# Voting Americans in general are racist, homophobic, anti-semetic and anti-islamic. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 30, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298 "2010-05-30T16:53:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/1 "2010-05-30T16:53:30Z")
Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)? If so, do you think those aspects don’t play in to most voters minds, and if not, do you agree that most voters are racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and anti-islamic? ---
**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:** [May 30, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/2 "2010-05-30T16:55:30Z")
> [@Jump](#): > > Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)? You forgot black. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/3 "2010-05-30T16:59:58Z")
> [@Jump](#): > > Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)? > > If so, do you think those aspects don’t play in to most voters minds, and if not, do you agree that most voters are racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and anti-islamic? Two responses: 1. How short our memories are. In 2000, Joe Lieberman, who is Jewish, was the candidate for V.P. on the Democratic ticket, and they almost won. 2. Five years ago you could have added Black to that list. But now we have a black president. In other words, things change. ---
**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:** [May 30, 2010, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/4 "2010-05-30T17:00:53Z")
That’s crazy. There’s no way any of them would be elected if they were black. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/5 "2010-05-30T17:04:50Z")
Ok, take racist off the list. That hasn’t been an issue in politics in the past few years. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/6 "2010-05-30T17:08:45Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#): > > That’s crazy. There’s no way any of them would be elected if they were black. Actually, I don’t think that normally a black man could’ve gotten elected President. But between the backlash against Bush and McCain’s rotten campaign Obama got in. If he’d been white I expect he’d had a much bigger margin, and would face less insane hatred from his opponents. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/7 "2010-05-30T17:12:02Z")
Wow, four responses and not actual answeres to my question. Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)? If so, do you think those aspects don’t play in to most voters minds, and if not, do you agree that most voters are racist, homophobic, anti-semitic and anti-islamic? (and please, no more “our president is half black, so we aren’t prejudice at all!!!” responses.) ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/8 "2010-05-30T17:16:39Z")
If they were one of those 4, no they would not have been elected. That is what you asked. Now, Which One? ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/9 "2010-05-30T17:18:09Z")
Jewish? I doubt it. Plenty of Jews in politics. As noted above, Joe Lieberman is Jewish and that’s a total non-issue. I think if Barack Obama had been Mexican or otherwise Latino, he’d have been more electable than he was because no one could sling a “secret Muslim” charge at him. “Secret Catholic” hasn’t mattered since the sixties. Sure, there are racists and homophobes that vote, and even racists and homophobes that vote based on their prejudices. But they don’t necessarily swing elections. Gay? I don’t know. Barney Frank is gay, and he manages pretty well. There are Islamic members of Congress. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/10 "2010-05-30T17:19:21Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > If they were one of those 4, no they would not have been elected. That is what you asked. > > Now, Which One? Umm, either gay, mexican, islamic or jewish?? Does it matter which one? ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/11 "2010-05-30T17:20:27Z")
gay, muslim? no. hispanic/jewish? possibly. i think being jewish is would be preferred to being mormon. also, it’s not about being actively hateful against gays and muslims though. it’s about relatability. a voter wants to vote for someone that he/she feels comfortable representing his/her values. a homosexual, or a religion with some far-out connotations don’t inspire confidence in that respect ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/12 "2010-05-30T17:22:26Z")
> [@appleciders](#): > > Jewish? I doubt it. Plenty of Jews in politics. As noted above, Joe Lieberman is Jewish and that’s a total non-issue. > > I think if Barack Obama had been Mexican or otherwise Latino, he’d have been more electable than he was because no one could sling a “secret Muslim” charge at him. “Secret Catholic” hasn’t mattered since the sixties. > > Sure, there are racists and homophobes that vote, and even racists and homophobes that vote based on their prejudices. But they don’t necessarily swing elections. > Gay? I don’t know. Barney Frank is gay, and he manages pretty well. > > There are Islamic members of Congress. I know there are gays and muslims in politics. Please read the OP again. “Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)?” I.e If Bush was gay, would he have won? If Obama was Muslim do you think he’d win? If Clinton was Mexican do you think he’d win? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/13 "2010-05-30T17:33:44Z")
If Obama was a muslim, no, he would not have won. If Obama was Jewish, yes, he would have won. If Obama was openly gay–it’s 50/50 he would have won. If Obama was Mexican–yes, he would have won. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/14 "2010-05-30T17:36:16Z")
> [@Jump](#): > > I know there are gays and muslims in politics. Please read the OP again. > > “Do you think that if everything else had been equal at the time and if George H W Bush, Bill Clinton, George W Bush, or Barack Obama were either Mexican, Gay, Jewish, or Islamic, they would have still been elected President (Or selected as their parties candidate during their primaries)?” > > I.e If Bush was gay, would he have won? If Obama was Muslim do you think he’d win? If Clinton was Mexican do you think he’d win? Ok, I’ll answer your question directly: No, for Mexican, Gay, or Islamic. Maybe for Jewish. But what does that mean? The past is the past. We should be concerned about the present and the future. In the future these are all possible, I believe – and the recent past is what proves it, with a current black president and a recent Jewish V.P. candiate. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/15 "2010-05-30T17:37:07Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > If Obama was a muslim, no, he would not have won. > If Obama was Jewish, yes, he would have won. > If Obama was openly gay–it’s 50/50 he would have won. > If Obama was Mexican–yes, he would have won. Ok, now Bush, Clinton and Bush..? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/16 "2010-05-30T17:37:31Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > If Obama was openly gay–it’s 50/50 he would have won. No way. > [@](#): > > If Obama was Mexican–yes, he would have won. _Si se puede!_ ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/17 "2010-05-30T17:38:45Z")
> [@Jump](#): > > Ok, take racist off the list. That hasn’t been an issue in politics in the past few years. Bullshit. It’s been a very big issue. You just want to take “black” off the list because we elected a black president. If you wrote the OP back in 2004, you’d for damn sure have included “black” on your list, because electing a black man as president would be unthinkable. Except, it happened. So sure, a gay, jewish, atheist, or muslim candidate would face a steeper challenge than a straight christian candidate, possibly insurmountably steeper. And a Mexican candidate would face a problem in that the constitution requires that candidates be natural born citizens of this country, and Mexican citizens are not eligible to run for office in the United States. If you meant Mexican-American rather than Mexican, then that doesn’t seem to be any sort of problem. There are plenty of Hispanic politicians. Take a look at the pool of successful presidential candidates. They are pretty much all Senators, Governors, or victorious commanding generals. A few representatives in there. Except the problem for a representative is, if they’re such a great candidate for President, why haven’t they managed to get themselves elected Senator yet? So to determine whether minority X has a shot at the presidency, take a look at the distribution of minority X in the candidate pool. If there aren’t any muslims or gays, then there’s no chance. If there are plenty of jews and hispanics and blacks, then there’s a chance. Of course, you have your Ross Perots and your Pat Robertsons and your Pat Buchanans and your Ralph Naders. Except these people aren’t very successful. And again, if these guys have the chops to be president, why haven’t they been able to swing a Senatorship, or a Governorship? If you don’t have the political skills to get elected to one of the 100 Senatorships or 50 Governorships, then how the heck do you expect to get elected president? ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/18 "2010-05-30T17:39:26Z")
> [@suranyi](#): > > Ok, I’ll answer your question directly: No, for Mexican, Gay, or Islamic. Maybe for Jewish. But what does that mean? The past is the past. We should be concerned about the present and the future. In the future these are all possible, I believe – and the recent past is what proves it, with a current black president and a recent Jewish V.P. candiate. Wasn’t really asking about the future, or past candidates, but thanks for trying. ---
**Author:** ![Jump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@Jump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jump)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/19 "2010-05-30T17:42:40Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > Bullshit. It’s been a very big issue. You just want to take “black” off the list because we elected a black president. If you wrote the OP back in 2004, you’d for damn sure have included “black” on your list, because electing a black man as president would be unthinkable. Except, it happened. > > So sure, a gay, jewish, atheist, or muslim candidate would face a steeper challenge than a straight christian candidate, possibly insurmountably steeper. And a Mexican candidate would face a problem in that the constitution requires that candidates be natural born citizens of this country, and Mexican citizens are eligible to run for office in the United States. If you meant Mexican-American, then that doesn’t seem to be any sort of problem. There are plenty of Hispanic politicians. > > Take a look at the pool of successful presidential candidates. They are pretty much all Senators, Governors, or victorious commanding generals. A few representatives in there. Except the problem for a representative is, if they’re such a great candidate for President, why haven’t they managed to get themselves elected Senator yet? > > Of course, you have your Ross Perots and your Pat Robertsons and your Pat Buchanans and your Ralph Naders. Except these people aren’t very successful. And again, if these guys have the chops to be president, why haven’t they been able to swing a Senatorship, or a Governorship? If you don’t have the political skills to get elected to one of the 100 Senatorships or 50 Governorships, then how the heck do you expect to get elected president? That’s a nice post. So what do you think would have happened if Obama or one of the past Presidents were one of the minorities mentioned? (i.e respond to the OP) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298/20 "2010-05-30T17:44:39Z")
> [@Jump](#): > > Wasn’t really asking about the future, or past candidates, but thanks for trying. If your OP wasn’t asking about past candidates, then WTF? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/voting-americans-in-general-are-racist-homophobic-anti-semetic-and-anti-islamic/541298.md?page=2)