Who’s afraid of Maria Steen? If you listen to the conservative right, the Irish establishment is.
The failure of the barrister, conservative campaigner and stay-at-home mother to secure enough nominations to run for president last week is portrayed by her supporters as a pyrrhic victory for the powers that be.
In an angry response that has ranged from outraged to downright abusive, those perceived to have blocked Steen are assured by her zealous fans that they have done so at their electoral peril.
[ Michael McDowell: Why I didn’t nominate Maria Steen for the presidencyOpens in new window ]
But, 18 months ago, even some of her closest political bedfellows seemed to be afraid of Steen and the political message she would project.
When RTÉ invited her to debate the then tánaiste, Micheál Martin, in the days ahead of the March 2024 family and care referendums, Steen’s colleagues on the No side started to panic.
Seasoned conservative campaigners were convinced that the State broadcaster, which they see as “biased”, was laying a trap.
A number of her
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