What is wrong with having a Muslim as president?

[Banquo's Ghost]

I think the Mitt Romney parallel is the more telling. His religion clearly cost him something.

Are we saying that this alleged propensity to only elect leaders directly in step with the majority religion is to be accepted? Would an orthodox Jew be unelectable, for example? It's pretty clear that an atheist would have a torrid time, but what about a Buddhist?

[Koga No Goshi]

I think the Mitt Romney parallel is the more telling. His religion clearly cost him something.

Are we saying that this alleged propensity to only elect leaders directly in step with the majority religion is to be accepted? Would an orthodox Jew be unelectable, for example? It's pretty clear that an atheist would have a torrid time, but what about a Buddhist?

There is no way to stop it, as long as people are stupid and there are so many Americans who think you can't possibly have either American or moral values without being Christian (L O f-L) and will vote accordingly, there is nothing we can do about it.

[Don Corleone]

I think the Mitt Romney parallel is the more telling. His religion clearly cost him something.

Are we saying that this alleged propensity to only elect leaders directly in step with the majority religion is to be accepted? Would an orthodox Jew be unelectable, for example? It's pretty clear that an atheist would have a torrid time, but what about a Buddhist?

Roman Catholicism is the single largest Christian denomination in America, and we've only had one RC president. Americans have funny ideas about religion. Mainstream protestant (methodist/episcopal) or evangelical protesant are the only acceptable answers.

Jewish, Catholic, Mormon, Buddhist.... all large populations in the United States... always an issue when they run for office. And you're surprised Islam is an issue?

[Proletariat]

Nothing is wrong with it Banquo, and I'm certain America will have a Muslim president long before the EU considers a president with African heritage.

[Strike For The South]

Nothing is wrong with it Banquo, and I'm certain America will have a Muslim president long before the EU considers a president with African heritage.

I see what you did there

[Proletariat]

I see what you did there

The same ole theme gets a little annoying after awhile, Strike. America is really at it's social progression's height right now and it gets no acknowledgment, in fact, it just gets slammed still by Americans and others for being some racist, xenophobic cesspool.

A decade or so ago there was a raging debate about whether or not homosexuals could even join the military, and the issue was outrageous too many. Just a week or two ago I saw a prominent celebrity come out of the closet and on the morning talk shows openly discussing his lifestyle and his role as a gay parent. 40 years ago black people were drinking out of separate water fountains and now one is steam rolling his way to president.

You are 500 times more likely to run into someone in day to day life who says, 'It's disgusting that some idiots are using 'Obama is a muslim' as a smear!' than you are to actually hear someone saying, 'I just won't vote for Muslim scum for President.' I know it's not a sexy or popular thing to say, and many Americans and many Euros are in denial about it, but America really rocks when it comes to resolving bigoted views quickly.

[Strike For The South]

The same ole theme gets a little annoying after awhile, Strike. America is really at it's social progression's height right now and it gets no acknowledgment, in fact, it just gets slammed still by Americans and others for being some racist, xenophobic cesspool.

A decade or so ago there was a raging debate about whether or not homosexuals could even join the military, and the issue was outrageous too many. Just a week or two ago I saw a prominent celebrity come out of the closet and on the morning talk shows openly discussing his lifestyle and his role as a gay parent. 40 years ago black people were drinking out of separate water fountains and now one is steam rolling his way to president.

You are 500 times more likely to run into someone in day to day life who says, 'It's disgusting that some idiots are using 'Obama is a muslim' as a smear!' than you are to actually hear someone saying, 'I just won't vote for Muslim scum for President.' I know it's not a sexy or popular thing to say, and many Americans and many Euros are in denial about it, but America really rocks when it comes to resolving bigoted views quickly.

To you to

[Big_John]

You are 500 times more likely to run into someone in day to day life who says, 'It's disgusting that some idiots are using 'Obama is a muslim' as a smear!' than you are to actually hear someone saying, 'I just won't vote for Muslim scum for President.'

based solely on personal experience, i would say that this is, at the least, a limited perspective. with exactly zero prompting from me i've encountered 4 people i can remember saying something to the effect of 'obama is a muslim, and i don't trust him because of that', in the dark backwoods known as san diego, ca. now i assume most of the people i know would call that "disgusting" etc, but 500:1 is a stretch. more like 20:1.

i can't imagine what that ratio would be back in my home state of oklahoma...

[Yoyoma1910]

The same ole theme gets a little annoying after awhile, Strike. America is really at it's social progression's height right now and it gets no acknowledgment, in fact, it just gets slammed still by Americans and others for being some racist, xenophobic cesspool.

A decade or so ago there was a raging debate about whether or not homosexuals could even join the military, and the issue was outrageous too many. Just a week or two ago I saw a prominent celebrity come out of the closet and on the morning talk shows openly discussing his lifestyle and his role as a gay parent. 40 years ago black people were drinking out of separate water fountains and now one is steam rolling his way to president.

You are 500 times more likely to run into someone in day to day life who says, 'It's disgusting that some idiots are using 'Obama is a muslim' as a smear!' than you are to actually hear someone saying, 'I just won't vote for Muslim scum for President.' I know it's not a sexy or popular thing to say, and many Americans and many Euros are in denial about it, but America really rocks when it comes to resolving bigoted views quickly.

The Governor of the state of Louisiana is Bobby Jindal, who parents immigrated to the U.S. from India. But, he is a Catholic convert.


To those arguing about NAZIs, I would point out that Bavaria, the birth place of this group, is vehemently Catholic. As are Italy which had fascist government and Spain, which had a semi-fascist government.

[drone]

If the muslim in question is a Freemason, he's good to go!

[Evil_Maniac From Mars]

To those arguing about NAZIs, I would point out that Bavaria, the birth place of this group, is vehemently Catholic. As are Italy which had fascist government and Spain, which had a semi-fascist government.

Poland and France are also heavily Catholic, and Pope Pius XII did what he could to help the victims of Nazi Germany. This is, of course, presuming that the Catholic faith was even a large part in the formation of the fascist ideology and that Catholics loved fascism, though Catholic Spain fought a massive civil war and fascists in Germany received less than half of the popular vote in 1933. So congratulations, you've managed to prove absolutely nothing.

[Incongruous]

To those arguing about NAZIs, I would point out that Bavaria, the birth place of this group, is vehemently Catholic. As are Italy which had fascist government and Spain, which had a semi-fascist government.

Uhuh, you think the Catholic peasants of Spain should have gone along with the vehemently anti-Catholic Communists instead? Yeah they really sorted Russia out, what a load...

It was not a much of choice was it? Fascists or Communists?
Care to start up another thread about the civil war in Spain? I would be glad to discuss the Catholocism of Franco with you

[Louis VI the Fat]

Nothing is wrong with it Banquo, and I'm certain America will have a Muslim president long before the EU considers a president with African heritage.

Well I'd be happy if we can convince Europe of the benefit of a president over hereditary clowns before the end of this millenium in the first place.

But...the current Swedish PM, Fredrik Reinfeldt, is of mixed white / black heritage. Afro-American to boot. Not Obama - if he wins - but Reinfeldt is the first Afro-American to become the leader of a predominantly white, protestant country.

[rvg]

Well I'd be happy if we can convince Europe of the benefit of a president over hereditary clowns before the end of this millenium in the first place.

But...the current Swedish PM, Fredrik Reinfeldt, is of mixed white / black heritage. Afro-American to boot. Not Obama - if he wins - but Reinfeldt is the first Afro-American to become the leader of a predominantly white, protestant country.

*takes notes*

learn something new every day. Thank you, sir.

[Strike For The South]

Reinfeldt has the advantage of looking just like another white guy though.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Reinfeldt has the advantage of looking just like another white guy though.

Eh, Prince and Mariah Carey don't look particularly 'black' either. But one drop of blood, Strike, one drop of blood. It's what the Americans taught us.

Or rather, what Europeans taught themselves during the large-scale encounter with non-European civilizations in the early modern period. This, the age of discovery, taught Europeans to think of themselves as 'white'. Before that, Africans, Moors and mixed people were not considered all that alien. Foreign, yes. Perhaps even - eeeww! - non-Christian. But not of belonging to a different race. And tought quite fit to lead.

In the South and Southeast of Europe there is a history of intense contact with Africans and Middle-Easterners. And in ancient times, we all sat around the Mediterranean like frogs around a pond. In the modern age, Jesus wouldn't be deemed 'white' in the US.
Obama could've been the Emperor of Rome. Or a Renaissance Italian prince. But he can't be a modern Italian president.