Maybe touchy feely Enda should have aped Trump

POLITICIAN-turned-broadcaster Ivan Yates has disclosed how papers left in studio by the Taoiseach after the TV3 leaders’ debate had the word ‘empathy’ written repeatedly across them.

Empathy was also a big theme in last year’s British general election, with David Cameron dismissed as an ‘empathy-free zone’ and his rival Ed Miliband’s interest in what was labelled ‘the politics of empathy’ leading him to seek out the services of autism expert Simon Baron-Cohen.

But while British politicians may be accused of having a stiff upper lip, it’s doubtful their Irish equivalents need any lessons in showing compassion.

For all his faults, Enda Kenny has never been shy about displaying his touchy feely side, while Micheál Martin, Joan Burton and Mary Lou McDonald can always be relied upon to say they care.

Also we have had plenty of scenes over the years of politicians dissolving into tears, most recently from Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, pictured, upon the loss of his seat and, before that, from Labour’s Alan Kelly when he was accused of leaking secret party poll findings.

Granted, their tears are for themselves, which is not, strictly speaking, a show of empathy.

But it does the beg the question if there really is any point in politicians slobbering over the effects of their harsh budget cuts, rising homelessness or mounting hospital crises while doing nothing about them.

It could be that empathy is wildly overrated as a vote-getting tactic. Surely what Americans like about Donald Trump is that he’s a brawling, politically incorrect, money-hungry bully who seduces them with his confidence and the false promise of solving their problems?

Also, wasn’t Margaret Thatcher’s power fuelled by hard-edged decisiveness rather than helpless hand-wringing?

If Enda Kenny had scrawled: ‘Give ’em hell’ across his papers, perhaps his party might have fared better last week.