Jimmy Carter "One Day America Will Elect A Gay President"

[DemocratSinceBirth]

It probably already has.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. k

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

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[marmar]

3. "It probably already has."

True, probably Abe Lincoln. But I predict the first country to elect an openly gay president will be France. I can see Bertrand Delanoe becoming president.

[hlthe2b]

5. Buchanan was also said to have been gay...

Regardless, it seems very likely we have had a "closeted" gay President already.

[treestar]

11. It is based on anything other than his not being married?

n 1819, Buchanan was engaged to Ann Caroline Coleman, the daughter of a wealthy iron manufacturing businessman and sister-in-law of Philadelphia judge Joseph Hemphill, a colleague of Buchanan's from the House of Representatives. However, Buchanan spent little time with her during the courtship. He was extremely busy with his law firm and political projects during the Panic of 1819, taking him away from Coleman for weeks at a time. Conflicting rumors abounded, suggesting that he was marrying her for her money as his own family was less affluent or that he was involved with other women. Buchanan, for his part, never publicly spoke of his motives or feelings, but letters from Ann revealed she was paying heed to the rumors.

After Buchanan paid a visit to the wife of a friend, Ann broke off the engagement; she died soon afterwards, on December 9, 1819. The records of a Dr. Chapman, who looked after her in her final hours, and who said just after her passing that this was "the first instance he ever knew of hysteria producing death", reveal that he theorized, despite the absence of any valid evidence, the woman's demise was caused by an overdose of laudanum, a concentrated tincture of opium.<43>

His fiancée's death struck Buchanan a terrible blow. In a letter to her father which was returned to him unopened, Buchanan said, "It is now no time for explanation, but the time will come when you will discover that she, as well as I, have been much abused. God forgive the authors of it ... . I may sustain the shock of her death, but I feel that happiness has fled from me forever."<43> The Coleman family became bitter towards Buchanan and denied him a place at Ann's funeral.<44> Buchanan vowed he would never marry, though he continued to be flirtatious, and some pressed him to seek a wife. In response Buchanan said, "Marry I could not, for my affections were buried in the grave." He preserved Ann Coleman's letters, keeping them with him throughout his life, and, at his request, they were burned upon his death.<43>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Buchanan

[hlthe2b]

14. I think the evidence for Lincoln is similarly speculative...

Having heard Doris Kearnes Goodwin, James McPherson and a couple of other Lincoln historians debating the evidence for/against- the available "evidence" could readily be interpreted differently based on customs and cultural differences of the time.

[happyslug]

21. It did not have my favorite quote about Buchanan made by Jackson

Paraphrased: When Jackson was asked why he made Buchanan Ambassador to Russia, Jackson replied, "Because we do NOT have an embassy at the South Pole". Implying Jackson made Buchanan Ambassador to get rid of him. Buchanan was a manipulative inside Washington Political operator, much like Chaney, as opposed to Bush (A head of a Political wing of the GOP, the financial wing) or Obama (a orator, better at getting people out to vote then inside dealings). This is not meant to be an attack on Buchanan or Obama or Bush, just an observation of their Political method of operating within the Political System.

[MrModerate]

7. Lincoln-schmincoln. Now, Martin Van Buren, on the other hand . . . n/t

[Brickbat]

13. Iceland's Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir was elected in 2009.

[marmar]

15. I forget about Iceland every time.

[ZombieHorde]

29. Germany has an openly gay executive. nt

[terrya]

4. It's been speculated that James Buchanan might have been gay.

And, no, no, no, no, no and fucking NO, George W. Bush is not gay.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. As A Christian I Am Impressed By Jimmy Carter's Evolution On The Topic

This isn't where he began.

[terrya]

8. So am I.

His evolution has been impressive on gay rights.

We will get an openly gay/lesbian President. Not any time soon, unfortunately.

[arcane1]

9. I wonder which one will come first: the gay president, or the atheist president?

:shrug:

Who knows? But I'm not hopeful I'll live to see either.

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. I'm sure we've already had both - the question is about 'openly'

gay or athiest.

I'd expect an openly gay before openly athiest. We already have quite a number of openly gay politicians, right up into Congress; how many declared atheists are there?

[texshelters]

17. I want to see

an openly gay atheist in the White House.

Now that would be a day to celebrate, until he/she "compromises" on the tax cuts for the rich...

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[diane in sf]

24. check out my entry below, I think we need a black, lesbian, atheist who's actually liberal

[texshelters]

28. Got my vote

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[Irishonly]

22. Me Either

and it saddens me that we are so silly.

[femrap]

12. I hope it is a lesbian. nt

[mstinamotorcity]

16. The White house

was happy and we missed it n/t

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[boston bean]

19. did you have to??? really, did you??

:puke:

[warrior1]

20. I'd

settle for a true liberal.

[diane in sf]

23. time for an openly gay president--hopefully not a Log Cabin member

[craigmatic]

25. James Bucchanon was it.

[Colobo]

26. Exactly. By the way, I suspect Warren Harding had some African ancestry.

[craigmatic]

27. Yeah I heard that too. They say Hoover's VP had some Native American Blood.

[Retrograde]

31. Wilson's wife was a descendent of Pocahantas

Aside from the one ancestor, I don't think she identified herself as a Native American. She did act as president, though, when Woodrow was incapacitated.

[budkin]

30. Openly gay? No way in hell. Not for several hundred years anyway.

[JoePhilly]

32. I'd say the earliest is 30 years, not several hundred.

Obama was elected within roughly 50 years of the civil right movement. And racism was a huge issue during the 60s, 70s, 80s and at times the 90s. And that struggle was a regular issue in day to day arguments.

I do not mean to minimize what gay American's go through, but my next words probably will. And I apologize if that's what comes across.

Broadly speaking, during the civil rights era, almost all of America was engaged. There were riots. On gay rights today, if we are honest, that is not the case. Certainly the GLBT community pushes, many on the left fight too ... but, average voters struggling to pay bills mostly ignore it. Most of them do not care. They "generally" support a repeal for DADT, but will not act on that.

And in that same framing, most don't really care if the President is openly gay. Especially if their IMMEDIATE economic concerns are taken care of.