Selling the left’s message in the digital age is an art, and Ireland’s new president has mastered it Una Mullally
Last weekend, Ireland elected its next president who is a left-wing pacifist, in the latest example of how Ireland is bucking global trends of right-wing populism.
This was not a parliamentary election – although Katherine Connolly, the independent candidate, managed to unite left-wing parties, some of which had previously been at odds – behind her. The presidential elections in Ireland are different. The office itself is largely ceremonial, but the figurehead is seen as the conscience of Irish society. Irish voters – at least since 1990, when Mary Robinson became Ireland’s first female president (followed by Mary McAleese and Michael D Higgins) – have tended to choose progressive presidents with intellectual heft. My own theory about who will emerge victorious in the Irish presidential election is that it has to do with the vanguard of mainstream social values: Robinson the feminist, Maclise the bridge-builder between North and South, Higgins the socialist poet, and now Connolly the anti-war. president.
As in many societies, there is a feeling in Ireland that government policies rarely interfere in people’s lives. So how did a leftist politician overcome apathy and capture a broad coalition of voters? What lessons does her victory hold for progressives elsewhere?
Connolly’s strength was her originality. Her personal story shaped her views About social justice and equality. She grew up in a large working-class family, and was raised by a widowed father in a council house on the outskirts of Galway. But even though she is 68, a seasoned politician and lawyer, Connolly has managed to capture voters’ attention with viral videos showcasing her deft football and basketball skills. She is an avid runner and swimmer, and achieved a personal best marathon time of three hours and 36 minutes. Her team asked her to stop it Ice skating hobby Lest you get injured during the campaign.
She is not a crowd-pulling orator, but a soft-spoken woman who enjoys nuance. She avoided soundbites, besides repeating that she represents the “New Republican” movement and is an independent candidate with an independent mind. This movement represents an ongoing cultural, social and political development in Ireland, where although far-right agitation is a feature of society, voters Turn leftThe Celtic Revival underpins a great deal of popular culture The Irish language is on the rise People now talk about Irish unity in real terms, not just romantic ones. Connolly’s vibe has appealed to voters bored with center-right politicians whose public messages are overly honed to blandness.
Connolly’s politics are unusually left-leaning, and have been consistently so. I have spoken over and over again Against war and militarismstrongly criticizes the European Union’s response to what is considered genocide in Ireland against the Palestinians, and demands that the United States finance and arm it. Ha Campaign videos Center for the Palestinian Solidarity Movement in Ireland. She said she supports the marriage equality referendum In 2015 And the referendum on abortion rights In 2018. She also repeatedly raised the climate emergency, the rights of people with disabilities, Ireland’s housing crisis, the importance of valuing the Irish language, and articulating a positive vision of society rooted in equality.
When confronted with obvious disagreements, Connolly stuck to her judgment and, rather than backing down, refused to back down, giving precise reasons for her thinking and behavior. Unlike the centre-right Fine Gael party, which supported her opponent, she did not engage in negative campaigning and instead took an upbeat tone, remaining calm in debates.
Connolly was culturally attuned. She broke away from carefully crafted media spectacles and instead turned to popular podcasts for long interviews in which she told her background story and spoke about her vision for a presidency built on progressive values.
Her campaign was based on the organizational strategies of the popular movement rather than the central party machine. I learned from the decentralized volunteer networks that were used to great effect during the marriage equality and abortion referendums in Ireland to mobilize votes across the country. This allowed people to embrace the cause organically — fundraising by folk musicians at country bars, murals, memes, student organizers rallying troops, and Instagram and TikTok influencers She gravitated toward her campaign philosophy, which gave her momentum as she delivered her message to her audience. Her campaign, like all successful movements, was full of holes.
Connolly’s team understood visual culture as the dominant form of online communication, but also the motifs within that visual culture that appeal to young people. This means avoiding the political branding tactics of the early 2000s and 2000s. The campaign design had a Celtic theme The flourishes are inspired by traditional Irish storefront signs, which mimic paintings hand-painted by New York mayoral candidate Zahran Mamdani. Bodega sign References. In an interview with the online news magazine, Anna Cassidy, the 26-year-old graphic designer who created the brand identity for the Connolly campaign, said: “It proves that design can tell a story. carrying a messageAnd communicating with people on the emotional and cultural levels.
Connolly will not have the capacity to address the housing crisis, the dominant political and social issue in Ireland today. But she talked about it. By reaching people where they are, using the language and images with which they communicate, it has shaken up the methods of the political establishment and shown how real connection with voters can be enhanced through positive and sophisticated election campaigns. In the end, Connolly had something to say, but it was her campaign tactics that made people listen.