Americans now calling Sask. home paying close attention to U.S. election

Even though they aren’t in the United States as the American election enters the final stages, Saskatchewan expats are waiting to see what the future holds for the country they once called home.

On Tuesday, the American public will head to the polls and choose between Donald Trump and Joe Biden as to who will lead the country for the next four years.

Rebekah Bennetch now calls Saskatoon home but is originally from Savannah, Ga. She said watching everything take place in the U.S. — from the protests to the fires to COVID-19 – has been tough on a lot of people.

“If you do have American friends who are expats that are living near you, just check in on us. It’s a really weird feeling to see your country disintegrate from a distance and not be able to do much more than just watch and do what you can from a distance. It’s really hard,” Bennetch said.

Bennetch, who has lived in Saskatoon since 2002, said she was shocked to see Trump win in 2016.

“I teach communication at the university (of Saskatchewan) and a big cornerstone of what I teach my students is the fact that ethics and integrity are a big part of what makes you successful as a communicator and I honestly never thought that Trump would get elected. I thought he was so ridiculous that there was no way that he would get elected but I was completely wrong,” Bennetch said.

She added she doesn’t recognize the country she grew up in anymore.

“The fact that it’s even a remotely close race right now is very difficult for me to accept because I find (Trump) such a morally repugnant person and I’m so angry at what he’s doing to my country, I think he’s out to destroy it. I’m not only angry with him but I’m angry at the system that’s allowing him and the people in his administration to cause such damage to the place that I love and the place that I still call home.” Bennetch said.

She noted while she would vote Democrat, her family would probably be voting for Trump and the Republican Party.

“It’s difficult. I try to be the good daughter and I try not to insert my views too much because I know I am quite different in terms of the political ideology I have,” Bennetch said. “It seems like such a high-stakes competition right now so I’ve spoken out a lot more than I usually have in the past.”

Cynthia Sanders is another American who now calls Saskatchewan home. Sanders moved to Regina in 2016.

“It seems like it’s getting ridiculous, to be honest,” Sanders said. “They’ve been campaigning for more than a year now. One thing I do like about Canada is the six-week election cycles. The American public has been dealing with this for over a year. It’s coming to a close. People are voting early. There’s a lot of divisiveness and it seems like it’s getting worse and worse.

“I feel like I’m looking into a fishbowl. Some of the things I see I can’t even believe it’s the country that I came from. I can’t believe someone wanted to kidnap one of the governors. It just seems surreal that’s what going on right now.”

A plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor, Gretchen Whitmer, was foiled by the FBI in early October.

Sanders said she also has had a tough year because she hasn’t been able to visit friends and family due to COVID-19.

“I haven’t been able to go back since Christmas. My son was born in February and I haven’t been there to visit friends and family. My mom hasn’t been able to get up (to Regina) yet. Just seeing what’s going on, I feel like I’m protected and isolated from it but at the same time I’m not,” Sanders said.

Sanders also mentioned many in her family on both sides of the political spectrum have made sure to go out and vote this time around.

“Nobody is apathetic and I think that’s what we need in a democracy,” she said.

Bennetch said she likes to stay involved in her community and politics and has done so by becoming a member of a number of boards in the Bridge City as well as helping out with the provincial election on Oct. 26.

“My real home right now is Canada. This is where I’ve chosen to raise my family and where I’ve chosen to really set my roots. It’s a weird feeling because this is my home but so is the States,” Bennetch said. “I wanted to support democracy and it made me weepy a bit to be able to throw my support in elections here in the province, recognizing I don’t have to fear for my safety. I don’t have to worry about a transition of power. My family in the States can’t say that right now.”

Bennetch said she has rented a hotel room in Saskatoon to watch the election results pour in rather than stay at home for them.

“I think it’s going to be a stressful night no matter what and the hard part is I’m trying to tell my brain that it’s not going to be over on Wednesday. Even if (Trump) does get voted out, he still has another two months to wreak some serious havoc in the office.

“As hard enough as it is in this pandemic, you’ve got to find these moments of joy and it will be a nice way to treat myself while getting out of my home space. And if it is a negative result, I don’t have to have that experience here in my home.”

Sanders is choosing to watch the election results come in at her home.

“My husband is Canadian and he’s obsessed with the FiveThirtyEight website (dedicated to the American election). He’s almost watching it more closely than I am because it’s so interesting what’s going on right now,” Sanders said.