One could argue that this is better than Labour party leader Pat Rabbitte. He too is smiling benevolently (as befits, well, a Labour party leader? ) Unfortunately he seems to be smiling benevolently not at you or me but at a clump of hair.

And Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny doesn't look benevolent at all but rather like a skinnier JR from Dallas in the middle of his most scheming plot. Fine Gael doesn't do benevolence. It does tougher jail sentences. Makes sense.

Call it ignorance, call it utter superficiality, but the fact remains that candidate posters play an integral role in an election campaign. It may seem unfair not to give your vote to Mary what's-her-name because she looks the image of your scary primary school teacher but looking approachable, dynamic and, above all, capable are of the utmost importance in a candidate's poster.

With the party leaders' posters slapped on lamp-posts all around the country, theirs will be the most examined and are the images the most thought will have gone into. So how do the major figures measure up?

Looking at the Taoiseach's poster, it's quickly apparent that Ahern has on his signature make-up, with an extra dab of powder for the cameras. There isn't a hint of the redness that is so often apparent on his nose and cheek, while his puppy-dog eyes are present, if a little crossed.

"I think Bertie has definitely gone for the cuddly look in this poster, " said celebrity make-up artist Lisa O'Connor.

"He looks the best out of the others and his skin has a nice bit of warmth in it.

I wouldn't say he has too much makeup on for this shot . . . probably some matte powder foundation."

With his suit jacket off, Ahern is making an obvious statement . . . he is a man of the people and he has the accent to prove it.

Enda Kenny, on the other hand, looks a different person to the fluffy-haired charmer that has been bouncing around the election trail. His eyebrows are arched, his hair is gelled back, his skin looks positively embalmed and he's smiling in a most Machiavellian manner. What's happened to cleancut Enda?

"I think he looks like a villain from some film, " said O'Connor. "But when I look closely at the poster, I don't think he's been overly made-up but that a really bad re-touching job has been done on the photo. His skin looks too pink to be natural and his eyes are too steely. You can barely make out any expression lines and it's all too touched up and perfect."

Meanwhile, Trevor Sargent and Gerry Adams both achieve the ultimate poster ambition . . . looking like themselves. Green of any hue look good.

But it's Michael McDowell who wins the best schoolboy-lookalike award in the beauty posters awards. He pulled out his single best weapon to look 10 years younger. He smiled.

When was the last time you saw that happen? In fact, McDowell is less recognisable than Kenny with this bear-grin transforming his face. He looks like he's been awarded his Gonzaga headboy-ship all over again and the sun beaming down one side of his face doesn't do him any harm either.

He'll be in a field chasing butterflies next.

Sadly, Labour seems to have lost the memo on the importance of election posters. Pat Rabbitte talking to punters in the Ahern way (but without the superimposed figures) would be successful on a large poster. But as a single-candidate effort, it's pretty poor.

Rabbitte could be wearing pink blusher and lipstick and we wouldn't notice.

We're too busy looking at the clump of hair in the front and the randomer's nose protruding from the left side. But it's nice to know Rabbitte talks to people.