The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has congratulated President Bush on his re-election and said he feared the State would have suffered economically had Senator John Kerry been elected.
Mr Ahern said: "Looking at the policies in the manifestos of both candidates, had Senator Kerry been elected, US multinationals abroad would be subject to a new taxation, which would have had a significant impact on the Irish economy.
"I would have begun immediately a process of lobbying to ensure such a tax would not have been introduced.
"From an Irish point of view, on the straight policies of it, by having the Bush administration, in terms of economic policy we're in a stronger position."
Despite the Republic's traditional link with the Democrats, Irish people had to respect the majority of opinion in America, he said. "We will always have a special relationship with the Democratic Party and that will continue. In our history there is no doubts that our friends were in the Democratic Party. The people I would have known personally would be in the Democratic Party. However, in the US the people are split," Mr Ahern said.
"I have conveyed my warmest congratulations to President George W. Bush on his re-election and my best wishes to him in addressing the challenges over the next four years. I have also conveyed my best wishes for the future to Senator John Kerry and his team," Mr Ahern added.