Bluff and Heritage - The Sinn Fein Election Strategy

I see Turgon has blogged on Sinn Fein's election strategy over on Slugger.

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/weblog/comments/a-proposed-sf-election-strategy/

I like Turgon's analysis even if he is famously wordy. For anyone without the time to read through his post I would summarise it along these lines. Sinn Fein's strategy will essentially comprise of bluff and harking back to the "good old days."

They will bluff that behind the scenes *wink wink* a deal has been done that will give Republicans want they want on Policing & Justice and the Irish Language Act. On top of this Gerry will continue to drop references to the hunger Strikers to remind people of Sinn Fein's "heroic" heritage.

I have, of course, exaggerated, slightly. This is effectively the only strategy open to Sinn Fein. Without any concrete progress on Republican ambitions they will have to point to things like the recent Policing & Justice legislation Shaun Woodward brought to Parliament and say, "It's coming folks, honest." As for the Irish Language Act, that's been dead and buried for ages.

Failing this Sinn Fein will attempt to remind nationalist voters of their Republican heritage. Will it work? It all depends on whether or not this simply reminds the nationalist electorate that Sinn Fein are participating in the British administration of an integral part of the United Kingdom?