# Simple question: Which of the democratic candidates for president are FREEMASONS? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2004, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603 "2004-01-22T08:16:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/41 "2004-01-26T03:45:03Z")
> [@Exapno Mapcase](#): > > I’m positive I just read a squib in a newspaper that said that Barbara Bush was just turned down when she applied to Skull & Bones, but I can’t find it on an Internet search. But that seems to mean 1) the end of the Bush dynasty and 2) the election of John Kerry in 2004. > > Joe Lieberman turned down Skull & Bones when he was at Yale, and look what happened to him. > > They control the world, you know. Yeah, but Lieberman’s Jewish. He don’t need no stinkin Skull & Bones. ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/42 "2004-01-26T04:48:46Z")
> [@Dewey Cheatem Undhow](#): > > This isn’t true. In the 20th century, the only lawyer presidents were McKinley, Taft, Wilson, Coolidge, FDR, Nixon, Ford and Clinton. If anything, we’ve been _less_ inclinded to elect lawyers to the presidency in the modern era – note most of the members of the above list predate WWII. Damn. It was such a nice theory. Anyway, I think I can still salvage a few things: Harvard and Yale are the two most prestigious schools to go to. They are the schools one goes to if one wants to make the connections that will serve a political career, especially one at the highest levels. MIT and Columbia are high-end schools, true, but Harvard and Yale are _Harvard and Yale_: The closest we have to an aristocracy pass through those halls. Could those connections be made via the Skull and Crossbones Society? You bet your ass. Hell, I think the highest levels are more chummy than some may think, simply due to connections like these. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/43 "2004-01-26T05:18:47Z")
> [@GMRyujin](#): > > Hey, **Paul’s** our man on the inside. So who are you guys going to put in office? Go wacky this year. Like Kuinich or Sharpton. Bah, I think that this year LaRouche can finally go all the way! ---
**Author:** ![ambushed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3bc359/32.png) [@ambushed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ambushed)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/44 "2004-01-26T08:53:17Z")
> [@AskNott](#): > > “Gas music from Jupiter” was a wee quote from Firesign Theater’s UFO-addled _Everything You Know Is Wrong._ The whole play is stuffed with wild fantasies to show that things are not what they seem. The websites we’ve seen in this thread reminded me a lot of Harry “Happy” Cox and his tales of stoned revolutionaries and alien visits. :rolleyes: Hey, any idea where I can score some more blue moss? Dogs really _did_[fly spaceships!](http://members.tripod.com/~ssehome/jsePage.html) ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2004, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/45 "2004-01-26T09:30:00Z")
I think we are all bozos on this bus. Once you put the nose on, it grows on. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/46 "2004-02-06T05:34:47Z")
> [@Paul in Saudi](#): > > **Gosh Darn it!** Shriners _are_ Masons. The Shrine is a Masonic organization! > > All members of the Shrine are members of the York or Scottish Rites. Therefore all of us are Master Masons. > > (sigh.) No need to get frustrated. I didn’t know that. I have never seen The Shriners and the Masons together. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/47 "2004-02-06T05:57:08Z")
> [@Derleth](#): > > OK, how many Presidents have been lawyers? A majority. A vast majority, in fact, especially if you restrict yourself to the past century or so. Depends on how you count it. In the years 1901-2000, lawyers were president 59 of those years. A majority of those years, but not a “vast” majority. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/48 "2004-02-06T06:10:18Z")
Correction to my previous post: lawyers were president 48 years in 1901-2000. Not even a majority. Note to **Exapno Mapcase** : Woodrow Wilson opened a law office in Atlanta in June 1882, and was admitted to the state bar a few months later. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/49 "2004-02-06T07:00:15Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > No need to get frustrated. I didn’t know that. I have never seen The Shriners and the Masons together. No problemo… but do me a favor and write down the phone number. Remember, young moms can be _very_ grateful. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2004, 7:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603/50 "2004-02-06T07:12:38Z")
> [@SMTWTFS](#): > > And the Knights of Columbus is based in New Haven (also home to Yale). Coincidence? I think not. On the off chance that this post is serious… Yes, coincidence. The K of C was founded in 1882 by Fr. Michael J. McGivney, a Catholic priest in the then-diocese (now archdiocese) of Hartford, and assigned to St. Mary’s Church in New Haven. He had no connection to Yale, and the Order maintains its headquarters there today mainly out of a sense of tradition. San Salvador Council #1 is still active in New Haven, joined by over 13,000 other councils throughout the world. But no link, other than geographical, to Yale. - SK Rick PGK, FDD, PFN [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/simple-question-which-of-the-democratic-candidates-for-president-are-freemasons/225603.md?page=2)