So, here we are, poised to possibly elect a black man as POTUS. That's a big deal. At some point (probably a long time from now), the US will elect an openly gay man or woman to that post. And there will be a bunch of hoopla and self-congratulatory reporting on how much we've progressed, and so on.
But while doing a little research yesterday, I think I may have stumbled onto the idea that we've already had a gay President.
James Buchanan, the 15th President, was pretty much an asshole. He was very much in favor of slaveholders' rights. He threw the US into a financial panic because he refused to make compromises after taxes were lowered by Congress. He declared war on Utah and had the US Army's asses get kicked by Brigham Young. And then, of course, he couldn't stop the country from falling apart into Civil War at the end of his term. Pretty $h!tty President.
But... he was gay.
At least I think he was, and apparently so do a lot of scholars. They never teach you this stuff in junior high school.
- Still to this day, he was the only "bachelor" President.
- He lived with a Senator (William Rufus King) for 15 years before his presidency. Andrew Jackson referred to King as "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy." Aaron V. Brown spoke of the two as "Buchanan and his wife."
- Buchanan and King's nieces destroyed their uncles' correspondence, leaving some questions as to what relationship the two men had.
- In the few surviving letters, Buchanan refers to "the affection of a special friendship," and he also wrote of his "communion" with his housemate.
Hmm.
------------------- Ignore MD#1 and MD#2.
"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." -John Stuart Mill
Posts: 1975 | Location: the GTA | Registered: November 28, 2007
At some point (probably a long time from now), the US will elect an openly gay man or woman to that post.
There is the key difference to the two ideas you were discussing. Even if he was gay, he was not openly gay so that it was stated in black and white (at least not that has been discovered yet.)
That's why there will be so much "hoopla" about it when it does happen.
rechtien
Posts: 356 | Location: Missouri | Registered: July 01, 2008
At some point (probably a long time from now), the US will elect an openly gay man or woman to that post.
There is the key difference to the two ideas you were discussing. Even if he was gay, he was not openly gay so that it was stated in black and white (at least not that has been discovered yet.)
That's why there will be so much "hoopla" about it when it does happen.
rechtien
+1
There is a big difference between electing a person who is openly gay, and speculating about the fact decades later.
Posts: 398 | Location: San Diego/Las Vegas | Registered: May 02, 2008
Buchanan, gay or not, is Number One on most historians' list of the worst presidents in our history.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 3593 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
Not at all. I'm no defender of the Carter presidency, but Buchanan was in a class all by himself.
Why are you being so defensive of James Buchanan??
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 3593 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
And I don't understand how that's pertinent to a discussion of James Buchanan and the fact most historians consider him our worst president.
'Question authority. Think for yourself. Filter out the spin. Engage elected officials critically. Make them defend what they're doing in your name. Derive the truth. Speak truth to power.'
Posts: 3593 | Location: Boston | Registered: April 16, 2005
At some point (probably a long time from now), the US will elect an openly gay man or woman to that post.
There is the key difference to the two ideas you were discussing. Even if he was gay, he was not openly gay so that it was stated in black and white (at least not that has been discovered yet.)
That's why there will be so much "hoopla" about it when it does happen.
rechtien
I fully agree.
I also believe, sadly, that we will set foot on other planets, before an openly gay man is elected POTUS.
------------------- Ignore MD#1 and MD#2.
"Conservatives are not necessarily stupid, but most stupid people are conservatives." -John Stuart Mill
Posts: 1975 | Location: the GTA | Registered: November 28, 2007
Originally posted by Jeebus: Your opinion of Carter has zero relevance to a discussion on Buchanan.
The hell it doesn't. Carter completely castrated the most powerful country in the world. Buchanan was president when the US was less than 100 years old.
Posts: 2015 | Location: WI | Registered: November 16, 2007
Originally posted by Jeebus: So, here we are, poised to possibly elect a black man as POTUS. That's a big deal. At some point (probably a long time from now), the US will elect an openly gay man or woman to that post. And there will be a bunch of hoopla and self-congratulatory reporting on how much we've progressed, and so on.
But while doing a little research yesterday, I think I may have stumbled onto the idea that we've already had a gay President.
James Buchanan, the 15th President, was pretty much an asshole. He was very much in favor of slaveholders' rights. He threw the US into a financial panic because he refused to make compromises after taxes were lowered by Congress. He declared war on Utah and had the US Army's asses get kicked by Brigham Young. And then, of course, he couldn't stop the country from falling apart into Civil War at the end of his term. Pretty $h!tty President.
But... he was gay.
At least I think he was, and apparently so do a lot of scholars. They never teach you this stuff in junior high school.
- Still to this day, he was the only "bachelor" President.
- He lived with a Senator (William Rufus King) for 15 years before his presidency. Andrew Jackson referred to King as "Miss Nancy" and "Aunt Fancy." Aaron V. Brown spoke of the two as "Buchanan and his wife."
- Buchanan and King's nieces destroyed their uncles' correspondence, leaving some questions as to what relationship the two men had.
- In the few surviving letters, Buchanan refers to "the affection of a special friendship," and he also wrote of his "communion" with his housemate.
Hmm.
that is pretty impressive.
Posts: 368 | Location: Victorville, CA | Registered: April 10, 2007
