Do you think Americans are most likely to elect...

[moe.ron]

Which candidate has the best chance for the Presidency?
1. a female
2. someone from an ethnic minority
3. a non-Christian
4. a homosexual person
5. someone who is (relatively)poor

[breathesgelatin]

a non-Christian, if he is Jewish.

[33girl]

I think Americans would easily elect someone who is relatively poor - the issue is not their personal wealth, but the fact that they don't have enough money to mount a campaign.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by 33girl
I think Americans would easily elect someone who is relatively poor - the issue is not their personal wealth, but the fact that they don't have enough money to mount a campaign.

Good point.

[Sistermadly]

You have to have financial security to run for President - after all, you're often campaigining for two years or more -- and a regular joe who works a 9 to 5 might not have put away enough savings to make that committment. A truly poor person would never make it. The presidency is for the wealthy and well-connected.

I think a non-Christian, especially if he is Jewish, could be elected president. Second to that would be a woman. Of course, if Alma Powell ever got off Colin's back and he decided to run, then I think he would stand an excellent chance at the office.

[moe.ron]

If I'm not mistaken, and please correct me, wasn't there already a few Atheist presidents? Also, Abraham Lincoln wasn't a rich man when he became president.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by Arya
If I'm not mistaken, and please correct me, wasn't there already a few Atheist presidents? Also, Abraham Lincoln wasn't a rich man when he became president.

Yes, but that was before huge campaign budgets were needed to get elected. You have to spend some of your own money on your campaign, and to get rich and corporate donors you have to at least advocate rich-friendly policies... You can't be completely socialist.

On the atheist thing--nope. Well, Thomas Jefferson was a 'theist', but he did believe in God in a roundabout way. Some of them may have not been particularly religious, but traditionally it's difficult to get elected if you're not a WASP. When JFK was elected as the first (and only I think) Catholic president, it was a big deal!

[lionlove]

Originally posted by Arya
Which candidate has the best chance for the Presidency?
1. a female
2. someone from an ethnic minority
3. a non-Christian
4. a homosexual person
5. someone who is (relatively)poor

1. Poor - Clinton grew up poor right?
2. An ethnic minority, especially Collin Powell
3. a non-Christian or a woman (tied)
4. a homosexual

[sororitygirl2]

This is the way I imagine things panning out in the future, but who knows... hopefully the country will pleasantly surprise me.

I always thought it would be great if we could just a woman and a black man to run against each other and people would have to choose one (Colin Powell and Hillary Clinton?)...

In the order of most likely/soonest to happen to least likely/last to happen:

1 - Less well-off person
2 - Non-Christian (as long as they aren't a satanist or something)
3 - Ethnic minority like Greek or Turkish, maybe Hispanic or something
4 - Woman
5 - Ethnic minority, African American or Middle Eastern
6 - Homosexual

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by lionlove
1. Poor - Clinton grew up poor right?

Yeah, but by the time he ran for political offices he was quite well-off through investments and his fairly lucrative law firm.

[aephi alum]

1 - Jewish. We nearly had a Jewish VP...
2 - a woman
3 - an ethnic minority
4 - other non-Christian
5 - relatively poor
6 - homosexual. It's still too controversial.

[AlphaGamDiva]

1-minority (yay, collin powell!)
2-woman (vote dole!!)
3-less personal wealth (get the financial backing and away you go!)
4-homosexual (i think as long as long as the prez doesn't do drag on the strip, no biggie)
5-non-christian (a lot of ppl still believe this country was founded on christian principles, so it would be hard for some to get past...)

3 and 4 are kinda tied, actually, to me

[OUlioness01]

wow, that's really interesting. I haven't looked at anyone else's answers yet so here's what i think:

a female
I think that a female will most likely get the nomination (i'm guessing democrat) in the next 10-15 years. The presidency?? maybe a few years after that

someone from an ethnic minority
I think that if Colin Powell had run a few years ago he would have definitely won. I think that this country is ready for a leader in an ethnic minority

a non-Christian
that depends on the religion. i think that an islamic person would be less likely to win the presidency than most others just because of how our country reacted to 9/11. I think that as long as the canidate didn't make his/her religion an issue it wouldn't be a problem.

a homosexual person
This is a lot less likely to occur, especially if the canidate is open about his/her sexuality. Although it seems to be the minority now there are still a lot of people who look down on those who are homosexual.

someone who is (relatively)poor
this will not happen for a long time. campaigns need money and people are less likely to support a poorer person jsut because they won't have as much money to work with of their own. a lot of canidates use their own resources now.

and it will go
1. jewish
2. ethnic minority
3. female
4. poorer person
5. homosexual
6. other nonchristian religious faith

[CardinalSM]

I would have to say a non Christian and then maybe ethnic minority then a woman.

[KillarneyRose]

Someone from an ethnic minority or a female.