On the airwavesAs applause followed Bertie Ahern down the backstage corridors of RTÉ and on to the studio floor for his interview with Mark Little on Friday night, there was, for one of the few times in this election coverage, a real sense of drama and occasion.
It's in the first few hours of triumph or despair after a result that our politicians sometimes offer a brief glimpse of what they really think, and the Taoiseach's Friday night interview gave us some of that.
There was his clear anger at the media. ("I understand, if you are earning good money and you are told that you have to say something, then you have to do it.") But there was also the chance for viewers to see the most impressive politician of his generation reflecting on what he admitted had been the toughest of his three campaigns. The impression was of a tough, experienced operator who had come through the wars bloodied but vindicated.
There was also a hostage offered to fortune: his stated intention of remaining in office right up until the next election.
Not surprisingly, the Taoiseach looked more tired than happy. Mind you, come Sunday, he revealed he had slept in until 4pm on the day of the count, and had received no news of any results until his daughter Cecelia called him at 5.40pm. Furthermore, he hadn't even watched or listened to any of the coverage until he switched on the Nine O'Clock News. To be honest, he didn't miss much.
While Ahern again bemoaned the "brutality" of our vote-counting process, there were slim pickings this time for those who relish this theatre of cruelty, with Michael McDowell the only senior minister to be felled. Few big beasts (apart from the PDs) were being slain but there was a shortage, too, of the plucky outsiders who add a little spice to the overall mix.
With the exception of Richard Boyd Barrett in Dún Laoghaire, there wasn't a single surprise challenger for a seat from outside the main parties. Nor was there much in the way of cliffhangers: despite the best efforts of breathless reporters at the scene, the sight of Brendan Ryan and Clare Daly battling it out for the dubious honour of coming fifth in four-seat Dublin North was less than gripping.
Pleased as punch with the fact that they had outside broadcast units at every count centre, RTÉ television promptly overused them, to the detriment of its overall coverage. Too often, John Bowman would ask an interesting question of a studio guest, then cut across them five seconds later to go live to yet another not particularly interesting count.
As Saturday dawned, the fourth estate, uncowed by the Taoiseach's disapproval, emerged blinking into the bright sunshine of Bertie's third term and set to work picking at the carcass of the election. Given Ahern's reference to the "good pay and expenses" enjoyed by members of the press, one can only guess at the taxi chits which must have been flying like confetti around the capital, as the chattering classes moved on a continuous loop between Donnybrook (RTÉ), Abbey Street (Today FM) and Mount Street (Newstalk).
Whereas, for politicians, the immediate aftermath of an election is a time for hostilities to be temporarily suspended, it seemed to be the cue for an outbreak of mass tetchiness among the pundits. On Today FM's The Very Last Word, Eoghan Harris stood up and walked out of the studio in protest at what he called Fintan O'Toole's "waffling".
Within an hour, though, Harris was in full flow over on RTÉ Radio 1, mentioning in passing how rarely he got on the radio these days. And it became clear that rival analysts Terry Prone and Frank Luntz won't be swapping Christmas cards, as accusations flew of partial opinions, undeclared conflicts of interest and just downright getting things wrong.
By this stage, the real political conversation was all of dance cards and mating rituals. As early as Friday night, we'd been treated to the unlovely sight of John O'Donoghue and Jackie Healy-Rae smooching like old flames in a Kerry ballroom of romance. But there were signs, too, that the dating game is not always straightforward. "Nobody is going to lecture me about cleaning up my act," growled confirmed political bachelor Brian Cowen on Saturday afternoon when asked about the Greens' commitment to stronger ethics legislation.
John Gormley and Trevor Sargent were frantically batting away questions about whether they thought Fianna Fáil's personal hygiene was up to scratch.
As with all relationships, the most important thing is keeping in touch. The Taoiseach had apparently been talking at length this weekend to his New Best Friend, Ian Paisley.
By contrast, almost two days after his party leader had retired from political life, PD party president Tom Parlon confessed yesterday that he had not yet picked up the phone to Michael McDowell. Thus a new political landscape is born.
