Election diary: Dr Ian Paisley is using his selective memory to dramatic effort, writes Gerry Moriarty
The DUP's Rottweiler Ian Paisley, at 79, is a year older than the new Pope. Both appear in sprightly condition although, perhaps understandably, Dr Paisley was somewhat forgetful in Magheralin yesterday where the DUP launched its election manifesto.
What was that name he couldn't retrieve from his memory bank? Ah yes, it finally emerged: "David Trimble."
Twice during the press conference he had to theatrically pause to recall the name of the Ulster Unionist leader. As regards the IRA, Sinn Féin, the contents of the 36-page manifesto, the "interfering Bertie Ahern", and other election subjects, he was on top of his brief.
But Mr Trimble was supposedly off his radar, despite the fact Dr Paisley, with malice aforethought, was launching his manifesto in the UUP leader's Upper Bann constituency. So utterly confident was Dr Paisley of the DUP routing the UUP that he took time to mock his main Ulster Unionist opponent just as a cat toys with a wounded mouse before inflicting the fatal blow.
The DUP's Enforcer Peter Robinson was also in bullish form yesterday, as dismissive of Trimble as was his leader. The UUP leadership was "reeling, stupefied, rudderless and deeply distrusted", said Robinson. It was the party of "flops and failures".
It was obvious yesterday that not only does the DUP expect to win this election but it wants to win big.
It wants to hammer the nails home in the UUP coffin, and sometimes politics just doesn't work out as clearcut as that.
This is why Robinson and the rest of the DUP curia are so constantly deriding Trimble and the overall unionist leadership. The DUP's core vote is assured but there are unionists out there who are wavering between voting for the moderation of the UUP and being on a winner, as the DUP aggressively portrays itself. Sell the message that Ulster Unionists are no-hopers and they might swing to the DUP, seems to be the strategy.
We'll know in two weeks' time whether this was DUP hubris or Paisley and Robinson just calling the election as it is. There was also an element of gamesmanship here of course, of the Rottweiler and Enforcer trying to rattle the unionist enemy.
Trimble has been derided and underestimated before, and still kept his leadership and his party above water.
It's a fascinating battle and right now the wind is with the DUP. But there is still a chance that Trimble candidates can retain four of the five UUP seats. East Antrim appears beyond salvage but North Down, South Belfast, South Antrim and even Upper Bann can be held. These four appear 50-50 contests, although Trimble, like the generals Napoleon preferred, would need some luck to win them all.
Trimble is fighting a game rearguard battle but it must be said that the DUP machine appeared pretty impressive yesterday, far better oiled than the UUP's.
In launching the Ulster Unionist manifesto on Wednesday, UUP candidates chose to arrive at the Stormont Hotel in Belfast in an old London red double-decker bus badly in need of a lick of paint. It bore the destination "Westminster", which while hardly novel was a reasonably neat idea.
The bus was one of the old Route Masters that are being phased out by London mayor Ken Livingstone but we shouldn't read any symbolism there, advised Trimble. Robinson, however, knows how to treat a gift horse, or even a gift omnibus. The double-decker was a "clapped out" vehicle that showed the UUP offered nothing better than a "second-class ticket to a united Ireland", he said.
And so it continues, relentlessly, with Trimble trying to prevent the DUP hustling his party on to the last bus to political marginalisation.