WARNING: Lee needs to beware 'celebrity curse'
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Friday May 08 2009
FAILED political candidate Frank McNamara has dished out some words of warning for the latest celebrity-turned- politician George Lee, warning the economist that he could be in line for a barrage of criticism and abuse.
The former Late Late Show music director (pictured below) said RTE's economic correspondent "might end up getting blamed for the recession himself, because he was the prophet of doom and gloom for so long".
Mr Lee is the latest in a long line of high-profile candidates to dip their toes into politics, and he'll be hoping to avoid the "curse of celebrity" that befell previous familiar faces like former RTE reporter Orla Guerin, footballer Graham Geraghty, sandwich king Brody Sweeney and One In Four founder Colm O'Gorman.
In 2007, composer Frank McNamara became the latest in a long line of celebrity failures, polling just 474 first-preference votes in the Dublin South Central constituency.
ABUSE
Yet, despite being pilloried for his efforts and his lack of political knowledge, he said he had great respect and a dmiration for Fine Gael's newest candidate.
He told the Herald: "I respect anybody who steps up to the plate and puts their neck on the line. It's a very difficult thing to do, knowing what you're setting yourself up for and the level of attention or abuse that you're going to get, from whatever quarter".
Days after he was announced as the PD's candidate, the popular pianist was left red-faced when he was unable to guess the correct amount of the State pension. He was also criticised for standing in a constituency in which he did not live or work.
However, he said that George Lee is "in an entirely different situation to me. As a journalist commenting on economics, rightly or wrongly, he would be seen as somebody who should know how to tackle the recession".
afinneran@herald.ie
- Aoife Finneran
