Big Al McDonnell is the only nationalist boss who can help create a future New Force/Fianna Fail Stormont Executive.
Sorry to wee Maggie Ritchie, but she lacks the political balls to bring the SDLP back into government and return moderate nationalism to its glory days under John Hume.
There's the unfortunate reality wee Maggie's SDLP brand could deteriorate into nothing more than the Shinners without a Provo wing.
What the North doesn't need is a dark green, republican SDLP. That will never make a credible alternative to the current DUP/Shinner balls-up rule at Stormont.
Maggie will make a superb replacement for the aging Eddie McGrady at Westminster.
But I always feel that under her leadership, a republican Rasputin may be lurking in the wings to convert her into nothing more than a puppet for supporters of outgoing SDLP supremo Turkey Durkey.
Only Big Al has the political clout and policies to realistically snatch back the thousands of middle class Catholics who deserted the SDLP for the Shinners, only to find the North is in an even bigger shambles under Sinn Féin rule.
The big problem facing the New Force of UUP and Tories is not candidate selection, but how to mobilise the estimated 100,000 church-going Protestants who have put Bible before ballot box and not bothered their wee holy bums to vote.
Hopefully, the New Force will put Biblical Christianity back into Unionism so that it will stop pissing about trying to present itself as some kind of trendy political paradise for atheists, humanists or other assorted secular nutballs.
And if Big Al can attract conservative Catholics back to the SDLP as a first step before merging with Fianna Fail, then a New Force/Fianna Fail Stormont government is a real possibility.
Biffo Cowen will also have to be bounced out as Fianna Fail boss, but that should not be too difficult given his party's disastrous handling of the Celtic Tiger.
If Dandy Dave, the Tory chief, becomes Britain's next Prime Minister, it's almost certain New Force MPs will form his cabinet.
And it would be reasonable to assume that a Big Al-led Northern Fianna Fail would also be in line for a Cabinet post if it can enter a pact with the New Force at Stormont.
Republicans in government with the Paisley and Robbo camps has been a disaster for the North. Even Southern voters stuck the boot in the Shinners.
Moderate nationalists and conservative Catholics have some stark New Year political resolutions to ponder.
If you go with wee Maggie, you'll end up with a 'puppet on a string' leadership which will be nothing more than Turkey Durkey's cronies under a new name.
The SDLP will become a meaningless republican front to be swallowed up by the Shinners.
Under Big Al, Northern nationalism will become a significant voice, not just at Stormont, but across the whole island.
What Unionism will get is a say in the running of the Republic as a first step to the South signing up to the powerful Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The only cloud might be that Unionists may have to abandon Scotland to the nationalists in exchange for the South's 26 counties being back in the New Union.
