There are a number of factors that handicap a politician seeking the top office, President, in the U.S. Being black is clearly one. But, being Jewish, an atheist, or gay would also be severe handicaps.

In the U.S. today, I would put gay as the most severe handicap with perhaps being an atheist next and being black third.

What are your thoughts?

Wouldn't the inability to raise millions of dollars to fund his/her campaign be the main impediment to becoming president?
Also most of the presidents are tall, and reasonably good looking or even featured anyway. I never thought John Kerry woud get in after seeing his long squashed looking face.

There is a furious resentment in the chattering class that non-Christians are seen as handicapped in seeking office. Opinion was that it was OK for Obama to be a Christian as long as he was faking it for electability.

I think in Australia we'd elect:

a woman before a black, a black before an atheist, an atheist before a gay, a gay before a Jew, a Jew before a muslim.

That's just my perception anyhow.

Chrisper I don't really get the point of your post. You seem to be attempting to justify the discriminatory practice of electing a politican based on their religious beliefs but you do not justify this through reasoned argument...