After Obama, Which Minority's On Deck?

If Barack can do it, anyone can—except Muslims, gays, atheists ...
By Drew Nelles,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 13, 2008 5:07 PM CST
After Obama, Which Minority's On Deck?
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton could be president, "although by 2012 she'll be a little long in the pantsuit," Mark Oppenheimer writes.   (AP Photo)

A self-described “black man with a funny name” is now the most powerful person on the planet. So which minority group will next see one of its own in the Oval Office? Mark Oppenheimer considers the contenders in Slate:

  • Women: Not technically a minority, which means that if “they choose to unite behind one of their own—as many of them were inclined to do in 2008—they'll be the not-so-little voting bloc that could.” Candidates: Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Sebelius, Claire McCaskill. Not a chance: Sarah Palin.

  • Jews: “Together now, a sigh of relief: It's not going to be Lieberman!” Candidates: Rahm Emanuel, Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell.
  • Hispanics: Although Latinos are a politically diverse group, “the sheer numbers of Hispanics, and their concentration in states rich with electoral votes, mean a señor or señora presidente is coming soon.” Candidates: New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, former San Antonio Mayor Ed Garza.
  • Atheists: 53% of Americans would not vote for an atheist for president, compared to 43% who wouldn’t vote for a homosexual and 24% who wouldn’t vote for a Mormon. ‘Nuff said.
To see the rest of the list, click the link below.
(More Election 2012 stories.)

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