O'Bama and Irish America

Barack Obama needs the huge Irish-American vote in closely-fought Pennsylvania battlegrounds like Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia suburbs. There are similar pockets of Irish American swing voters in other key states. But this Irish dimension is so far being lost or downplayed in the prevailing political discourse about whiteness or Catholicism, and Obama himself has stumbled in his outreach efforts.

Interviews with journalists, political leaders and activists in Belfast this week - including some whose publications are widely read in Pennsylvania - revealed widespread interest in Obama's candidacy but also concerns about his approach to white ethnics like the Irish.

For example, Hillary Clinton was "treated like a queen" by Irish throngs during Pittsburg's St. Patrick's Day parade, according to Larry Kirwan, while Obama went missing. In his fabled Berlin speech in July, Obama declared that the walls between Catholics and Protestants had come down in Northern Ireland, when in fact the barriers separating communities have increased since the Good Friday Agreement. Obama's top adviser on Northern Ireland, Trina Vargo, recently left the campaign after being involved in sharp public disputes with the Irish immigration lobby in Washington.

Vargo, a former adviser to Sen. Edward Kennedy, has been replaced in the Obama campaign by Carol Wheeler, whose background includes involvement in children's charities. Wheeler denies this account, saying she is an "addition", not a replacement, and is now the "voluntary coordinator for Irish American outreach" and works with the campaign staffer who does "advocacy outreach.". In any event, Vargo's falling out with Niall O'Dowd, who was a major Hillary Clinton backer and a central force in Irish immigrant politics, has been a divisive setback.

After Vargo openly criticized Irish immigrant advocates for being racist in seeking special treatment, O'Dowd answered in the Irish Times that Vargo "should stick to Hollywood galas and stop insulting Irish illegal migrants to the US who are trying to regularize their positions." [Nov. 20, 2007]. O'Dowd's position, supported by every Irish-American group, is that should seek to regularize their immigrant status, as they have on occasion in the past, while at the same time supporting an alliance of all immigrant groups pursuing comprehensive reform.

On another vital Irish issue, "We need America to be a watchdog against extremist behavior" in Northern Ireland, says Mairtin O'Muilleor, a prominent publisher in both Northern Ireland and the US. O'Muilleor cited the recent episode in Belfast in which Iris Robinson, wife of First Minister Peter Robinson, castigated a Gay Pride parade and proposed therapy as an alternative cure. No one from the US spoke out, O'Muilleor noted, even though the American government is an important party to the Good Friday Agreement. Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party [DUP], which Robinson represents, has deep historical ties with the US Republican Party and evangelical Christians.

More important, O'Muilleor stressed, the peace agreement needs to be "cemented with jobs", especially in the heavily-Republican and Loyalist neighborhoods which suffered most during the 30-year war. Investment, however, is skewed heavily towards Protestant-dominated institutions and neighborhoods, even though a Sinn Fein leader, Tom Hartley, is the mayor of Belfast and Sinn Fein is the city's largest party. In a response Obama could endorse, the New York City controller's office has initiated pension fund investments in disadvantaged communities of Belfast, a move that may be copied by other US officials, O'Muilleor said.

These are proposals that Obama could support as a candidate, which would resonate in Irish-American communities, O'Muellior argues.

The point he and others make is that there is an Irish-American vote to be won through concrete steps to recognize the distinct needs of the Irish, a path followed with great success for Bill and Hillary Clinton. The Clintons became heroes to the Irish on both sides of the ocean, starting with Clinton's bold support for a visa for Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams in 1992, a step that helped unlock the peace process of the later decade.

With the Clintons now supporting Obama, John McCain is vulnerable in Irish-America. This year he excoriated Adams and Sinn Fein at a huge Irish-American fundraising dinner with Adams in the audience. The diatribe was an echoing reminder of the ugly polarizations that preceded the peace process. McCain is out of step with that process. Even George Bush, according to the Irish, seems fully briefed in his diplomatic role in supporting the fragile process.

To ignore this Irish dimension serves to the advantage of the implicit Republican appeal on racial issues like affirmative action and religious issues like abortion. Winning more Irish Democrats and independents to Obama will require an understanding of the progressive dimensions of Irish-American culture, rooted in an immigrant working class experience and nationalist ethos.

Aside from producing some green O'Bama tee shirts earlier this year, the Obama campaign has not yet displayed the rhetoric or resources necessary to win its share of the Irish-American vote. Given the Electoral College, the November election may hinge on this redefinition of race and ethnicity.

TOM HAYDEN recently returned from one week in Belfast and Dublin. He is the author of Irish on the Inside [Verso].

Comments

[jcwtts1]

Very disapointed in the article. There is a reason Obama isn't going to win the suburbs around Pittsburg is as racially diverse as say Kansas, or South Dakota once you get out of the city. What I mean is that it is one of the whitest places I've ever seen in my life. I grew up in the Philly Suburbs and Obama is going to win huge. The problem is PA where Obama is going to win, it is Ohio where he is going to lose. I disturbs me on so many levels that Ohio who has basically hemorrhaged jobs for the last 8 years is still going to vote against its own economic self interest for bad insane reasons. They voted for Bush in 2004 because of gay marriage and gay marriage is going to happen no matter what; it might take 20 more years but the deal is done in part because of the hardline taken by the GOP. If they had put Kerry in office though we might have been able to compromise and go with civil unions, as Bill Clinton was forced to compromise with don't ask don't tell. What I'm saying is that Ohio voters not only lost hundreds of thousands if not a million good manufacturing jobs they also aren't going to get what they want culturally. How do we reach the white rural voters of Ohio?

J

[clevelandchick]

Well, race is an issue here in Ohio. I am quite disturbed by the racism of several people I work with (I live in the city, they live in the suburbs) and they are not going to vote for a black man. You know the type..they always refer to African Americans as "The Blacks". I've gotten my share of rumour e-mails from them about Obama - Muslim, Communist, he'll tax you within an inch of your life etc. I've also gotten some of those horrific racist jokes about Obama as well.

But they don't like McCain either so I doubt they'll vote at all which is my only consolation. This is going to be a rough few months.

[customgreen]

There is no real Irish vote. That's like saying there is a Dutch vote, or a French vote, or a Swiss vote. Americans are mostly concerned with Americas problems. There might be a handful that want Irish issues at the top of their list, but it is so small you couldn't even measure it.

[cylindar]

I grew up in a catholic irish neighborhood in the states. The racism was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I am Irish but I say to hell with what the Irish want and yeah to what black people need. The turning point for me was when I was about five years old and saw a mob of your so called wonderful Irish people burn down a house with a black woman in it holding her child (a baby) in her arms. I am Irish and I say to hell with what the Irish want. Apparently Tom, you have not seen the things I have seen.

[uheardme]

Bill O'Reilly
Sean Hannity
Brit Hume

Yeah, ok.

[godsbreath64]

FOX Muse!!

When the FCC fine them for abetting the absconding of Karl Rove?

[musicinmouth]

As an Irish person, it puzzles me why there would be any doubt as to which candidate might be preferred by the Irish. Here in Ireland we follow this election very closely and Barack Obama is extremely popular. It is difficult to find anyone who supports the Republican candidate. If we had any say in this election, we would vote 90+% in favour of Senator Obama. A recent poll in the Irish Times showed that Irish businesses would also vote overwhelmingly in favour of Senator Obama.

It is true that Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton have been extremely popular in Ireland, and for good reason. But I believe that Obama would get an even more enthusiastic welcome if he was to visit Ireland. His former advisor Samantha Power, who was born and grew up in Dublin, is also very popular here.

Ireland is one of the most pro-American countries in the world. We are all hoping that Senator Obama wins the election, so that we can start to believe in America again. I can't speak for Irish-Americans, but there should be no doubt that the people of Ireland (north and south) are supporting Barack Obama for President.

I don't know why you think that barriers between communities in N.I. have increased since the Good Friday agreement, that seems very untrue.

(On a side note, it was reported this week that researchers had discovered that a second great-grandparent of Senator Obama's was from Ireland.)

[ElkoJohn]

`
I really think a candidate needs to run on principals,
without pandering to the various powerful lobby groups
Italian, Irish, Latino, Israeli, etc., etc . . .
why not just run on the principles of our US Constitution
and Universal Human Rights --
and forget about ethnocentricity ??
'cause, ain't we all just humans from different backgrounds ??
`

[esully64]

Wow, as one who drives around with three bumper stickers on her Santa Fe
1. Obama, 2. Re-unite Ireland and 3. Coexist,
I'm amazed to come across a blog addressing the Irish American voice in this election. (A voice that is largely schizophrenic, mind you)

I come from a typical NYC Irish-Catholic family where blatant racism mingles with left-wing sentiment around the holiday dinner table. There were just as many Bush votes as there were Kerry votes to be found in our little familial enclave back in 2004.

Though my parent's generation was largely aware and supportive of Sinn Fein, sadly the political situation in Ireland have fallen off the political radar map of my siblings and Irish friends. In fact, when I proudly sported my new "Reunite Ireland" bumper sticker last year I might as well have been promoting peace on Mars. Those who bothered to comment only suggested that we learn to leave it alone-- there in Ireland-- the people are finally at peace, why stir the pot.

One O'Sullivan for O'Bama

[elizaW]

I'm an Irish-American who will not be voting for Obama because he has no experience and he's constantly changing his position on key issues so he can't be trusted. But the biggest strike against him is his tax policy. He's all for higher taxes, which he tries to soft sell by saying he's just going to tax the rich. That's such a blatant lie I'm surprised there's not more of a public outcry over the deception. The truth is Obama's economic policy will make life for professional middle class families very, very difficult. Obama may have a stronger case with Irish-American working class but the Irish have honed instincts when it comes to who can be trusted and who can't. My guess is Obama's pretty speeches will not be enough to gain their support.

[Jazz42]

There is no need to try and justify not voting for Senator Obama, more than likely you are not going to vote for Senator Obama in the first place.
(elizaW)

[IndomitableLion]

particularly when her 'justifications' make no sense whatsoever­....

[remc]

Please speak for yourself, eliza. I'm from Irish-American working class - now in the "professional middle class" as you put it, and my instincts tell me Obama's the real deal - he's got my vote, as well as the rest of my families'.

[momof3inGA]

I'm shocked at the misinformation you've written, elizaW. Barack's tax plan has been reviewed by independent groups and economists. The Tax Policy Center confirms that his plan will provide tax RELIEF to 95% of Americans. Regarding the "change of positions", I am amazed that you don't realize that his tax plan will give the biggest break to those making over 2.5 million dollars a year!

Wow. Go to Factcheck.org and the Tax Policy Center's websites. Both are non-partisan groups and see for yourself.