NationStates Jolt Archive

In many places it would be impossible to be elected to public office - especially the top office - unless one is married-with-kids and quite publicly religious.

Is this an indicator of a mature and tolerant society?

Here in Canada our leaders tend also to be nearly always married/religious, although they are usually very privately and "liberally" religious. We did have a leader in the 70s who was single/childless when first elected, but then soon attained a wife & kids while in office.

If a politician is at all an evangelical/conservative Christian, he/she stands a very poor chance of being elected leader in Canada because of that.

How are these things where you live?

I voted wrong in the poll. I thought it was talking about our nationstates for a second. Letila doesn't have a leader. In the US, every president is a white straight male.

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Well, our last president was a single woman and the one the one we have now was single when he started but has a wife now.
Neither one of them is very religion... Our president's wife is jewish.

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

Toronto. ;) didn't exprect it? Well, I lived in Ottawa...bunch of lousy hypocriticial bastards! And that is just what I think of the motely crew that are the regular citizenry of the city (if you can call that vast waste land a city).

I come from Sweden and I don't think I've ever seen or heard a openly religous person getting elected to any post, at least not to any of the higher ones. I think it's because religions tend to be seen with suspicion... I think it would be political suicide for a politician if he/she would say something like: "May God/allah/etc bless Sweden" or "I think we should forbid this because it's forbidden in the *insert random religous text here*"

But It's pretty common for politicians to be married and have children.

The current president is single, agnostic, and publicly religious. (What else would you expect from a buddhist nation?)

Easily. Few people in the UK give a toss about religion. At the moment, it just so happens that a few politicians (including Tony Blair) are mildly religious, because they belong to an earlier generation. Indeed, the prevailing opinion today is that Blair's (insincere) Christianity is somewhat embarassing. His successor, if younger, is unlikely to be a believer.

The current president is single, agnostic, and publicly religious. (What else would you expect from a buddhist nation?)

He! :oops: Got caught in the same mistake as Lelita....

The PM of Japan (where I live as an ex-pat) is married, AFAIK, but not much is made of it. I had not thought of it til now.

He is more or less Buddhist and Shintoist (again AFAIK), but probably, like most Japanese is more agnostic leaning.

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

Gee, somebody is rather angry and hate-filled aren't we? Such a rightwing intolerant attitute is very un-Canadian - you embarrass the rest of us.

Easily. Few people in the UK give a toss about religion. At the moment, it just so happens that a few politicians (including Tony Blair) are mildly religious, because they belong to an earlier generation. Indeed, the prevailing opinion today is that Blair's (insincere) Christianity is somewhat embarassing. His successor, if younger, is unlikely to be a believer.

I was under the impression he was quite religiuous, at least privately possibly to the degree og GWB....

News Stories re Blair and his religion:
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/blair/story/0,11964,1011478,00.html
http://www.rationalistinternational.net/article/20030827_3_en.htm

Hmm. I think you may underestimate the religious vote in the UK, TG- the religious aren't as vocal as they are in the US, but there are still a good number of people who still identify as Christians, whether they go to church or not. It isn't a major issue, but it can still influence a vote, I feel; Tony Blair fairly regularly gets spotted strolling to church and this plays nicely into his quiet-sensible-moral image.

Single... well, I don't think there's been one yet, and I don't think it's that likely, to be honest. There's a tendency to regard anyone who's in the age-range necessary to be a major politician - one's forties and up - who's not married or at least in a stable relationship as a bit of a misanthrope. It's a bloody shallow thing, but people like to see nice families. (I'm sure the kids play into that nice little middle-England image of him as well).

I couldn't see anyone not married becoming PM of the UK, probably not because people wouldn't elect them, but because a politician is usually at least 40-45 before he has risen far enough up the ranks to become leader of their party.

lol aye, but Blair has 3 religions..

He says he carries a copy of the Koran with him, he claims to be an Anglican, but his wife is Catholic and his children go to a Catholic school, and he goes to a Catholic Church.

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

Toronto. ;) didn't exprect it? Well, I lived in Ottawa...bunch of lousy hypocriticial bastards! And that is just what I think of the motely crew that are the regular citizenry of the city (if you can call that vast waste land a city).

I live in Ottawa as well.. and I'm afraid I must agree with you. The liberals have went down the toilet.. the problem as I see it is we don't have any choice at all. All of the three main parties are crap. We have no choice. Conservatives are too far right, NDP is too far left.. and the liberals are just conservative lite who have blown any crediblity they may of ever had. *sigh* I have no idea who I'm going to vote for this next election.

And a note on the US (from whence I hail). The US elected it*s first unmarried president (James Buchannan) about 150 years ago.

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

It took a big railroad to unite canada again and you canadiens are still making fun of your providence origins. Oh well, at least I am not southern!

Reagan was agnostic, wasn't he? Never went to church.
Nancy was new-age or something, very into astrology etc.
The US has had a couple single presidents, not many.
It's about time we had a mature woman run things here. Single would be fine.

Here's an interesting site with US President's supposed religion. Reagan's dad was Catholic, it says, but he claims he "took after" his mother who was Presbyterian. Nothing about baptism or membership.

http://www.adherents.com/adh_presidents.html

Considering that the average voter is either Married or aspires to be married, and is religious... yeah, typically they'll vote for the person that thinks most like themselves.

Reagan was agnostic, wasn't he? Never went to church.
Nancy was new-age or something, very into astrology etc.
The US has had a couple single presidents, not many.
It's about time we had a mature woman run things here. Single would be fine.

Here's an interesting site with US President's supposed religion. Reagan's dad was Catholic, it says, but he claims he "took after" his mother who was Presbyterian. Nothing about baptism or membership.

http://www.adherents.com/adh_presidents.htmlUmm.. Reagann was one of the most religious presidents out there... that's why Bush was considered to be like Reagan in a lot of ways.

Considering that the average voter is either Married or aspires to be married, and is religious... yeah, typically they'll vote for the person that thinks most like themselves.

Worldwide? Really?

I suppose the average voter is a married mormon?

And a note on the US (from whence I hail). The US elected it*s first unmarried president (James Buchannan) about 150 years ago.And I believe Grover Cleveland was a bachelor as well, but got married while President.

But it hasn't happened recently and I would be surprised if it does. And it's damn near impossible to get elected to any sort of office in the US without giving lip service to some sort of christian religion.

Reagan was agnostic, wasn't he? Never went to church.

Not sure about that.

Nancy was new-age or something, very into astrology etc.
Tell it to the religious right wing, PLEASE! They need to hear that. :D


The US has had a couple single presidents, not many.
It's about time we had a mature woman run things here. Single would be fine.

I*d vote for a US version of Margret "the Iron Lady" Thatcher.
(Privatize that AmTrak!!!!!)

Reagan wasn't very religious personally, but he knew how to play to the religious crowd, and he certainly allied himself with them. Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell were among his biggest allies, and he fed them red meat on issues like abortion and gay rights. His personal beliefs were never much of an issue simply because he gave them what they wanted.

And while I would gladly vote for a woman for the highest office, it certainly would not be a US version of Maggie Thatcher. No way, no how.

I find it sad that the population allows itself to be fooled by the image of a president, rather than electing him on the grounds of his skills and experience.

I find it even sadder that they allow themselves to be fooled by pseudo-religious presidents who are actually the most evil moral-less bastards.

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

It took a big railroad to unite canada again and you canadiens are still making fun of your providence origins. Oh well, at least I am not southern!

Huh? I'm from the praries, we're still neglected :(

But I think all of Canada makes fun of Alberta, they are the conservative province, and they bred Stockwell Day!! He should be best buddies with bush, he believed the humans must have been around at the same time as dinosaurs :?

I agree. Any asshole can get elected her in Canada. It's helps if you're a bloody Quebecer...lousy Liberals!

haha, where are you from, alberta?

It took a big railroad to unite canada again and you canadiens are still making fun of your providence origins. Oh well, at least I am not southern!

Huh? I'm from the praries, we're still neglected :(

But I think all of Canada makes fun of Alberta, they are the conservative province, and they bred Stockwell Day!! He should be best buddies with bush, he believed the humans must have been around at the same time as dinosaurs :?

Haha actually good 'ol Stockwell was quoted as saying the world was only 6000 years old.. (same as the bible and the book of Genesis would have you believe) after he made this claim he never recovered and was bitch slapped in the election..lol

Reagan was agnostic, wasn't he? Never went to church.
Nancy was new-age or something, very into astrology etc.
The US has had a couple single presidents, not many.
It's about time we had a mature woman run things here. Single would be fine.

Here's an interesting site with US President's supposed religion. Reagan's dad was Catholic, it says, but he claims he "took after" his mother who was Presbyterian. Nothing about baptism or membership.

http://www.adherents.com/adh_presidents.htmlUmm.. Reagann was one of the most religious presidents out there... that's why Bush was considered to be like Reagan in a lot of ways.

He said he supported "religion", but I don't think he was baptized or attended church. So what makes a person religious...talk? Or action?

I thought all PMs and Presidents had to be married so they could have an affair.

(bump)

I think people generally do vote for a president/PM with a nice traditional religious family-man image. Polls show that a minister's popularity goes up massively if they get married/have a child/have a family crisis (as in somebody dying or the like, not divorce or argument). Isn't it depressing that we vote in ministers whose public image fits with people's cosy idealistic idea of a perfect family instead of electing somebody based on their political ideals and values? Fish.