If the question is posed, "What can unite David Trimble and Ian Paisley?"
the answer is – a Republican! Both Unionist leaders, in common with the
overwhelming majority of the pro-Union people of Northern Ireland, would
prefer to see George. W. Bush returned to the White House as President next
week. Why is this?
After all, wasn't it a Democrat President, Bill Clinton, who blessed us with
the peace process? Wasn't it another Democrat, George Mitchell, who worked
so assiduously to formulate the "constructive ambiguity" of the Belfast
Agreement? And, isn't it true that the majority of the UK and Irish
population yearn to have Democrat candidate John Kerry entering the White
House?
Yet Unionists in Northern Ireland resolutely favour Bush over Kerry - even
in the teeth of a hysterical media "perfect storm" contrived to sink Bush
and propel the charmless junior senator for Massachusetts into the Oval
Office!
One fundamental reason why Bush is preferred over Kerry lies in considering
9/11. When thousands of innocents died at the hands of evil Jihadists in New
York, Washington and Pennsylvania, the world suddenly started talking about
the menace posed by terrorism.
Now admittedly such talk was veneer-deep when it came to axis-of-weasel
nations like France and Germany, but such is the global strength of the
United States that all of a sudden it was no longer chic to be a terrorist.
This obviously came as a traumatic blow to the IRA - the world's favourite
gang of paramilitary killers. Militant republicanism had to suddenly button
its lip and pretend that it wasn't an active terrorist group with links
across the world wide web of terror.
Unionists in Northern Ireland instantly related to the horror that New
Yorkers went through that September morning - after all they had decades to
become accustomed to the evil of terrorism. They too had lost loved ones,
slaughtered by barbarians for the "crime" of going to work. When republicans
machine-gunned and blew up Protestant workmen at Kingsmill and Teebane,
unionism was forced to cope with its own mini-9/11's.
Naturally, because these were only unionists being killed, there was little
global outcry. But thanks to George W. Bush's resolution and leadership,
9/11 re-defined terrorism. All terror groups were abruptly put on warning.
The IRA could no longer smugly threaten a return to its murderous bombing
campaign if Sinn Féin did not get its way, since it knew it would be swatted
by Bush administration pressure. For this, Unionists were and remain
appreciative.
Unionists also recall the Clinton years, when terrorist leaders and their
proxies were fawned over by the incumbent Democrat President. They
recognise the moral depravity of a President whose concern for a stain on an
interns dress turned into a stain on the Office of US President. Whilst
Clinton energises the liberal intelligentsia, he appals conservative-minded
unionists.
There are other reasons why Unionism backs Bush. His determination not to
kow-tow to the corrupt United Nations carries a resonance for those who view
that organised hypocrisy of mostly terrorist sponsoring States and
dictatorships as unfriendly to Unionism. This is the same gutless United
Nations that cannot even agree upon a definition of the word "terrorism" let
alone act against it!
There is also the proud historical resonance of US Presidents such as Andrew
Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt, all Republicans, and all
proud of their Northern Irish roots.
Flip flop Presidential candidate Kerry is frowned upon by the majority of
Unionists. This is quite remarkable given the frenzied Bush-bashing that has
characterised UK and Irish media coverage of the US elections. Happily,
Unionism sees through the girlie-man rhetoric of the chattering classes.
They know that when it comes to tackling terrorism, Kerry is the wrong man,
in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
His manifesto pledge that "the DUP cannot be permitted to disenfranchise
half the population of Northern Ireland by refusing to form a government
with Sinn Féin" may play well to republicans but leave the majority
pro-Union community cold. This is a man deeply unsympathetic to the will of
Unionism and he does deserve no respect.
Next week, when George. W. Bush is returned to the White House, and the GOP
gains an increased majority in the US Senate and House, unionists will have
cause for celebration as this most principled of Republicans ensures that
ALL terrorists are squeezed out of existence - from Baghdad to Belfast. Why
do Unionists back Bush? In short, it's the war, stupid!
