IN normal circumstances political parties use their manifesto launch to talk about their record and highlight policy proposals.
On yesterday’s evidence these are clearly abnormal circumstances for the DUP, which appears to be flailing around from one crisis to another.
Arlene Foster’s “man flu” can perhaps be excused but the refusal of deputy leader Nigel Dodds or other senior party figures to take questions was unprecedented for such an occasion.
Under Peter Robinson the party managed to ride out the Iris-gate, Red Sky and Nama storms. None, however, was as unrelenting as the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scandal.
And as the party seeks to steady itself in the mouth of its toughest ever election, another skeleton has fallen out of the cupboard.
Rather than RHI, it is thought concern about questioning over the mystery donor behind last year's pro-Brexit British newspaper ads led to the unorthodox manifesto launch.
This is a controversy that will migrate across the Irish Sea much quicker than RHI and potentially cause much greater fallout.
The DUP’s response is to be diversionary – ladies and gentlemen I give you Gerry Adams and His Radical Republican Agenda.
Mrs Foster’s own take on Project Fear sees her invoke the Sinn Féin president in caricature - no specific criticisms or particular fears.
It’s as if just repeating his name and that of his party like a mantra will make people forget the former economy minister’s inability to be across ‘every jot and tittle’ of the disastrous, ill-conceived RHI.
If the DUP’s current uneasiness is an illustration of the reaction it is getting on the doors then we’re in for an interesting election.
Or will Project Fear prove to become the accepted narrative among the majority of unionists?
