# Would President Obama be at extra-high risk for assassination? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 14, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510 "2008-01-14T19:02:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/1 "2008-01-14T19:02:14Z")
I’ve heard that he’s already received many death threats; don’t know if that’s true. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/2 "2008-01-14T19:21:24Z")
As I understand it, receiving death threats is part of the job description. Indeed, you might even view it as confirmation that your candidate is a strong contender. I doubt that anyone has threatened to kill Mike Gravel or Duncan Hunter. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/3 "2008-01-14T19:23:41Z")
Compared to who? Hilary - probably not - Hil is waaay more disliked than BO. Compared with Guiliani, Huck or Romney? More at risk than the Huckster or Romney, less than Rudy. I get the feeling that being mayor of NY makes you more enemies than being governor of Mass or a state in the Deep South. I get the feeling at this point that Obama would wind up more like Carter - too ineffectual to achieve anything to make people want to shoot at him. AFAIK nobody ever tried to shoot Mr. Peanut; Ford had people trying to kill him twice in a week or so. Of course, all this is based on rational assumptions. People don’t try to assassinate a President based on rational principles. I doubt if he is more at risk just because he’s black (more or less). Are Black politicians more likely to be assassinated than white ones? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/4 "2008-01-14T19:30:45Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] Are Black politicians more likely to be assassinated than white ones? [/QUOTE] Not AFAIK, but none has ever before been a serious contender for the presidency. Joke from the '80s – Jesse Jackson arrives at the Pearly Gates. ST. PETER: And what did you accomplish during your time on Earth? JESSE JACKSON: I was the first African-American ever elected president of the United States! SP: Really?! Wow! When did that happen? JJ: About ten minutes ago. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/5 "2008-01-14T19:57:22Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Not AFAIK, but none has ever before been a serious contender for the presidency. [/quote] This is tending to the No True Scotsman argument - Black politicians aren’t at higher risk, but Black Presidents are. I know you aren’t making that argument, but ISTM that if we as a nation are enlightened enough to elect a person regardless of color, we would be enlightened enough to shoot him for reasons other than race. > [@](#): > > Joke from the '80s – Jesse Jackson arrives at the Pearly Gates. > > ST. PETER: And what did you accomplish during your time on Earth? > > JESSE JACKSON: I was the first African-American ever elected president of the United States! > > SP: Really?! Wow! When did that happen? > > JJ: About ten minutes ago. No doubt the old line will get recycled, that Hilary will pick Obama as her running mate so as to reduce the chance of assassination. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/6 "2008-01-14T20:01:34Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] This is tending to the No True Scotsman argument - Black politicians aren’t at higher risk, but Black Presidents are. I know you aren’t making that argument, but ISTM that if we as a nation are enlightened enough to elect a person regardless of color, we would be enlightened enough to shoot him for reasons other than race. [/quote] It takes a majority to elect, only one person to shoot. And I think there are many white racists who would have a **much** bigger problem with the idea of a black POTUS than a black governor or senator. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/7 "2008-01-14T20:03:41Z")
It’s, like, Hank Aaron was a black ballplayer for a long time, and he didn’t start getting large volumes of hate mail until he threatened to break a legendary white player’s HR record. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2008, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/8 "2008-01-14T20:16:36Z")
> [@](#): > > “If I were a Muslim I would let you know,” Barack Obama has said, and I believe him. In fact, he is a practicing Christian, a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ. He is not now a Muslim. > > But was he ever a Muslim or seen by others as a Muslim? More precisely, might Muslims consider him a murtadd (apostate), that is, a Muslim who converted to another religion and, therefore, someone whose blood may be shed?.. > **[Was Barack Obama a Muslim?](https://www.danielpipes.org/5286/was-barack-obama-a-muslim)** > > \[FPM title: "Obama and Islam"\] "If I were a Muslim I would let you know," Barack Obama has said, and I believe him. In fact, he is a practicing Christian, a member of the Trinity United Church of Christ. He is not now a Muslim. But was he ever a... ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/9 "2008-01-15T00:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] It’s, like, Hank Aaron was a black ballplayer for a long time, and he didn’t start getting large volumes of hate mail until he threatened to break a legendary white player’s HR record. [/QUOTE] On the other hand, Jackie Robinson got hate mail up the wazoo right from the get-go. And I doubt if anyone gives a shit about what color the latest steroid-abuser is nowadays. The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. The reason Aaron didn’t get any hate mail when he started off in MLB is because Robinson got so much when he did. We’ve had enough black “firsts” that Obama is more like Aaron than Robinson. ISTM. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/10 "2008-01-15T00:36:45Z")
Obama already is considered to be higher risk for assassination than his peers in the race. He asked for Secret Service coverage much earlier than usual, and they are present in larger numbers than for some other candidates. This actually hurts him politically, as it presents a barrier between him and the people that, say, John Edwards simply doesn’t have. The simple fact of the matter is that there are violent anti-Black groups in this country, and it’s nonsense to suggest that they wouldn’t try something. Hillary Clinton may be despised, but their aren’t groups with more than 100 years history of terrorizing and murdering liberal women to target her. ---
**Author:** ![Merkwurdigliebe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/74df32/32.png) [@Merkwurdigliebe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merkwurdigliebe)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/11 "2008-01-15T02:24:08Z")
I think Obama is certainly at a larger risk of assassination, but I think the chances of it happening are very small these days. The Secret Service is so ridiculously careful these days that I think it’s much more difficult to kill a president than in say Kennedy’s or Reagan’s term. A situation like that which happened with Kennedy simply wouldn’t present itself these days. I’d imagine that the secret service keeps the president within a safe zone at all times. Everytime he goes outdoors, they go ahead and make sure there’s nobody trying to snipe him. This is unnecessary in a lot of places (White House lawn, Camp David, wooded areas). It simply wouldn’t happen these days. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/12 "2008-01-15T02:37:01Z")
[QUOTE=Shodan] Compared to who? Hilary - probably not - Hil is waaay more disliked than BO. Compared with Guiliani, Huck or Romney? More at risk than the Huckster or Romney, less than Rudy. I get the feeling that being mayor of NY makes you more enemies than being governor of Mass or a state in the Deep South. [/QUOTE] As you have pointed out, Gerald Ford has a number of assassination attempts and hardly anyone gave a crap about him. It makes no difference what you used to do. Assassination attempts on Presidents have not been a function of popularity or political hatred; all the assassins have been nuts, crazies, and angry fools. Obama, if elected, will have to fear the lone gunman with crazy on his mind, and that could happen to anyone who’s President. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/13 "2008-01-15T03:15:44Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Assassination attempts on Presidents have not been a function of popularity or political hatred; all the assassins have been nuts, crazies, and angry fools. [/QUOTE] John Wilkes Booth may have been a crazy angry fool, but he was definitely acting from definitely political motives. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/14 "2008-01-15T03:24:34Z")
So, for that matter, was Leon Czolgosz. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/15 "2008-01-15T04:53:17Z")
Or Francisco Duran. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/16 "2008-01-15T05:17:12Z")
The Illuminati would never let that happen. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/17 "2008-01-15T15:22:24Z")
I was an intern in a congressional office once. And while that congressman later became a figure of some considerable controversy (Rick Santorum) as a congressman he was just a run-of-the-mill conservative junior member. This didn’t stop lots of interesting mail from coming to both the Washington and district offices, some of which contained death threats. I’ll bet Obama has had death threats, but I’m also willing to bet he started getting them when he was elected to the state senate in Illinois. This is a sad part of life for elected officials at all levels. ---
**Author:** ![city\_zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a87d85/32.png) [@city\_zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/city_zebra)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/18 "2008-01-15T18:04:17Z")
Some people are ready for it, and some people are not, it really depends on a person’s beliefs. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/19 "2008-01-15T18:23:21Z")
According to Chris Rock, Obama as VP wouldn’t do too well either. 😃 > [@](#): > > Now as you know, there’s been alot of talk about a black vice president. And I just wanna tell the world that it’ll never happen. As long as you live you will never see a black vice president, you know why? Because some black guy would just kill the president. I’d do it. If Colin Powell was vice president, I’d kill the president and tell his mother about it. What would happen to me? What would they do? Put me in jail with a bunch of black guys that would treat me like a king for the rest of my life? I would be the biggest star in jail, alright, people would be coming up to me and I’d be signing autographs: “97-KY, here you go.” Guys would be going: “You’re the brother that shot Bush. And you told his mother about it huh? I hope my children turn out to be just like you.” “Man, you know I was getting ready to rape you until I realized who you were.” And even if they had a death penalty, what would happen? I’d just be pardoned by the black president. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2008, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510/20 "2008-01-15T18:39:07Z")
Not if Edwards is his veep. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-president-obama-be-at-extra-high-risk-for-assassination/433510.md?page=2)