Story telling is an underused weapon by our political leaders

In a recent debate organised by the Collins Institute, Dan O’Brien, economist and journalist, argued that centrists need to be less defensive when attacked by populists and, specifically, that “myths and falsehoods must be addressed with facts and evidence.” He then produced data which showed that claims that Ireland was becoming more unequal and that rural Ireland is dying were false.

At a time when centrist politics in Ireland is constantly under attack in from the left and occasionally from the right, Dan’s advice is tempting. And it must be especially tempting to the new generation Irish politicians who have a keen interest in detail, in exploring policy options and are not fazed by complexity. Leo Varadkar, Simon Coveney, Paschal Donohoe, Eoghan Murphy are a new breed of Ministers who are on top of their briefs and can articulate facts and evidence with ease.

Of course, facts and evidence matter. But sometimes you need more when you are trying to win the hearts and minds of an electorate, which is time poor and disinterested, if not cynical about politicians.   Former New York Governor, Mario Cuomo, is credited with the phrase ‘we campaign in poetry, we govern in prose”. When it comes to populists, however, they tend to campaign more in stories and pictures than in poetry. 

Every failure of Government is inevitably portrayed in the form of a story which paints a picture in the voter’s mind – a homeless family living in a hotel room, a patient waiting excessively in an over- crowded A&E for treatment, a village losing its post office. It works for the populists and it works for the media, who love a story.

So how do our young policy literate politicians respond? Well, by and large, they take Dan’s advice –with data and evidence. We’ve invested x billion in housing, we’re treating more patients than ever, the Health Budget is y million more than it ever was, we’re spending z millions on rural roads. 

Does it work? In many cases, no. Because voters can relate to people and stories better than they relate to facts and figures. They can walk in the shoes of the suffering patient, but millions and billions don’t feature in their lives. I’ve never held a million of anything in my hand, never mind a billion.

So, is there a better approach? Yes, there is and the generation of politicians who are now facing retirement could be role models.

Michael Noonan always had a capacity to paint a simple picture with a turn of phrase which the public could relate to. I recall him as Minister for Justice defending his sending in of the army to Mountjoy when the prisoner officers went on strike. He justified it on the basis that ”there are men in there who would cut your throat in a church and I have to protect the people of Dublin”.  It was stark but powerful and more effective than reeling off crime statistics.

Noonan caused a stir in 2012 when he said that Greek "holidays" and "feta cheese" were the only links between Ireland and Greece.  Again, surely it was a more effective way to make the point than citing trade statistics and data.

Enda Kenny was often derided by parts of the media when he relayed a story about the “man approached me with two pints in his hands complaining about the water charge. I reminded him that one pint would pay for his water as a single person for a couple of weeks.” Arguably, the story made Enda’s point more effectively that a lecture of the establishment of Irish Water and the user/pays principle.

I watched a recent episode of the brilliant GoogleBox Ireland. If you don’t know the programme, it films diverse (urban/rural/young/old/gay/straight/white/black etc) households in Ireland watching (and commenting on) television programmes. 

One programme was about a young Tallaght mother of two looking for accommodation. Her futile search over a number of weeks drew the total sympathy of the viewers who felt every failed effort with her. At the end of the programme, the young mother was allocated a house and to a man and woman, the viewers rejoiced with her. The story had a happy ending. Imagine how (un)impressed they would have been if they had been presented with some data and evidence on how much is being spent on housing or how many planning applications have been made!

So, to go back to Dan O’Brian’s advice –facts and evidence matter. But so do stories. And if centrists want to win out against populists, they must actively seek out good stories and be unashamed about using them. Stories like the young mother who got a house, like patients who have benefited from some of the great care in our health service or children they have met at sports clubs across the country who have developed new facilities.  

"Those who tell the stories rule the world." Hopi American Indian proverb