER Ivan Yates rounded on President Michael D Higgins’ challengers in the race for Áras during the final debate of the campaign last night as he blasted their campaigns as ‘bland, boring’ and ‘inept’.
In an explosive rant at the five candidates on the Tonight Show on Virgin Media One, Mr Yates also branded Mr Higgins, who was not present, a ‘pompous poet’ and told the others they had failed to punch ‘any hole in that pomposity’. He also said Mr Higgins’ decision not to participate was a ‘disgrace’.
Co-host Matt Cooper set the tone for the debate when he asked each candidate if ‘this whole thing has been a waste of your time and money’ in reference to Mr Higgins’ significant lead in the polls.
Mr Yates said the candidates may fail to attract 12.5% of the votes which means they will be at risk of not recouping some of their expenses. ‘There is a real prospect that if Michael D gets in on the first count, all of you won’t get your expenses back – it has never happened in any election. It’s been bland, it’s been boring.’
Mr Yates sniped at Seán Gallagher saying, ‘people are bored to tears with your vision and it hasn’t connected with the Irish people at all’. Peter Casey refuted the notion that his ‘dog whistle politics has dragged the campaign into the gutter’ and Gavin Duffy was caught out when asked the price of milk.