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ireland, irish, ulster, ireland, irish, ulster, Sinn Féin, Irish America

Robbo leads flock to Promised Land

(John Coulter, Irish Daily Star)

Has Emperor Robbo the political guts to become a modern-day Biblical Moses and lead the North into the Promised Land of peace and prosperity?

Or, once people have calmed down from the usual hype of a DUP annual cook-up, do they have to face the reality that Robbo is nothing more than the Old Testament doomed Pharaoh who led his chariots into the crashing waves of the Red Sea?

Strip away all the well-rehearsed DUP spin, sparkle and stand-up comedy, the real people who have to worry about Robbo's vision is the Alliance Party.

Having all but finished off the Ulster Unionists, and backed wee Jimmy Allister's TUV into a political dustbin, Robbo's next target in building his own 'broad church' is to mop up the middle of the road Alliance.

By accident or design, Robbo is actually bringing both the North and Unionism back to 1952, and barring another Irisgate, he could actually pull this off in 2012.

Robbo will certainly be trying to ensure next year does not become a political homily to the disaster blockbuster, 2012, which dealt starkly with the end of the world. Maybe Robbo sees himself as the Northern equivalent of 2012 flick heart throb, John Cusack?

Barring a snap General Election if the UK economy collapses into meltdown, Northern voters won't be going to the polls for at least three years.

What Robbo omitted in his post conference euphoria was to throw down the peace gauntlet to his Shinner deputy First Minister by issuing the challenge – Match that Marty!

The Shinners have already lured a gullible Presbyterian minister and an equally gullible UUP MLA to star in a couple of republican shindigs. But when will Shinner president Gerry Adams address the DUP annual conference?

Robbo's long-term aim should be to re-create the Fantastic 52, the year good queen Bess ascended to the throne, and Unionist bastion Lord Brookeborough was well established as Northern prime minister.

In 1952, the North had successfully weathered the economic battering of World War Two, and the then Unionist Party had captured 37 of the 50 plus Stormont seats in the 1949 General Election – up four MPs, while Nationalists had lost a seat and were at nine MPs.

With the Nazis firmly beaten, the IRA had no German pals to help republicans wreck the North. It would be another four years until the IRA could start its erratic border campaign in 1956.

Ironically, 1952 was also the year racing icon Joey Dunlop and Shankill Master Butcher Lennie Murphy were born.

As the North gears up next year to commemorate the centenary of the signing of the Ulster Solemn League and Covenant and the forming of the original UVF, 1952 was one of the most prosperous and peaceful years in the North's turbulent history.

Robbo has got to master the 'double card trick' perfected by his predecessor as DUP boss – bashing Rome to keep the hard Prods in line, while strongly opposing abortion, gay rights and divorce to keep his Catholic constituents happy.

Moses Robbo has got to lead his DUP flock deep into political liberal territory without returning from the Mount with his own political Ten Commandments to find his supporters worshipping a new 'Hard Right' Golden Idol.

Robbo must firmly anchor his 'touchy feely' moderate, liberal-leaning DUP in the middle ground without losing vast amounts of support among traditional middle class Unionists and working class loyalists.

Practically, he must merge with the UUP and swallow up Alliance and the Tories. With a united Ireland off the agenda for at least a generation, British Labour must replace the Shinners as the official opposition.

As for the Shinners, is it possible they could forget about the North and concentrate on being a Southern-only party? Fine chance!

Once the Shinners have finished off the Stoops, maybe republicans also see the Alliance turf as rich pickings?

In the 1952 Stormont, there was precious little policy-wise between liberal Unionism and moderate nationalism. What's a church or chapel between Stormont MPs?

December 6, 2011
________________

This article appeared in the December 5, 2011 edition of the Irish Daily Star.

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