WHILE the world waits to see who will be announced as the 45th President of the United States of America, one local woman watches on with nervous dread.
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For Leeton woman Debbie Ierano, the potentially dangerous unrest the election result could cause in her home country has been a frightening thought weighing on her mind.
“It is so divisive that no matter who wins a lot of people are going to be unhappy,” she said.
“My mum still lives there and I worry about what the climate will be like after the election.
“Of course I would prefer that Hilary Clinton win, but I know there are a lot of people who would be horrified if she did.
“I feel sick to my stomach, and I am not being dramatic.”
For the softly spoken and considerate Mrs Ierano, being an American in Leeton over the past few months has placed her in an uncomfortable position.
Typically, she said, her own political views were not something she shared, but this election didn’t leave her with that luxury.
“I never want to alienate people, but people hear my accent and they want to know what I think of the election, and of Donald Trump and to a lesser extent Hilary Clinton,” she said.
“In a way it is hard for me to answer and I don’t know what to say, I personally don’t like Donald Trump, but it would usually be something I keep to myself.
“I want to respect other people’s point-of-view but this election seems to be so divisive that you almost can’t be neutral.”
On Monday Mrs Ierano had already cast her vote from the other side of the world in the hopes of doing her part to stop a man who she believes is wholly unfit to be President.
“I can’t believe anyone would take him seriously as a candidate,” she said.
“He is not intellectually capable, he doesn’t have good judgement, maturity or temperament, he is completely lacking in all requirements to be President.
She said the focus on policy has completely eroded and the campaign has been so filled with drama she’s likened it to a soap opera.
“They’re not talking about issues that effect people’s lives they’re not talking about wages or healthcare or climate change,” she said.
“They’re not talking about anything except individual characteristics and whether or not you like them in terms of their personalities - but there is no substance to what is being said.
“As an American expat you always have this ‘cringey’ feeling, you never know how people are going to react to you – this is like that on steroids.
“You are permanently ready for someone to have a go at you.
For a country with as much pride as the USA, she said this election had been a difficult experience.
“There have been times when the mocking feels unfair, because of course real American life is a lot more nuanced than what you see play out on the news.
“There are a lot of thoughtful, intelligent people there and with something like this it becomes harder to defend that idea.”
