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Column ‘The Irish-American vote may well decide the outcome of this election’

Irish-American voters are still a vibrant political entity and are important in the race for the White House, writes Larry Donnelly.

THE EVE OF 6 November, as Americans and people all over the world eagerly anticipate the outcome of one of the most hotly-contested US presidential elections in recent memory, is an opportune time to consider what role Irish-American voters play in the American political process in 2012. My own thoughts are shaped inexorably by my upbringing. I grew up in East Milton, an Irish-American enclave on Boston’s southern fringe, where almost all of my friends had at least one Irish-born parent.

While the Irish in America have achieved extraordinary triumphs in virtually every field of endeavour, we are perhaps best known for our success in the rough and tumble world of politics. The Kennedys are the archetype of the Irish-American political family, but there are hundreds of Irish-American families around the US who have shared in that success.

Irish-American families

I should know because I come from one of these families.  Since emigrating to Boston from north Galway around the turn of the last century, my family has been heavily involved in Democratic politics. My great uncle, John Kelly, was President of the Boston City Council and his brother, Frank Kelly, also served as a city councillor and later as Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General of Massachusetts. Indeed, one Boston political historian recalls that the WASP establishment lived in fear that the Kelly brothers would get their hands on the key to City Hall!

They were outdone as Irish-American politicians, however, by my uncle, former Congressman Brian Donnelly. Uncle Brian is esteemed in this country for his Donnelly Visa legislation that allowed thousands of young Irish men and women a chance at a new life in the US in the late 1980s. And he was the “go to guy” on Capitol Hill on all things that mattered to Ireland and to Irish people during his seven terms representing what was then the “most Irish” congressional district in the US.

Close ties

This success of Irish-Americans in politics and the close, constantly cultivated ties between our two countries are rightly celebrated by Irish people. The access enjoyed by politicians from this tiny island on Europe’s western fringe – on St. Patrick’s Day in particular – to the President and Vice-President of the United States, as well as to the leadership of the United States Congress, is unparalleled and the envy of much of the rest of the world. To me, it is axiomatic that Irish politicians have this access because Irish America is still a vibrant political entity.

Although I believe that the overwhelming majority of people on both sides of the Atlantic share my view, it has been called into question in recent years by a vocal minority. The most prominent questioners have been Trina Vargo of the US-Ireland Alliance and political journalist Niall Stanage. Vargo believes that the “old” relationship is broken and that her Alliance can lead efforts to revitalise things; Stanage seems motivated by a desire to debunk the “myth” of the political power of Irish America.

The relationship is not broken

I profoundly disagree with their assessments. But they do have a point when they say that Irish America is not a monolithic political entity. Traditionally, Irish-Americans had aligned themselves with the Democratic Party. Yet over time, a substantial number have drifted into the Republican camp. Some have drifted because they oppose the Democratic Party’s leftward lurch on social issues like abortion; others have drifted because they have become successful financially and now embrace Republican tax policy.

The first-ever poll of Irish-Americans on this year’s presidential election, carried out by IrishCentral and Amarach Research, bears this out. In fact, the poll shows that Irish-Americans only favour Barack Obama’s re-election by 51 per cent -48 per cent. And the comments posted by IrishCentral readers about the poll are instructive. Those who support Mitt Romney cite their opposition to abortion and to Obama’s economic philosophy. Those who support President Obama cite the traditional Irish-American affiliation with the Democratic Party and Governor Romney’s bias toward better-off Americans.

These Irish-American voters – representative as they are of the crucial Catholic vote – may well decide the outcome of this year’s presidential election. More conservative on social issues and still more populist on economic issues, it is their votes that the candidates are now fighting over in Ohio in the campaign’s final hours.

It is my hope that those Irish-Americans whose preference isn’t set in stone or who remain undecided will keep in mind the experience of their forebears and re-elect President Barack Obama.

Larry Donnelly, a Bostonian who holds US and Irish passports, is a Law Lecturer at NUI Galway and legal counsel to Democrats Abroad Ireland.  He is a political columnist for IrishCentral.com and you can follow him on Twitter.

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32 Comments
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    Mute Christine Paulette Roche
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:03 AM

    Heartbreaking, may he rest in peace.

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:35 AM

    @Christine Paulette Roche: Yes his suffering is now over thankfully. The bigger story here is 7000 children are dying every single day from hunger but it’s met with a defending silence, no Pope, no US President seem to notice, care of comment and the media, not interested. So it’s amazing how one child with little chance of survival could solicit such support while the other 7000 others who could survive were ignored.

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    Mute joanne murphy
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:27 AM

    @Charles Williams: oh be quite, this is about one little boy. Not a political / social statement. Sleep tight little Charlie xx

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    Mute sue
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:45 AM

    @Charles Williams: not the time or place Charles

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    Mute Ryan Carroll
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    Jul 29th 2017, 11:23 AM

    I think we should let the Charlie story rest now, there is something that just does not sit right in me debating it anymore, it feels wrong. The childs health is no longer something that can be affected by the debate so it would just become a cheap ego contest over who was “right” when really this was not about who gets proven right or wrong.

    It is however appropriate to call out the hypocrisy of many of those, especially in the US, who complained about “socialized healthcare” not keeping him alive when they have the only developed country where you can go bankrupt from medical expenses. Thanks to McCain it won’t happen but they were 1-2 votes away from 32million people loosing their health insurance and it was calculated to cause thousands of deaths, including kids.

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    Mute gerry fallon
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:10 AM

    There really are no words fitting.
    That poor couple will take a long time to get over Charlie’s death.Its time now to leave them to grieve in their privacy.I hope the Journal and other media just move on now.

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    Mute Frank Dubogovik
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:26 AM

    For such a short life there was so much love packed into it….rest now little fighter.
    R.I.P.

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    Mute Margaret Henry
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:37 AM

    Their real journey starts now . Thank God little Charlie is at peace and no longer suffering . RIP

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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    Jul 29th 2017, 11:22 AM

    @Margaret Henry: Sure it was god’s will that he suffer in the first place.

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    Mute JeanieD
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    Jul 29th 2017, 11:48 AM

    @DaisyChainsaw: Troll sick one at that.
    RIP little boy and may your grieving parents find comfort and solace in the knowledge that so many people truly cared.

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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:38 PM

    @JeanieD: What’s trolling about it? If god is going to be thanked for relieving Charlie of his suffering, then he has to be blamed for giving Charlie the fatal disease to suffer in the first place.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:57 PM

    @DaisyChainsaw: Let it go. If you understood the Theology around suffering you would know that what you say is not the case. Regardless let people express their condolences in the manner that they see fit. If religion brings them solace it’s no skin off your nose. The one thing I do know that it’s not possible to expect tolerance if your give it. I’m not religious but I’ve made an effort to try to understand where they are coming from. The baby has died and it’s time to move on.

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    Mute Catherine Sims
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    Jul 29th 2017, 12:58 PM

    @Catherine Sims: * if you don’t give it* that should have read.

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    Mute Liam Whelan
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    Jul 29th 2017, 1:24 PM

    @Margaret Henry: This god you speak of, if you thank him for letting Charlie be at peace now then who do you fault for him having this disease in the first place? It certainly wasn’t the parents who placed this disease upon him so does your god take full responsibility for it? And if so can he tell you as to why he done it? Because I would love to know why any “all loving” person can do things like this to innocent children day in day out. I think you know what you can do with your “thank god”.

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    Mute Margaret Henry
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    Jul 30th 2017, 1:12 AM

    @Liam Whelan:

    I lost a young child myself Liam Whelan . So I think I’m qualified to speak on this . When I said Thank God his suffering is over I meant just that .

    If you have watched your young child suffer in pain for months through operations and treatments you would thank God when it finally means they are no longer suffering even when that means they are no longer with you

    its not about you in all this it’s about your child who is suffering

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    Mute Celtic_Horizon
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    Jul 29th 2017, 8:31 AM

    RIP

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    Mute Tony
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    Jul 29th 2017, 9:43 AM

    Look after your parents now Charlie. Rest little one.

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    Mute Louise Dunne
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    Jul 29th 2017, 10:37 PM

    R.I.P. gorgeous little boy. Beautiful photo to treasure forever.
    That picture of him smiling up at his dad is haunting, i can’t equate that with all I’ve read about his condition. looking at that picture no wonder they were keen to try various treatments.

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