Beginning in the 1930s, the Irish became more visible in the ranks of Republicans, disrupting decades-old loyalties writes Robert Schmuhl From the time of the Great Hunger through the early decades of the 20th century, the American Irish tended to be nearly as faithful to the Democratic Party as to the Catholic Church. Big-city political organizations worked with machine-like … [Read more...] about Crossing Over
Tim Kaine
Tim Kaine's Irish Roots
Just how Irish is the Democratic vice-presidential nominee? And what does Tim Kaine's family tree have in common with Downtown Abbey? ℘℘℘ No sooner had Hillary Clinton announced Tim Kaine as her running mate than articles on his roots began to appear – mostly about his inherent Irishness. There’s good reason for this, as he is of mostly Irish heritage – about 80 percent, with … [Read more...] about Tim Kaine's Irish Roots
Continuity and Change: The Irish Role in American Politics
For the second straight White House election, the Democratic and Republican candidates for vice president grew up in strong Irish American and Catholic families. Eyebrow-arching in itself, the fact that these four figures share a similar heritage helps illustrate what you might call the Irish political diaspora within the U.S. From the time of the Great Hunger through the early … [Read more...] about Continuity and Change: The Irish Role in American Politics
Kaine’s Strong Irish Roots
It worked for Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton may have had this in mind when she selected an Irish Catholic senator – which is also current vice president Joe Biden’s background – to be her running mate. In July, Clinton selected former Virginia governor and current U.S. senator Tim Kaine, 58, as her vice presidential choice. Kaine has Irish roots in Longford and Kilkenny and all … [Read more...] about Kaine’s Strong Irish Roots