Courtney McGrailDear Editor, With little clear guidance the choice between the candidates in the US presidential election from an Irish or Catholic point of view was conflicting. I would give Trump the edge over the line. He has told us all the contentious and hateful things he hopes to accomplish, making no secret of his likes and dislikes, with little conscience when it comes to demeaning and dehumanising all and sundry as he thinks fit. He is one who has suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune – hopefully, his bark is worse than his bite.
Trump may be suspect as to his political abilities but he is adaptable, highly educated, vastly experienced and practical in business and economics, in industry and in dealing with personnel right across his sphere of operations.
Yes, a revolution of a kind is gradually showing up. Support for Clinton’s elitism has weakened. On the religious front, Trump seemed to capitalise on a general perception his Democratic rival Hilary Clinton was indifferent to religion, laying particular emphasis on freedom of religion and pro-life issues.
I believe Donald Trump is ‘our man’ as 45th President of the US. He is not a complete stranger. Having expanded his interests already in Doonbeg in Co. Clare, he provided much-needed employment and is apparently popular with employees.
Through his connections with key personalities like Paul Ryan, the powerful and ever popular Speaker of the House of Representatives, and also through his friendship with the vice-president elect Mike Pence – an experienced politician, governor and congressman – Trump cannot go far wrong.
Those two popular figures alone are not only Irish-Americans: they are Catholic Irish-Americans. It is in this atmosphere I would suggest the Irish political machine start oiling its cogs and honing a sound connection with the new Trump regime.
Yours etc.
James Gleeson,
Thurles, Co.Tipperary.