In our newly enlightened society, could an openly gay candidate....

[IndianaJones]

be elected President?

Why, or why not?

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I don't think enough of us are enlightened yet, and I would worry that some

troglodyte would try to kill him or her.

That said, if they still wanted to do it despite this risk, I would say more power to them.

[MrSlayer]

2. Enlightened? LOL!

In a word, no. In a country where I don't believe a straight black man or a straight woman of any hue can win, a gay man would certainly have no chance. We are far from enlightened.

[skipos]

3. That point is a few decades away imo. nt

[Little Star]

4. There you go again with that reality stuff.

But you sure are telling the truth. :thumbsup:

[soothsayer]

5. Not yet, I'm afraid. Still plenty of small minds out there, believe.

You should read the comments I have from a company survey asking 'should we extend insurance coverage to domestic partners thru the whole company, since we already do this for our CA employees?' and ooooooh, LORD, you'd be shocked, I tell you, SHOCKED...and wouldn't think we're too far along down the enlightenment path.

[Eurobabe]

6. I'd like to think so

but I don't know how realistic that is, yet. It really should not matter, sexual preference.

[MonteLukast]

7. It will be a lot harder until...

...we get better at overriding our amygdalas.

Over-ruling our capacity for higher, more equitable thinking by appealing to our sense of fear-- our amygdala-- is what the GOP does best, and they know it. They KNOW that when we're afraid, we'll flee into the comforting arms of the familiar, the gut instinct, the white, the easy, and the "like us".

It sounds insane, but the way to beat these psychological thugs is to think anyway, even when there appears to be no room for it. Kind of like, "make time for it even when you don't have it."

Hey... it's less insane than the cognitive dissonance peddled by the Bushies and the corporate world all these years.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. Sure, but a lot of things would have to go his/her way

The odds are kinda slim but they're certainly not zero.

[Vanje]

9. President of SanFrancisco? Sure!

Maybe even president of Key West.

[MonteLukast]

10. Incidentally, though...

look who nearly won a seat on the Aurora City Council:



In Colorado, at least, openly transgendered people can run for office and mount a serious challenge.

(Image originally from http://pambennettforaurora.com/)

[Onlooker]

11. No, we may not be able to even elect a black or woman

The bigotry in our society is so subtle that women and blacks face major obstacles even from their erstwhile allies. Despite the fact that for 230 years we've only had white male Presidents, even many liberals are acting like we with live in a color-blind and race-blind society. If liberals don't have a civil rights consciousness, then that obviously gives bigots the upper hand. Until liberals have a consciousness that balances out the right-wing side of the pendulum, we won't have any sort of minority as President, especially a gay one.

[FormerDittoHead]

12. Pray, from what do get us being a "newly enlightened society"?

...you forgot that sarcasm emoticon.

Even in Wisconsin, the popular vote went against gay marriage...

There's a LOT of work to do before we're the Amsterdam of the Americas...

[alteredstate]

13. I hope so!

An openly gay woman is going to challenge a SC House member in 2008. Every Democrat I know has offered to volunteer for her campaign. If we can elect a gay woman to the SC legislature, the sky's the limit!

[Kat45]

14. Only if running against an atheist. n/t

[Bullet1987]

15. Hell to the NO...lol