# Why couldnt a muslim become President? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [October 12, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579 "2008-10-12T13:53:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Punintentional](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de0a6/32.png) [@Punintentional](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Punintentional)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/1 "2008-10-12T13:53:14Z")
Could a Muslim not become President because America is prejudice? ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/2 "2008-10-12T13:59:20Z")
We’ll elect a one-legged, biracial Jewish lesbian who’s an illegal alien and convicted felon before we ever elect a Muslim. If there’s one thing this campaign season has made apparent, it’s that. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/3 "2008-10-12T14:07:23Z")
Yes, America is prejudiced. No, a Muslim will not be president of the US for a few generations at least. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/4 "2008-10-12T14:12:05Z")
Because the USA is a Christian dominated nation, just as Iraq is a Muslim dominated nation. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/5 "2008-10-12T14:12:36Z")
> [@Punintentional](#): > > Could a Muslim not become President because America is prejudice? America is overwhelmingly a Christian country, and many **[Christians are religious bigots](http://afgen.com/christian_bigotry.html)**. Christians would rather elect an Atheist before a Muslim, probably because they think that the Atheist is preferable to a person who worships a lesser god than they do. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/6 "2008-10-12T14:40:56Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Christians would rather elect an Atheist before a Muslim, probably because they think that the Atheist is preferable to a person who worships a lesser god than they do. [No.](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1) Don’t pawn your (wrong) assumptions off as facts. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/7 "2008-10-12T14:49:17Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > [No.](http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=1786422&page=1) Don’t pawn your (wrong) assumptions off as facts. What I gave here was my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/8 "2008-10-12T14:54:20Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > What I gave here was my opinion. |Christians would rather elect an Atheist before a Muslim| \<-Statement of “fact” |probably because they think that the Atheist is preferable to a person who worships a lesser god than they do| \<-Attempt at explanation in the form of opinion ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/9 "2008-10-12T14:55:57Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > |Christians would rather elect an Atheist before a Muslim| \<-Statement of “fact” > > |probably because they think that the Atheist is preferable to a person who worships a lesser god than they do| \<-Attempt at explanation in the form of opinion Nope, that is my opinion, and it is justified by the events of the last few months. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/10 "2008-10-12T14:57:39Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > America is overwhelmingly a Christian country, and many **[Christians are religious bigots](http://afgen.com/christian_bigotry.html)**. Christians would rather elect an Atheist before a Muslim, probably because they think that the Atheist is preferable to a person who worships a lesser god than they do. Ooo, big and blue and everything! I’d be convinced were it not for the fact that atheists can be religious bigots too. From The Atheist Experience: [Human Race to Islam: Please F.O. and die](http://atheistexperience.blogspot.com/2008/08/human-race-to-islam-please-fo-and-die.html) ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/11 "2008-10-12T15:00:15Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Ooo, big and blue and everything! I’d be convinced were it not for the fact that atheists can be religious bigots too. Maybe so, but then I don’t care since I’m not an Atheist. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/12 "2008-10-12T15:03:53Z")
Bigotry aside, an American muslim would be a member of a pretty narrow slice of American society; almost certainly either a child of arab/muslim immigrants or the minority of muslims within the African-American minority. It would be just as hard for any similarly non-mainstream candidate to get elected. They would have to make a pretty convincing case that they can reresent the mainstream of American society despite being a minorityX-American. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/13 "2008-10-12T15:04:44Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > Maybe so, but then I don’t care since I’m not an Atheist. Ah. It’s pin the tail on the jello blob. Whatever it is that you are, I’m confident there are bigots among them. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/14 "2008-10-12T15:08:45Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Ah. It’s pin the tail on the jello blob. Whatever it is that you are, I’m confident there are bigots among them. You’re probably right, but aren’t you forgetting the OP? Try addressing it. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/15 "2008-10-12T15:10:53Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Bigotry aside, an American muslim would be a member of a pretty narrow slice of American society; almost certainly either a child of arab/muslim immigrants or the minority of muslims within the African-American minority. It would be just as hard for any similarly non-mainstream candidate to get elected. They would have to make a pretty convincing case that they can reresent the mainstream of American society despite being a minorityX-American. I think it might be possible that a Muslim who is in every way an exemplary American citizen could make a big impression, even (or especially) on conservative white bigot-types by coming out with an all-hands-on-deck condemnation of Islamic extremists and making it a steady and consistent core of his campaign. Granted, it would be a fine line to walk. The candidate wouldn’t want to appear to be proselytizing. But I think people would grant a lot of creds to the Muslim candidate who does what many Americans are waiting for Muslims to do — grab a bullhorn and call these crazies crazy. It might have much the same effect as Obama’s famous call for black men to father their children responsibly. That one tactic scored him a lot of points among many blue-color whites. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/16 "2008-10-12T15:12:01Z")
> [@Clu-Me-In](#): > > You’re probably right, but aren’t you forgetting the OP? Try addressing it. You brought up alleged Christian bigotry. If you don’t want to discuss it, peck out something else. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/17 "2008-10-12T15:13:33Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Bigotry aside, an American muslim would be a member of a pretty narrow slice of American society; almost certainly either **a child of arab/muslim immigrants or the minority of muslims within the African-American minority.** It would be just as hard for any similarly non-mainstream candidate to get elected. They would have to make a pretty convincing case that they can reresent the mainstream of American society despite being a minorityX-American. Or, a convert. Obama is the child of a Muslim/Christian union and also black(minority). ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/18 "2008-10-12T15:15:48Z")
Bear in mind that forty years ago it was unthinkable a black man could be elected President. Today, barring a meltdown by the Obama campaign or massive cheating, it appears that very thing will happen in 23 days. And even if something terrible happens to the Obama campaign, a woman will be elected vice president, also unthinkable 40 years ago. There is no way in hell a Muslim could be elected President today. 30 or 40 years from now, it might happen. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/19 "2008-10-12T15:17:28Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > I think it might be possible that a Muslim who is in every way an exemplary American citizen could make a big impression, even (or especially) on conservative white bigot-types by coming out with an all-hands-on-deck condemnation of Islamic extremists and making it a steady and consistent core of his campaign. Granted, it would be a fine line to walk. The candidate wouldn’t want to appear to be proselytizing. But I think people would grant a lot of creds to the Muslim candidate who does what many Americans are waiting for Muslims to do — grab a bullhorn and call these crazies crazy. It might have much the same effect as Obama’s famous call for black men to father their children responsibly. That one tactic scored him a lot of points among many blue-color whites. It would never happen in the current America we live in. The minute anyone admits they are of the Muslim faith, they would be disqualified immediately in the minds of most Christians. ---
**Author:** ![Clu-Me-In](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@Clu-Me-In](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clu-Me-In)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2008, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579/20 "2008-10-12T15:20:05Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > You brought up alleged Christian bigotry. If you don’t want to discuss it, peck out something else. I gave the OP my opinion. How about you give the OP yours. I don’t believe my opinion is more important that yours. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-couldnt-a-muslim-become-president/467579.md?page=2)