3 Do's and Don'ts for Election 2011

1. Do not vote along familial traditional civil war lines or on the basis that one candidate is offering more to your locality than the other ones. This election is about electing a government charged with the biggest responsibility of any administration since the foundation of the state. It's not overly dramatic to say that this is about saving the country from ruin. Well, perhaps ''further ruin'' is a more accurate term in this context. You will be electing those you feel can guide and direct us, as a country, out of this mess. Vote for the candidate you believe can contribute something constructive to this end. Even then this may not be enough such are the problems that beset the nation but if you feel that giving your support to a local Fine Gael candidate on the basis that Fine Gael have the best chance of securing the nations future then that is clearly the choice to make. If, however, you are voting based on the ''promises'' of those who have recently knocked on your doorstep then please first remove your head from your ass before casting a vote.

2. It may be too late for this one but its a salient point nonetheless. It may be just some kind of local, west of Ireland custom but almost every doorstep canvass is finished by the verbal agreement encapsulated in the phrase: ''you'll look after me, wont you?'' Remarkably, given the context, its the would-be parliamentarian that is asking to be looked after. Its a tiny snapshot of Irish life for the past 15 years. ''You''ll look after me'' is almost whispered, its almost like looking for some sort of illicit favour. Its the verbal version of a back hander. Its a creeping, slimy phrase. You feel as if it should be accompanied by an envelope full of cash and a Tony Soprano like look of acknowledgment of a under handed deed. Let this election be different. Let your door step retort to ''Youll look after me?'' be driven home with a firm ''And when have you lot ever looked after us?'' That is after all their job; public servants serving the nation. And while Michael Martin may talk about ''systems failure'' its the political classes who have failed this country. Don't let them forget it.

3. DO VOTE. I have wrestled with this one myself. But the question ''what is the point in voting?'' is not a profound enough political stance to take. Not this time. Things are too serious. Even if you go and end up spoiling your vote due to a spasm of rage at the lack of any decent candidate you simply must vote. The act of getting up and going to your polling station alone shows you care at least in this most important of elections. By the standards of Governance we have allowed in the last few decades its is clear we havent cared very much at all.