U.S. ambassador to Canada is 'excited' for election night

After two years of name-calling, insults, and sometimes outright lies, Americans will elect a president Tuesday night.

And people are excited about it.

"I didn't sleep as well last night because of adrenaline and excitement for the day and for our country," said Bruce Heyman, the U.S.Ambassador to Canada, said in an interview with CBC'sMetro Morning.

Heyman says despite the crass rhetoric of the campaign, he is proud to be an American.

Free speech trumps election vitriol

"I come from a country that values free speech," Heyman said. "During election time it's a time when people's emotions get piqued."

"It's during these windows of time when some of the most extreme comments actually come out."

But the payoff is worth it, he says.

"I would never want to sacrifice the freedoms that we have just to get a point of view off the table."

Economy a priority for ambassador

Bylaw, the ambassador isn't allowed to take a stand for one candidate or another, but there are particular issues Heyman says he's focused on. Trade is one, and economic growth.

"There are a very large group of Americans that feel that they're not part of the recovery process that has been taking place since this great recession in 2008, 2009," said Heyman.

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"The next president is going to have to take very seriously into account what kind of policies they're going to help implement to continue to lift up the middle class."

At the end of the day, Heyman says this election will not change therelationship between the Unites States andCanada.

"We'll still be the strongest of allies, the largest of trading partners, the deepest of friends."