British Prime Minister Tony Blair learned a lesson during last year's UK elections about the dangers of debating the health service crisis with voters on the campaign trial.
On Saturday, Fine Gael leader Mr Michael Noonan learned the same after he encountered mother of three, Mrs Dorothy Biddulph, in a shopping centre in Navan, Co Meath.
Clearly angry, Mrs Biddulph, who has two autistic children and another with language difficulties, challenged Mr Noonan after he had stopped clutching a head of broccoli for the cameras in a vegetable stand.
"Your record in the Department of Health was shameful. And the Opposition has not fought for the rights of the disabled," said Mrs Biddulph, who was the first to criticise Fianna Fáil's P.J. Mara's description of the election as "showtime".
In fairness to Mr Noonan, he made a better fist of matters than Mr Blair when he faced Ms Sharron Storer outside the Birmingham hospital which was treating her partner for cancer.
"You just walk around making yourself known. You don't actually do anything to help anybody," shouted Ms Storrer to a discomforted Mr Blair, who pleaded with her to come away from the television cameras.
Mr Noonan, on the other hand, stood his ground to explain Fine Gael's health policies and managed to part on at least polite terms with Mrs Biddulph.
Throughout the day in Louth and Meath, Mr Noonan sought to fire up his organisation to hold its existing seats and challenge for the last in both constituencies.
In Navan, former Taoiseach Mr John Bruton and fellow outgoing Meath TD, Mr John Farrelly, pressed the flesh of voters alongside Mr Noonan.
Offering an unfortunate image for the campaign, the Fine Gael bus emblazoned with Mr Noonan's image, had just managed to reverse into Mr Bruton's Mercedes. Brows furrowed with embarrassment.
