Savouring the Irish American dream

Attending the world’s biggest political convention is not for the faint hearted.

We’re well used to party conferences in the North, across the spectrum of parties. But an American-style Political Convention held every four years to formally select a US Presidential candidate is on a mega-scale.

Cue Air Force One arriving, with Marine One helicopters in tow. Accompanied by Osprey military aircraft to scan the city beneath.

As I awaited President Joe Biden’s arrival on the heavily-secured tarmac at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport with the White House Press Corps it became a truly surreal experience.

Even though I’d been at Belfast’s International Airport in April 2023 to experience the same aircraft as the 46th President arrived on his all-Ireland state visit last year. Better pictures, formalities and proximity this time. Despite the 95-degree heat and saturation of nearby US Secret Service (USSS) personnel.

Last week was a 50,000-strong event gathered to see multiple presidents endorse Kamala Harris as the one to keep Donald Trump from re-entering the White House. Some 15,000 global media were also on site. As a guest of the DNC, I got to mingle with delegates, the world’s media and chat with globally familiar personalities from US politics. Now, if only Bernie Sanders would just smile.

Democrat governors would saunter past – from suggested presidential contender Gavin Newsom of California, to New York governor Kathy Hochul, whose grandparents hail from Kerry. Then Terry McAuliffe, former resident of Virginia’s governor’s mansion who accompanied President Clinton to Belfast’s Mackies plant in the aforementioned 1995 visit. I’d spoken with him at the 25th Anniversary commemorations of the Good Friday Agreement at Queen’s University last year. He remembered the conversation (and quoted it back). Our peace process clearly holds a special place in the pride of Democratic politicians.

In presidential elections all are wary of the much-anticipated ‘October surprise’ ahead of the 5th of November vote. In similar fashion at the convention I did a double-take when the notorious figure of Donald Trump’s incarcerated lawyer Michael Cohen walked past. Trump’s former fixer was a top mixer at the DNC, and barked back at cat-calls he received from attendees.

I couldn’t help but ask him of his regrets at his association with Trump, which earned him a 3-year prison sentence for payments in the Stormy Daniels scandal. He repeated his contrite sentiments regularly heard in his podcast ‘Mea Culpa’. Only in American politics, folks.

Local met global at the Convention with the involvement of the Irish-American caucus, led by the son of a Donegal departee, Congressman Brendan Boyle. The fresh-faced and continuously rising star within the Democratic Party, Boyle is to Irish-America what the first-rate and consummate Pete Buttigieg is to the presidential cabinet.

His father Frank Boyle’s emotive departure from Glencolmcille in Donegal aged 19 on a weary emigrant ship, has given way to his son’s prestigious passage on military jets and guest on Air Force One at the invitation of President Obama. Talk about the epitome of the Irish-American dream.

Northern Ireland continues to enjoy coveted access and engagement in American politics. No more so than in Omagh, with presidential visits and support following the 1998 atrocity. I broke the story of Good Friday talks chairman Senator George Mitchell naming his newborn daughter after bomb survivor Claire Gallagher. The Clintons’ ‘First Daughter’ Chelsea wrote her university thesis at California’s Stanford University on the Irish peace process, with interview access to top NI politicians courtesy of dad.

Soaking up the electric atmosphere of the auditorium speeches, and networking outside them was an unforgettable experience.

The DNC convention was a powerful and prestigious reminder that in a President Kamala Harris White House, Irish peace, progress and prosperity will remain top of the American agenda.

Roll on 70 days’ time to election day. I’ll be there.