Why do Irish people take such an interest in US politics?

TRANQUILLO · 04-11-2020 12:25AM #1

I don't understand why so many people take such interest in this .

I have friends in WhatsApp groups quoting swing states and electoral college this and popular vote that and they know **** all about irish politics or take an interest in anything going on in their own neighbourhood.

They pretend its because it will affect their day to day lives but i feel its just been sexed up for them via the west wing and house of cards. It also makes them feel intellectual to take an interest in it.

I find it all rather perverse. People talking about staying up all night to watch it etc.

They take no interest in the cervical cancer scandal or the children's hospital fiasco for instance. This all feels a little Super Bowl half time show to me... Maybe wed be in better state if we took such an interest in how our own country is run.

Our own Tanaiste was in the "dock" today and there was a young lad attacked with an axe in the head in Dublin in broad daylight. There are more people talking about an election in a different country than those topics.

Birneybau · 04-11-2020 12:26AM

Ireland is a tiny player on the world stage.

The U.S. sh!ts itself, we all smell it and are left to deal with it.

Simple as that.

TRANQUILLO · 04-11-2020 12:29AM

Birneybau wrote: »

Ireland is a tiny player on the world stage.

The U.S. sh!ts itself, we all smell it and are left to deal with it.

Simple as that.

Trump being in office didnt affect me in any tangible way for the last 4 years and I worked for an American company.

My mother has been waiting for an operation on the irish public system for over a year however.

Regardless of who wins tomorrow she will still be waiting and there will still be tolls on the m50.

Padre_Pio · 04-11-2020 12:31AM

Lots of drama. Is there any other nation in the world who's leader makes so many gaffes and still has huge support.

Imagine Meehole talking about grabbing pussy.

-=al=- · 04-11-2020 12:35AM

It’s like a terrible reality tv show but this time round it’s starring The Comedy King himself. What outrageous things can he possibly come out with next?

Chris_Heilong · 04-11-2020 12:56AM

I used to think, oh well they are a foreign country and it does not effect us however we are using American social media, we have been watching their films for years and ideas from there have a big habit of ending up here so I do think it is important to keep an eye on what goes on over there.

TRANQUILLO · 04-11-2020 12:59AM

Chris_Heilong wrote: »

I used to think, oh well they are a foreign country and it does not effect us however we are using American social media, we have been watching their films for years and ideas from there have a big habit of ending up here so I do think it is important to keep an eye on what goes on over there.

oh i don't contest that its not important to an extent but there is a sycophantic element to it with people staying up late to watch it (on a work night) like its the last episode of game of thrones.

if only our citizens took the same interest and turned out to vote for our elections maybe ireland wouldn't be in the shape its in.

John Frank Wilson · 04-11-2020 01:05AM

Because RTE transmit to the public what's going on in the US every day, especially these days - they want us to talk about Trump, and American politics - which protects and deflects criticism against - our own dear overlords, the people that line their pockets with taxpayer gold. Over to our Washington correspondent?!?

Washington correspondent??

F*** off!!

Chris_Heilong · 04-11-2020 01:17AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

oh i don't contest that its not important to an extent but there is a sycophantic element to it with people staying up late to watch it (on a work night) like its the last episode of game of thrones.

if only our citizens took the same interest and turned out to vote for our elections maybe ireland wouldn't be in the shape its in.

I get that, there are a few American poster here also but I usually stay up until 2 so will check the results in the morning, they will still have to wait a while for the mail in votes to be fully counted.

NSAman · 04-11-2020 01:18AM

Shouldn’t Irish people be more interested in what is happening to them, caused by the people they elected?

Instead, most concern themselves with matters 4000 to 7000 miles away.

Irish politicians are allowed to run rampant, little or no accountability, yet they get elected over and over.

I live in the States and don’t have as much interest as many people on these boards.

Atlantic Dawn · 04-11-2020 01:25AM

John Frank Wilson wrote: »

Because RTE transmit to the public what's going on in the US every day, especially these days - they want us to talk about Trump, and American politics - which protects and deflects criticism against - our own dear overlords, the people that line their pockets with taxpayer gold. Over to our Washington correspondent?!?

Washington correspondent??

F*** off!!

If Trump wins you won't see much of it on RTE tomorrow :pac:

TRANQUILLO · 04-11-2020 01:36AM

NSAman wrote: »

Shouldn’t Irish people be more interested in what is happening to them, caused by the people they elected?

Instead, most concern themselves with matters 4000 to 7000 miles away.

Irish politicians are allowed to run rampant, little or no accountability, yet they get elected over and over.

I live in the States and don’t have as much interest as many people on these boards.

You have articulated it better than I did.

completedit · 04-11-2020 01:41AM

It's sort of weird but makes sense in a globalised world. Wonder will we be tuning into Chinese elections in 10o years... Oh wait.

04-11-2020 01:48AM

Significant foreign direct investment by American multi-nationals for one? They only employ hundreds of thousands of people here. So yes, what happens Stateside has quite an influential bearing on Ireland.

FFVII · 04-11-2020 01:49AM

Most of what we hear in media here is sh1t we have no interest in.

Forced on us.

If covid wasn't here we'd be wading through the 4th year of bloody brexit.

The murders the other day which i had even less interest in was left fresh air.

Biden/Trump literally makes no difference which of them. Im in my 30s now, i know how it works.

completedit · 04-11-2020 01:51AM

Another thing is Trump wants a weak EU, Biden as president is better for EU and Ireland and worse for the UK

Bidens economics might lead to further contraction in the American economy. Right policies wrong time potentially. We know that what happens in America has a big influence on Ireland

TRANQUILLO · 04-11-2020 02:02AM

Deleted User wrote: »

Significant foreign direct investment by American multi-nationals for one? They only employ hundreds of thousands of people here. So yes, what happens Stateside has quite an influential bearing on Ireland.

I don't agree.

GarIT · 04-11-2020 02:04AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

If Trump wins you won't see much of it on RTE tomorrow :pac:

They have been fairly strong in their support for Trump tonight, I don't see why that would change tomorrow.

Ekerot · 04-11-2020 02:58AM

For one, it helps that most people in Ireland have family connections in the US, between sons, daughters, aunts, etc living there

Polar101 · 04-11-2020 06:28AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

I don't understand why so many people take such interest in this .

It's a bit strange - they've got 2 terrible candidates, and one of them will win. In four years, they'll elect a president which won't be either of the current candidates.

The result might affect Ireland, but what I think of the candidates has no bearing on anything.

Wanderer78 · 04-11-2020 07:13AM

Polar101 wrote:

The result might affect Ireland, but what I think of the candidates has no bearing on anything.

Billions of dollars have been flooding into here for decades, the dollar being the world reserve currency,,,,, Jesus I could go on......

GarIT · 04-11-2020 08:25AM

Ekerot wrote: »

For one, it helps that most people in Ireland have family connections in the US, between sons, daughters, aunts, etc living there

But why don't we do the same for the UK elections? Or even NI elections, I don't think we've ever had a live results tracker and the complete top page length of the RTÉ website taken up with that.

Father Hernandez · 04-11-2020 08:34AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

I don't understand why so many people take such interest in this .

I have friends in WhatsApp groups quoting swing states and electoral college this and popular vote that and they know **** all about irish politics or take an interest in anything going on in their own neighbourhood.

They pretend its because it will affect their day to day lives but i feel its just been sexed up for them via the west wing and house of cards. It also makes them feel intellectual to take an interest in it.

I find it all rather perverse. People talking about staying up all night to watch it etc.

They take no interest in the cervical cancer scandal or the children's hospital fiasco for instance. This all feels a little Super Bowl half time show to me... Maybe wed be in better state if we took such an interest in how our own country is run.

Our own Tanaiste was in the "dock" today and there was a young lad attacked with an axe in the head in Dublin in broad daylight. There are more people talking about an election in a different country than those topics.

IMO it's not that they have a huge interest in US politics or disregard politics here at home, it's more likely because of US sensationalism and the live drama that goes with it.

It's like watching a US drama or movie, folks love to be entertained and nothing better than live drama we rarely get bar watching sport.

Trump is libel to say anything, the election is going down to the wire, Americans are going crazy on social media. Form of live entertainment and for the majority, theyll move onto something else next week.

Makes great viewing.

larva · 04-11-2020 08:45AM

I have the same question about the English Royal family, particularly any major Royal weddings, I know people who would literally take the day off work to watch it, I dont get it? its as about entertaining as watching paint dry

McHardcore · 04-11-2020 08:45AM

I agree that the interested is over the top, but I understand why there is an interest in the first place.

America has a large influence in The West and particularly Ireland. Multinnationals and in particular America, are a large proportion of the companies here. Trump has reduced the tax that these companies pay in the US. Biden has vowed to increase it back to the figure that it was. Whether one or the other win would have a large influence on whether these companies continue to stay in Ireland or move back to the US.
Historically, America has a had an influence on Irish politics. Some have argued that the UK Government would not have come to the negation table that led to the Good Friday agreement if it were not for pressure from the US. John Hume traveled to the US to push the American government to get more involved for this very reason. The US is a co-signature on the agreement. This is becoming important now again as Biden has said that he would not commit to trade negotiations with the UK unless they honored the GFA.
Culturally, America has a massive influence on Ireland. How many of us have grown up listening to American bands or watch american films and TV shows?
America is (was?) seen as the leader of the Western world.

Tony EH · 04-11-2020 08:56AM

Mostly because it's such a bizarre circus filled with freaks of all kinds that has a certain fascination, even for people who wouldn't know what GOP meant.

It also has to do with people absorbing far too much interwebs, where this freak show is pumped 24/7.

There are some who just pick a "team" and will bleat about that "team" "winning", for some kind of self validation of sorts. The "I was right" crowd.

There are some who are just interested in US politics (for what's worth, which isn't much)

Lastly, there are a few who are genuinely interested in the politics of most nations and will take at least a glance at what's going on, no matter what country is involved.

belfe · 04-11-2020 09:05AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

Trump being in office didnt affect me in any tangible way for the last 4 years and I worked for an American company.

...

I wouldn't be so sure. Companies won't talk openly about it, but they do their risk analysis. With Trump in office is more likely that they focus their business on the US, or even on the UK (that Trump is using against EU). If a company wants to develop a new product, increase the workforce or whatever, they can choose Ireland if Biden is president and US if not.

Also, with Donald Trump as president, if your company has business with China, you're in high risk that China retaliates against your company.

ArrBee · 04-11-2020 09:16AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

I don't understand why so many people take such interest in this .

I have friends in WhatsApp groups quoting swing states and electoral college this and popular vote that and they know **** all about irish politics or take an interest in anything going on in their own neighbourhood.

They pretend its because it will affect their day to day lives but i feel its just been sexed up for them via the west wing and house of cards. It also makes them feel intellectual to take an interest in it.

I find it all rather perverse. People talking about staying up all night to watch it etc.

They take no interest in the cervical cancer scandal or the children's hospital fiasco for instance. This all feels a little Super Bowl half time show to me... Maybe wed be in better state if we took such an interest in how our own country is run.

Our own Tanaiste was in the "dock" today and there was a young lad attacked with an axe in the head in Dublin in broad daylight. There are more people talking about an election in a different country than those topics.

I think it is mostly to do with the number of irish migrants in america that there is a special interest and bond towards america.
people here seem particularly interested if an american president has irish roots and what that might mean for the relationship.

NIMAN · 04-11-2020 09:20AM

Totally agree, I started a thread asking if any Irish person could give me an example of how their life was affected negatively by Trump being the President.

Not one concrete example. Your life will be unchanged if he gets in again, don't stress too much.

timmyntc · 04-11-2020 09:23AM

Irish people will bemoan Trump for all his failings, but won't even do the same for Irish govt's past & present!

A foreign president who has little actual impact here, gets held to account more than our own domestic govt! It's bizarre.
Just goes to show how much people consume American media and get told what to think basically - they regurgitate American media talking points.

04-11-2020 09:23AM

TRANQUILLO wrote: »

Trump being in office didnt affect me in any tangible way for the last 4 years and I worked for an American company.

My mother has been waiting for an operation on the irish public system for over a year however.

Regardless of who wins tomorrow she will still be waiting and there will still be tolls on the m50.

Unregulated US subprime practices crashed the world economy not too long ago.
We had a double whammy of a property bubble, but the entire world felt that shock.

American foreign policy affects markets around the world.
Their stirring and interference in Middle East causes social ripples for decades.

To think that US politics does not affect Ireland, on a macro scale, is blinkered (at best)

Why do Irish people take such an interest in US politics?

Comments