Higgins can sit back and watch as all around him rivals flop

AS HE left RTÉ on Tuesday night, Seán Gallagher mused that he was engaging in ‘shadow boxing’. Since the start of this campaign, none of his attacks on Michael D Higgins has landed in the way he hoped. Judo expert Gallagher had believed the public would be outraged by the unexplained use of the Government jet for the short hop up to Belfast or the idea that Áras an Uachtaráin has a slush fund for which we see no receipts.

During the debate, he referenced how the Labour Party was front and centre in hounding ex-Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue out of office back in 2009.

He brought us momentarily back to a more complicated time when people were in an almost perpetual state of fury over the handling of the country’s finances.

But with things on an even keel in 2018, it seems voters aren’t that bothered if the President ‘is forced by his officials’ to travel in style.

We are a ‘rich nation once again’, ploughing our own furrow while those to our east and west are struggling to even hold coherent policy debates.

Gavin Duffy spoke about “value for money” in the office, but similarly got little traction.

It’s a phrase that we hear so often from politicians during election time that its impact is muted.

Sinn Féin’s Liadh Ní Riada tried a different approach. She was “disappointed” that Mr Higgins didn’t see fit to engage in transparency during the past seven years.

Minutes later, she floundered when asked about her taxpayer-funded salary.

And despite claiming to be an “open book”, we report today how she has accepted more than €200,000 in unaudited expenses since becoming an MEP.

It makes her words in relation to the President ring a bit hollow.

Finally, there was Peter Casey, who decided to baldly accuse Mr Higgins of lying about his life of luxury.

Under protestations from moderator David McCullagh, this was downgraded to being “economical with the truth”.

Of course, the Irish-American has been creative with some of his claims, including that the President used €10,000 of tax monies grooming his dogs. There is no evidence to back this up.

Throughout this campaign, there were times when Mr Higgins attempted to wriggle his way out of the mud, blaming the PSNI and then his officials.

But as we enter the final 48 hours, it seems he has stopped fighting.

What’s the point?

There were long moments during the RTÉ debate in which he merely stood back and let them at it.

All that could be achieved by biting back would be the loss of a portion of his massive lead.

So, much like in 2011, Mr Higgins is set to be elected President by watching on as the campaigns of those around him go up in flames.