Social Question

JLeslie's avatar

Do you think a US president should be married?

Asked by JLeslie (65714points) September 12th, 2023 from iPhone

I saw on The View today that presidential candidate Tim Scott has been getting questioned about being single. The ladies of The View discussed it and had some differing opinions.

Do you think it’s an indication of whether they can do the job? Do you think it hurts their electability if they aren’t married?

I’m wondering what the jelly opinions are. I’ve mentioned my opinion on this topic on other Q’s in passing. I’ll hold back stating it here, and write an answer after we get some other answers.

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25 Answers

zenvelo's avatar

Not at all a requirement or necessity. And a President who has been through multiple marriages and divorces? Much less desirable than a President who is not married.

janbb's avatar

i would prefer a President who is gay and married. That was thinking of someone specific but really it doesn’t matter to me at all.

canidmajor's avatar

Great Q, @JLeslie. As a person who has deliberately never married (and been roundly criticized for it) I personally believe that marital status in and of itself should not be a factor. Unfortunately it seems to be a fairly generalized thought that a person without a spouse is somehow lacking.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

I don’t think the president should be required to be married.

KNOWITALL's avatar

With marriage rates declining (31% of Americans were never married compated to 15% in 1960), it should not matter at all. I would posit that a person could have more focus without a spouse.

I will say it could be an issue with conservatives who place a high value on marriage/family values.

Honestly at some point we have to move past the old social mores of marriage and children being socially mandatory. Its especially ridiculous in an overpopulated world with dwindling resources.

filmfann's avatar

Of course not.

chyna's avatar

This question is interesting. I personally don’t care if a president is married or not.
But I looked it up to see if there were any presidents that weren’t and there was only one. James Buchanan. It also occurred to me that in the past, I would bet that people would have been put off by a divorced president. So I looked that up and there have only been two, Reagan and trump.

jca2's avatar

I don’t think it matters or should matter. It doesn’t matter to me.

I agree that there are people who think something is “off” about people who have never been married. I’m a single mother, and I am sure there are people that think of it as “what’s up with that? Why is she no married? Did the father not want to marry her?”

smudges's avatar

Absolutely does not indicate whether they can do their job. Unfortunately, I think it does affect their electability – not that it should.

SnipSnip's avatar

Makes no difference.

JLeslie's avatar

My opinion is it does not matter to me at all and should not matter. I think it is discrimination to judge someone’s abilities based on their marital status. In the workplace we fought for Ms. instead of Mrs. or Miss, and we made laws prohibiting employers from asking marital status. Why is the presidency so different in terms of ability to do the job? I understand wanting to know politicians on a personal level to some extent, because that is getting to know them as a person, but married or not is not part of the equation for me.

Sunny, on The View, was the main person saying she prefers they be married. She said if they are single who knows who they will be sleeping with or who they might meet while in office. That is ridiculous to me. I think it just encourages politicians to have to have fake marriages. How would Sunny feel if her son doesn’t get married and wants to run for elected office?

flutherother's avatar

What I expect of a US President is that he stands by his oath of office and there is nothing there about getting married.

mazingerz88's avatar

I don’t care. The only thing I care about is douchebags like trump and his ilk running.

Forever_Free's avatar

There is no relevance to being married and being a Presidential capable.

Tin foil hats hold more relevance here.

Entropy's avatar

Completely irrelevant to me….but in the GOP, a party that wants ‘traditional’ values, it’s probably not helpful to be unusual. I think Scott’s bigger problem is the same one all the GOP folks not named Trump have—they haven’t been willing to say the obvious to their voters. Namely “Trump can’t win. There was no election fraud. It’s time to let an adult lead the party.”

Every Republican who votes for Trump is REALLY voting for Kamala Harris…because I think we all know Joe isn’t making it through 4 more years. And it’s amazing how many Republicans want Kamala Harris for President.

KNOWITALL's avatar

@Entropy Where are you hearing that? No Republicans like her here, and most of the minorities don’t either.

jca2's avatar

@Entropy I don’t understand how a vote for Trump is really a vote for Harris. I understand how a vote for Biden is really a vote for Harris but that’s not what you wrote.

janbb's avatar

I get his ont. He’s saying that Trump won’t win and Biden will so it’s practically a vote for Harris. Hey – I’ll take Harris over Trump any day.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

I see equal amounts of complete incompetence in any direction you look with this election. Let’s be honest, if these are the candidates, it really does not fucking matter who wins.

janbb's avatar

@Blackwater_Park Oh – you are so wrong.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

I won’t vote GOP; I don’t want to live in a fascist state. Trump will have Dems snuffed by Proud Boys and Oath Keepers.

janbb's avatar

Edit: I meant “point” not “ont.”

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