When you don’t really know someone that well, but perhaps think you do, it’s very easy to pass judgement on their actions. Sweeping statements can come thick and fast when someone of national interest does something, that, well, let’s be honest, we didn’t really see coming. In my case, I had kinda forgotten about Georgelee, I was too busy being astounded by all things Charlie Bird after his eye opener of a documentary on how easy it is to be ungrateful and disappointingly average at a job most journalists would kill to have! But then again I’m a bit biased on these sorts of things!
Anyway, back to my point. Georgelee did a very curious thing this week by calling it quits after eight months as a back bench TD with Fine Gael. Obviously no one had warned him that just because the people know him,it and trust him, didn’t mean his fellow Fine Gaelers would. Big fish little pond, and all that. But not to worry, Georgelee gets to head back to RTÉ, thanks to forward thinking of whoever it was wrote that little gem into the rule book.
And you know what, good for him, what’s the risk factor if you could go back to your previous job. I can understand Georgelee’s frustration, and to be fair I don’t think I would have lasted as long as him. It must have been really frustrating for him. Trying to make positive contributions while sitting on the back bench can’t have been easy. If I were him, I’d feel a little used by Inda and co.
He was a trophy TD, put out into the public arena for show, like all those rugby players with their leggy blonde model girlfriends. Inda had no intention of letting him speak, he just wanted him for photo ops, and as a recognisable face. And fair play to Georgelee I say, he got out before politics sucked the life out of him. Though some say he was ungrateful and didn’t give his new job the time and dedication it needed, for me, his departure from political life and Fine Gael just shows how frustrating and closed minded our politicians are. They don’t want change. They just tell us what we want to hear, and ‘forget’ to act on their promises. Nothing in Fine Gael has changed since Georgelee arrived, and I doubt much will change now he has left.
What we need now is some positive reassurance from Inda, and all political parties in fact, that their promises will result in actions. And for Georgelee, well I wish him the best of luck with his next step. I hear there’s an opening in Washington! Maybe Charlie Bird could give back bench politics a go?
