# Could a Jew get elected POTUS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [March 16, 2006, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552 "2006-03-16T01:46:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/21 "2006-03-16T07:47:18Z")
You said you “assumed” he was Jewish. I am confirming that he is (I worked on his first campaign for Senate). No need to get hostile. ---
**Author:** ![elfbabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b782af/32.png) [@elfbabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfbabe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/22 "2006-03-16T07:53:15Z")
From [here](http://progressivepatriotsfund.com/content/15/senator-feingold): “Feingold is a member of Beth Hillel Temple in Kenosha, Wisconsin.” That good enough for you, **John Mace**? ;j ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/23 "2006-03-16T08:39:55Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > I also think the “buddy/buddy” thing between Fundies and Jews is largely disingenuous on the part of the Fundies. No matter what they say to their faces, the Fundies still think the Jews are either going to burn in hell or be converted to Christianitu _en masse_ on Judgement Day. They may be polite to the Jews and support Israel (because they think it plays a part in their Rapture/Apocalypse pageant) but they don’t really respect Judaism as a religion. Dude, you’ve got it all wrong. Do you really think we Jews don’t know what the fundamentalists think? You can’t play a player. After all, those bible-thumpers are the perfect patsies. They give us support, and in return we convert and/or die when Christ returns… except we know that their Man Jesus is _never_ coming back, which mean we’ll never have to keep our end of the bargain. How sweet a deal is that? I’m sure they’ll catch on one day, but until then all we have to do is make vague talk about the future, keep a straight face, and we’re in gravy. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/24 "2006-03-16T12:10:05Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > A Jew from Texas would have a much better chance. I called both of 'em. They don’t want the job. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/25 "2006-03-16T12:17:14Z")
Surely Kinky would at least consider it? ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/26 "2006-03-16T14:25:32Z")
> [@Diogenes the Cynic](#): > > Lieberman was Jewish. He sure was. And the exact words I recall down here (lovely Jackson, MS) were, “I would have liked to vote for Gore, but I just couldn’t bring myself to vote for a jew.” In my experience down here, non-Bapists (You’re Catholic? I knew someone who had that) are weird and frightening. Non-Christians? I think they eat babies or something. Not that the Dems even have a chance of getting MS’s electorals - unless the Pubbies nominate a black jewish lesian or somethng. -Joe ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/27 "2006-03-16T14:25:33Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > It’s intersting that you seem to be the only one here obsessed about his name. It IS true, though, that someone with a non-“American” name has more of an uphill battle to climb than someone named Clinton or Bush. Perhaps this is less true for Feingold than for people with even more ethnic-sounding name, but yeah, I think a lot of Americans are programmed to think of certain names as being more Presidential than others. I mean, just look at the presidents we’ve had since Kennedy (and even that name isn’t all that ethnic), it’s nothing but strong cowboy WASP names. I don’t think a Jewish person could be elected President in a million years. It took us almost two centuries to elect a Catholic, and there was controversy then, and the government is even more far-right now. Maybe people don’t care about specific denominations so much, but they do care about the major divisions (Christian/Jewish and even Protestant/Catholic–my housemate’s father who is a fundie actually did tell her that she should under no circumstances consider marrying a Catholic, so there is still a split in this day and age), and I think **DtC** is right about the love of Jews by the fundies all being a sham to play into their Rapture fantasies. The Democrats will be too scared to nominate anyone but a male WASP with a monosyllabic name so they can pander to the “average American” and I just don’t think the Republicans would do such a thing. Everyone is too scared of tipping the boat. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/28 "2006-03-16T14:50:58Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > It IS true, though, that someone with a non-“American” name has more of an uphill battle to climb than someone named Clinton or Bush. Perhaps this is less true for Feingold than for people with even more ethnic-sounding name, but yeah, I think a lot of Americans are programmed to think of certain names as being more Presidential than others. I mean, just look at the presidents we’ve had since Kennedy (and even that name isn’t all that ethnic), it’s nothing but strong cowboy WASP names. Do you think Michael Dukakis could have beaten Bush I, if his Greek parents had had the foresight to shorten their name to “Duke” as soon as they arrived on our shores? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/29 "2006-03-16T14:58:37Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > I opened the thread to mention _The New Republic_ touting Feingold as a contender for the Democratic nom. I remember thinking, is America ready for a President named Feingold? I mean, come on, his name is “Fine Gold”! For an ornamental Ashkenazic name, it’s not strange, but for Gentile American culture, it’s funny. Huh? I never thought anything was even strange or un-middle-american about the name “Feingold”, let alone think that he was a Jew. I didn’t know that until this thread. That said: meh. I don’t care, and the majority of Americans don’t really care. It seems bizarre to me that even a small number of Americans are influenced by stuff like that. I can wrap my head around racism based on one’s physical characteristics if I really try – after all, you can see the differences – but anti-Semitism is truly bizarre to me. So I can honestly say that I would base my decision entirely on his positions, and I can safely say that most voters would as well (except those Southerners who don’t vote for him because he’s a Northerner.) ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/30 "2006-03-16T15:23:58Z")
> [@Bryan Ekers](#): > > I called both of 'em. They don’t want the job. _The American Jewish Year Book 2002_ puts the number of Jews in Texas at 131,000. Shalom, y’all! ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/31 "2006-03-16T15:33:25Z")
> [@](#): > > I called both of 'em. They don’t want the job. You do know there’s a decent-sized Jewish community in Texas? Here in Houston we even have a “Jewish” section of town, complete with _eruv_ and everything. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/32 "2006-03-16T16:21:39Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Do you think Michael Dukakis could have beaten Bush I, if his Greek parents had had the foresight to shorten their name to “Duke” as soon as they arrived on our shores? Well, it’s not ALL about the name, of course, and in that election it wouldn’t have made a difference. But people do have pre-conceived prejudices about others based on their names. There was a study done (don’t have time to search for it now, maybe some others do) showing that people with ethnic-sounding (white ethnic names, like Italian, Jewish, and Eastern European ones) names are less likely to be called back for job interviews than people with Anglo-Saxon names, all other details being equal. Why wouldn’t this prejudice carry over to the highest office in the country? Other than Kennedy and Eisenhower, I can’t think of any President who’s had an “ethnic” last name, even though people from that other part of the continent have been in this country over a century. You can’t deny that a LOT of voters don’t vote on the issues but instead vote on the “branding,” and there were no cowboys named Dukakis. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/33 "2006-03-16T16:25:56Z")
Interesting question. I thought that sen. joe Lieberman (CT), would be a likely candidate. he had this 'clean" image. of course, now that he’s acknowledged taking money from ENRON and Jack Abramoff, i’ve pretty much given up on his chances. I guess its nearly impossible to reach the point of running for POTUS, without accumulating some scandal in your life. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/34 "2006-03-16T16:42:21Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Other than Kennedy and Eisenhower, I can’t think of any President who’s had an “ethnic” last name, even though people from that other part of the continent have been in this country over a century. Van Buren, Buchanan, McKinley, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, and Reagan. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/35 "2006-03-16T16:59:53Z")
> [@yBeayf](#): > > You do know there’s a decent-sized Jewish community in Texas? Well, yes. ---
**Author:** ![davenportavenger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@davenportavenger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davenportavenger)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/36 "2006-03-16T17:05:40Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Van Buren, Buchanan, McKinley, Roosevelt, Roosevelt, and Reagan. Touche. But I think those names sound more “Presidential” than, like, Slutakowsky or something. I mean, they are all pretty easy to pronounce on sight (except maybe Roosevelt) and don’t have that many syllables. And they don’t sound THAT “ethnic,” I mean I didn’t even know they were. I highly doubt that someone with, say, an Arabic name (someone who is non-Muslim, and doesn’t even look Middle Eastern) could be elected in America even if his family has been in the country for a century and is as American as anyone on the block. The associations are just too strong. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/37 "2006-03-16T17:10:31Z")
Could Michael Bloomberg someday run? He seems to be pulling off a successul continuation of Rudy’s running of NYC without the controversy and divisivieness. I really like him so far. My type of republican overall. Jim BTW: He is Jewish, I verified. He was an Eagle Scout and a Havard Business School MBA Grad. ---
**Author:** ![Martha\_Medea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@Martha\_Medea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Martha_Medea)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/38 "2006-03-16T17:12:03Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > I highly doubt that someone with, say, an Arabic name (someone who is non-Muslim, and doesn’t even look Middle Eastern) could be elected in America even if his family has been in the country for a century and is as American as anyone on the block. The associations are just too strong. What about Nader? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/39 "2006-03-16T17:13:18Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > I highly doubt that someone with, say, an Arabic name (someone who is non-Muslim, and doesn’t even look Middle Eastern) could be elected in America even if his family has been in the country for a century and is as American as anyone on the block. The associations are just too strong. You mean Ralph Nader? 🙂 Ok, he couldn’t become president, but that’s more of the third party leftwing thing than the Arab thing. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2006, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552/40 "2006-03-16T18:56:09Z")
> [@davenportavenger](#): > > Other than Kennedy and Eisenhower, I can’t think of any President who’s had an “ethnic” last name, even though people from that other part of the continent have been in this country over a century. What part of any continent would both “Kennedy” and “Eisenhower” come from? And wouldn’t “Reagan” be about the same as “Kennedy”? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-a-jew-get-elected-potus/348552.md?page=3)