I Like Politics

[b]Is America ready to elect a gay president?[/b]

I think the kind of people who wouldn't vote for Pete Buttigieg because he's gay, wouldn't vote for him if he was straight either, because they won't ever vote for a Democrat. I also know conservatives who would support a gay Republican candidate, however. So I'm wondering if there are any liberals who would vote for Trump or would sit out the next election if Buttigieg is the Democratic nominee. And I mean, just because he's gay, not because you disagree with his policy positions.

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JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

America isn't ready for a gay president. America was barely ready for a black president and likely is at least one more election away from being ready for a female president.

Why?

Americans don't vote for people who are competent and who understand how things work. Americans don't vote for people who listen and make decisions based on the merits of things. Americans no longer pay attention to candidates' platforms nor take into consideration the philosophy of decision making for any given candidate.

American voting is a popularity contest. How well someone is able to appeal to the masses is far more interesting than substance.

Are there homosexuals, women and non-whites that are capable of being President? Yup.

Are any of them running? Nope.

If any of them were running, would anyone notice? unlikely.

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx Well, Buttigieg is running, along with several black and female candidates. And all of them would be capable of being President.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

@Lila15 I know very little about Buttigieg, so I cannot comment about him.

As for the others that have declared, none of them are properly suited to be President.

I think the closest might be Corey Booker. I like him. He has executive experience. He's smart. But he can be politically naive. I think he made a comment already about waiting for the right female running-mate.

There's no way the US is ready for a black president with a female VP

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx I think every Democratic candidate is capable of being President, some more than others. If Trump can do it, anyone can.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

Trump isn’t qualified and is doing a shitty job.

Obama wasn’t qualified and was nearly as bad, just a lot more dignified about it. @Lila15

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx So who is qualified, nobody? We have to go with the best of the available people.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

As I said above, Booker is perhaps one of the most qualified.

@Lila15

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx Why, because he was a mayor and a Senator?

I remember in one of the Republican debates, Chris Christie told Marco Rubio that while being a Senator is an important job, being a Governor is better preparation for the presidency because it's an executive position. There are a lot of Senators running this time, Harris, Booker, Warren, Sanders, Gillibrand, Klobuchar - so Booker doesn't stand out for that reason. Sanders was also a mayor, and so was Buttigieg. So what experience does Booker have that makes him particularly qualifed, above any of the others? Hickenlooper was a Governor, doesn't that make him the most qualified?

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

@Lila15 Christie's perspective on this isn't wrong, not that Christie is a shining example of an excellent leader.

Booker's experience includes executive leadership (Mayor of Newark, NJ) as well as DC experience as a Senator.

Bernie... I voted for him in the last election, but frankly, he's lost a great deal of credibility in the last 2 years. So, I think he's qualified, but he's past his prime.

Hickenlooper is interesting, but he doesn't have a great deal of experience reaching across party lines. He's someone to watch. He has no Washington experience, but he has chaired the National Governors Assoc, so that gives him national experience, though not in a heated way.

I've only learned about Buttigieg recently. I'm a little concerned about his odd idea for controlling the Supreme Court and that makes me think he's another control freak (we have so many in politics these days). He also has no Washington experience.

With all of that, I still think that Booker is the most qualified.

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx Thanks for explaining. I just want whoever is most likely to beat Trump. Any of them would be an improvement.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

Not all of them would be an improvement. Just different and less embarrassing. But I agree that he needs to go.

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx At least all of the current candidates know how government works. I can't think of any that would be worse than Trump, unless you're a conservative and are judging them based on ideology rather than competence.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

Trump’s ignorance demonstrates the importance of the people around the president.

I literally think that Bernie would be a mess, as would Harris. Both worse than Trump.

Not based on ideology, but mindset about what’s important

@Lila15

Lila15 · 22-25, F

@JoeyFoxx Obviously, the president can't be an expert on everything.

But s/he has to be astute and well-informed enough to be able to tell if the person advising them knows what they're talking about. Trump is, possibly, the worst president in that regard, at least in modern times.

I want a president who is curious about the world. Think about it - the president could literally invite anyone he wants to the White House, just to sit around and shoot the breeze. One remarkable thing about Reagan's memoirs of his White House days was how frequently he just sat around at night doing nothing. Trump sits around watching Fox News and eating cheeseburgers or something. It doesn't occur to him that he could be talking with professors, writers, artists, you name it. I want a president who spends his free time doing that.

What do you think of Jay Inslee? By your standard, he would be very competent as he was an effective governor for years. And what about Bloomberg? Mayor of NYC is like being the governor of a medium-sized state.

JoeyFoxx · 51-55, M

Inslee is insufferable. He’s a classic panderer and glad hander.

I saw Buttigieg on Meet the Press today.

I like him a lot.

@Lila15