# A Muslim President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 12, 2004, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876 "2004-03-12T11:53:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/21 "2004-03-12T16:25:34Z")
One cite among many for the James Buchanan story. Another > [@](#): > > Throughout his presidency there were rumors that he was a homosexual. He had a twenty-three year friendship with William Rufus De Vane King, who became vice-president under Franklin Pierce. They were roommates in Washington, and King’s ‘fastidious habits and conspicuous intimacy with bachelor Buchanan gave rise to some cruel jibes’. > > Andrew Jackson called King “Miss Nancy”. Others called him “Buchanan’s better half” and “Aunt Fancy”. James K. Polk’s law partner called him “Mrs. James Buchanan” and continually made references to “Buchanan and his wife”. King himself penned long and intimate letters to Buchanan. When appointed minister to France, King wrote to Buchanan, “I am selfish enough to hope you will not be able to procure an associate who will cause you to feel no regret at our seperation.” > > King was also this country’s only unmarried vice-president, as Buchanan was our only unmarried president. Odds are the gay barrier was broken long ago for both top offices. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/22 "2004-03-12T16:42:00Z")
That’s it! We’ve got to make a three dollar bill and put Buchanan’s portrait on it. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/23 "2004-03-12T18:11:50Z")
When John Ashcroft was nominated for Attorney General, there was a lot of pre-emptive reverse political correctness to the effect that nobody should oppose his nomination based upon his religious beliefs. This blurred the distinction between a politician’s _identy_ as a member of a cultural group and any public _policies_ his religion–as opposed to the interests of the American people–may compel him to pursue. The liberal response to anti-Catholic fears vis-a-vis Kennedy was that he _wouldn’t_ take orders from the Pope–that being a stereotype–not that he had every right to do so in the name of religious freedom. So it would be one thing elect a president who happened to have a Muslim background, but someting quite another to have a president who would base his policies on Islam. What if, in the unlikely event we feel compelled to go to war with a Muslim country, the president refuses to act? (OTOH, if we had elected a Muslim president in 2000… …they would have attacked us on 9/11 anyway since our president’s a traitor to Islam). The bottom line question to any candidate is, which comes first, your devotion to your religion or to the American people? ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/24 "2004-03-12T19:15:05Z")
Am I the only person who finds it rather depressing to read this thread? The American _ideal_ is that anyone can be President. The American _reality_ is that only rich, white, heterosexual Protestant males have a decent chance of being President. Not a new realization, of course, but still a depressing reminder. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/25 "2004-03-12T19:21:00Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > From what I recall, FDR wasn’t handicapped when he first ran. And even afterwards, I believe he took great pains to hide the extent of his disabilities. So I’d still say we have yet to see an openly severely handicapped fellow get elected (I guess you might say one got RE-elected, depending on how many Americans knew the extent of his health). > \ You so beat me to it! I was about to jump all over this, too and say he did a really great job of hiding his disability. Many people didn’t know. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/26 "2004-03-12T23:16:56Z")
> [@](#): > > The American ideal is that anyone can be President. > The American reality is that only rich, white, heterosexual Protestant males have a decent chance of being President. True. But if you’re running a marathon where you take one step every 4 years, it’s gonna take a while to catch up to someone who had a 200 year head start. Also, the number of white, protestant, heterosexual males who _haven’t_ been elected president is exceeded–slightly–only by the number of white heterosexual females. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/27 "2004-03-12T23:41:53Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > I’d say the following groups get a President before Muslims: > > Arab-Americans (non-Muslim) > Agnostics > Athiests You do realize, of course, that given that non-Muslim Arabs are virtually non-existent in the Middle East (outside Lebanon, and even there they constitute a minority) the chance that there are enough in _this_ country to ever offer a candidacy for President is minute? Thomas Jefferson was essentially a deist, which makes him an agnostic in the eyes of some and an atheist in the eyes of others… ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2004, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/28 "2004-03-12T23:50:41Z")
Do people actually vote based on religion? Am I just hopelessly out of it here? I never even check to see what their religions are. What you have to look for is: Are there any Muslims (native born, reasonably wealthy) running for grassroots or low level elective offices? The problem with the blacks (and hispanics) are there AREN’T a lot of high quality (read well known, fairly rich and well connected, with bland agendas that have mass appeal, especially to the center) out there. Thats why you don’t see them moving up to the further tiers of Senate and Congress, let along Governor (all stepping stones to the presidency or at least major party candidacy…there are of course exceptions of couse, but the majority of folks in those levels of government are still White afaik). Personally I think that there will be a hispanic president in my life time (I’m hoping Richardson from NM is it) as well as a woman (Always felt the wrong Dole ran) and a black (Wish C. Powers would run). I see nothing wrong with a Muslim president…except I don’t know how many Muslims are currently entering politics and moving their way up. Its kind of like professional sports in a way…it takes a lot of folks trying out to get the very few players. Same in politics. White folks have dominated because White folks were mostly who played the game. Thats changing. Given time we’ll see the rewards of that IMO (It hasn’t been that long before the minorities were even fully empowered and these things do take time). I for one am patient…one day there will be a hispanic in the White House and I’ll be cheering big time. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/29 "2004-03-13T02:08:28Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > You do realize, of course, that given that non-Muslim Arabs are virtually non-existent in the Middle East (outside Lebanon, and even there they constitute a minority) the chance that there are enough in _this_ country to ever offer a candidacy for President is minute? A non-Muslim Arab finished third in the 2000 Presidential election. ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/30 "2004-03-13T02:24:42Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > You do realize, of course, that given that non-Muslim Arabs are virtually non-existent in the Middle East (outside Lebanon, and even there they constitute a minority) the chance that there are enough in _this_ country to ever offer a candidacy for President is minute? [“The majority of Arab Americans are Christian.”](http://www.aaiusa.org/demographics.htm) 'Course it’s a Zogby poll, and _he’s_ a non-Muslim Arab. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/31 "2004-03-13T04:03:58Z")
**However, I think it will be many, many years before the US is ready for the idea of a Muslim President. What say you? Could it happen?** Will never happen. You will see one of the Fab Five elected President before a Muslim. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/32 "2004-03-13T04:41:55Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > One cite among many for the James Buchanan story. Another > > Odds are the gay barrier was broken long ago for both top offices. But again, if he wasn’t openly gay, then the gay barrier wasn’t _really_ broken. Barriers are broken when the populace _knows_ that some fellow has this undesirable characteristic and still elect/hire him. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/33 "2004-03-13T05:11:59Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > Muslims should beat out the following, though: > > Severely handicapped (i.e. missing legs, etc.) Sorry if this is going off on a tangent, but I honestly don’t see how this would be a disqualification. Heck, it might even be an advantage, if the person were a war hero or something roughly equivalent. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/34 "2004-03-13T05:32:00Z")
> [@Raygun99](#): > > A non-Muslim Arab finished third in the 2000 Presidential election. Nader? I thought he was Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@Sam\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_H)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/35 "2004-03-13T07:00:19Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > Nader? I thought he was Jewish. Nader was of Lebanese decent. FDR was nominated for Veep on the national ticket. I think it was in 1918. It was certainly before he had polio. I don’t think he would have been able to run in the first place had his bout with polio preceded his first run for elective office. There’s a book that was published a few years ago about just how much of an effort was made to convince the public that FDR had largely recovered from his bout with polio. Apparently the general public was far less aware of the full extent of his injuries than his close associates. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/36 "2004-03-13T07:21:05Z")
> [@Eva Luna](#): > > A Jewish friend of mine who went to college in rural Wisconsin was astounded when she discovered that a fellow student actually believed that Jews had horns. Both of Wisconsin’s U.S. senators, Herb Kohl and Russ Feingold, are Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/37 "2004-03-13T07:23:44Z")
**rjung:** _The American reality is that only rich, white, heterosexual Protestant males have a decent chance of being President._ Well, we did elect one rich white heterosexual Catholic male in John Kennedy. I hope we have at least a “decent chance” of electing another in John Kerry. Not that I don’t think it’s also important to give the non-rich, non-white, non-heterosexual, non-Christian, and/or non-male citizens of this country an equal chance at the job, but every little bit helps. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/38 "2004-03-13T08:15:42Z")
> [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > You do realize, of course, that given that non-Muslim Arabs are virtually non-existent in the Middle East (outside Lebanon, and even there they constitute a minority) This is a bit overstated. Taking a typically arbitary definition of Middle East/North Africa we have about 30% of the population of Lebanon, ~10% of Syria, ~5-15% of Egypt ( exact numbers disputed, but it is in the multiple millions regardless given Egypt’s large population ), ~6% of Jordan, ~7-10% of Palestinians ( very roughly estimated based on worldwide diaspora, not just West Bank and Gaza - probably mixes with Jordanian numbers in particular a fair bit ), ~5% of Kuwait, ~5% of Qatar, ~5% Azerbaijan, ~3-5% of Iraq, 2-4% U.A.E., ~2% Israel, ~1-2% in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Iran, smaller numbers elsewhere ( excluding Armenia of course, which is ~98% Christian ). Best guess is that there are ~15-20 million Christians in the Middle East/North Africa, plus a pretty sizeable number in diaspora from the region. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 8:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/39 "2004-03-13T08:30:20Z")
Oh, I should add that the majority of the above-mentioned Christians are in fact Arabs ( that is, native speakers of Arabic as their first language ), but a minority are not. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2004, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876/40 "2004-03-13T09:09:51Z")
> [@Bibliovore](#): > > Now while I understand that you have to be born in the US to have a shot at the Presidency… [nitpick, but exact wording is important] [Article II of the U.S. Constitution](http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html) says that: > [@](#): > > No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President “Natural born Citizen” is **NOT** the same as “born in the US”. For example, Barry Goldwater and John McCain – past and (possibly) future Presidential candidates – were not born in the US. [/nitpick, but exact wording is important] [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-muslim-president/233876.md?page=3)