Speaking in advance of the US presidential election, Fr Gary Chamberland CSC, an American priest who has been ministering for four years in Ireland, said that Irish people follow the latest political trends in the US like “it’s a sport” and that people in the country feel that it’s “their election” because of the implications it will have on the wider world, regardless of who the victor is.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Fr Chamberland said that from his experience, Irish people have a deep investment in US politics. “I’ve often remarked to people that the Irish watch American politics like it’s a sport, as do we, but you’re a little farther away from it,” he said. “My sense is that Irish, like many people in the world, see it as their election because like it or not, good or bad, the American presidency and American foreign policy has a deep impact on around the world. Everything from geopolitical issues to financial and economic.”
Winner aside, Fr Chamberland’s wish is for the election to yield a “decisive” outcome, one free of protracted court trials, arguing, and bickering.
“It’s all very complex,” he said. “I just hope the election is decisive, either way, just so that the year and a half of court trials and arguing and bickering over the validity of elections just doesn’t happen this year.”