Pennsylvania's First Gay President
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Pennsylvania's First Gay President
I didn't intend to go back again into Newsweek's deperate-plea-for-attention cover about President Obama as our first gay president, but it's important to make this point. Newsweek's cover isn't only stupid, but it's amost certainly inaccurate. Why? Well, for one thing, do the math. There have been 43 presidents (the discrepancy is because Grover Cleveland could have been our first gay president twice...but probably wasn't) and if you assume that 5 percent of all men are gay, that puts at least two, maybe three, of our commanders-in-chief in the White House closet.
Then there's the matter that almost certainly 100 percent of all U.S. presidents to hail from the state of Pennsylvania were gay:
There can be no doubt that James Buchanan was gay, before, during and after his four years in the White House. Moreover, the nation knew it, too — he was not far into the closet.
Today, I know no historian who has studied the matter and thinks Buchanan was heterosexual. Fifteen years ago, historian John Howard, author of “Men Like That,” a pioneering study of queer culture in Mississippi, shared with me the key documents, including Buchanan’s May 13, 1844, letter to a Mrs. Roosevelt. Describing his deteriorating social life after his great love, William Rufus King, senator from Alabama, had moved to Paris to become our ambassador to France, Buchanan wrote:
I am now “solitary and alone,” having no companion in the house with me. I have gone a wooing to several gentlemen, but have not succeeded with any one of them. I feel that it is not good for man to be alone; and should not be astonished to find myself married to some old maid who can nurse me when I am sick, provide good dinners for me when I am well, and not expect from me any very ardent or romantic affection.
Of course, Americans were quite capable in 1860 of judging their leaders by the content of their character; voters came to despise Buchanan not because he was probably gay, but because he was a lousy president who dithered while the nation slid into civil war. Meanwhile, over 150 years Pennsylvania has gone from James Buchanan to Rick Santorum. You call that evolution?
Comments (106)
This comment has been deleted.— RufusG- This comment has been deleted. — stonewall jackson
- Um, the out population is 2-3%. The gay population is @ 10% as measured by sex studies. Now the funniest thing is the straight men who most object to homosexuality aka 'the lobby' tend to be more gay then the rest of the population. Just saying Stonewall. — jonline
- Homosexual LOBBY?! Like all these people have an ulterior motive for preserving humans' rights? What a confused and sorry mind you have. Must be so sad to be you :( — RhondaBillings
- so obama's our 2nd gay president and our 2nd black president?
— hoegaarden - This comment has been deleted.— RufusG
Comment removed.- This comment has been deleted.— b,ill atkins
- Obama is very straight. Bush, Beck, Rush.....on the other hand practically float when they walk. Lots of in the closet republicans. — JonKap
- "if you assume that 5 percent of all men are gay, that puts at least two, maybe three, of our commanders-in-chief in the White House closet".
Since 13% of American men are black, that means we've had 5 black Presidents already. Who would they be?
Obama and Clinton obviously.
Statistical analysis of the surnames associated with African Americans suggests that the other three Black Presidents were:
Johnson, Jackson, and Johnson.
— Mr. Smith - We also have a huge hispanic population along with Russian, Indian. How many presidents have come from those nationalities?? I love Will's logic — TKL008
- Thank you, Mr. Smith. The lack of understanding of even the most basic statistical analysis by the author of this article is astounding. — ssball3333
That picture of Buchanan looks like another man eater, Hannibal Lecter.— Mr. Smith- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Still not quite sure why amerika's christofascists so daintily and deftly dance around the whole "sanctity"/divorce issue. Still not sure how conservative pillars of moral rectitude (look it up, has nothing to do with rectum) like Rushbo and Newt can wrack up 7 - 8 wives among them, discarding them like aborted fetuses. and be considered marriage role models. Then again, considering the ilk that comprise the GOP today, I guess I can understand.— CiceroSpuriousDeodatus
- Comment removed.
- Is Bunch the first gay political reporter?
Bunch, there is NO credible information anywhere that cements Buchanan as a gay. Suffice it to say he was one of our worst presidents [present president excepted], and leave it at that. There is no spmking gun with Buchanan.— ngfs66 - There isn't? How about the Buchanan letter quoted in this article? Seems pretty clear to me. — Raz
- "spmking gun"? Do I need a permit for one of those? — Jen D
- You can tell he was gay by looking at the picture. Buchanan, that is.— Mr. Smith
- Cicero...Divorce is like abortion? Your analogy is so repulsive I hope you have been dealt the gay so you won't contribute to future generations.— 2ndNlong
- If you look at some of the programming the media puts out nowadays, you would think 100% of men are gay. Well, I guess the Avengers might be an exception, though I'm not sure about Thor.— jmc
- When Captain America starts whining about inequality, its time to worry. — RG
- LOL. I only read this turd's blog for comments like this. Well done, sir.— grouchy
- To paraphrase Bunch..
Of course, Americans were quite capable in 2012 by the content of their character; voters came to despise Obama not because he is black, but because he is a lousy president who dithered, (evolved), while the nattion slid into depression. Meanwhile, over forty years the Daily News has gone from Larry McMullen to Will Bunch.— tudorcity - Newt against all tides will fight vehemently to protect the right of man to end his marriage to his wife at her hospital bedside. Bloated white men are the scourge of his earth.— Murrayman
- Someone should have notified John Edwards of that right. — RG
- High cheekbones and pouty lips?— Mr. Smith
- How do we now describe Obama? Our first gay black pres, our first gay half black pres, our first gay half white pres, our first gay socialist pres, our first gay incompetant pres? So many choices.— jimmymack
- Can we settle on one termer? — RG
- Comment removed.
- This is rich. Not only is Obama now banning cell phones at private fundraisers, but after lecturing Wall Street he went and had a fundraiser at the home of the CEO of Blackstone, the biggest private equity firm in the country. Right after running an ad criticizing Romney's private equity background. Now thats g-y.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/05/obamas-campaign-taking-away-cell-phones-private-fundraisers/52332/#— RG - Buchanan was portrayed in 'Amistad' as being a President more likely to ensconse himself in a wing of the White House, tuning a harp to the slight ring of a bell rather than prepare for inevitable war. "Can we settle on one termer?" We could, if there was a better alternative rather than a candidate incapable of doing anything other than needing to embrace the horrid stinking pile of wastet that is the Ryan budget. Strange, why would private equity types endorse a Socialist? Strange also that the Obama campaign would think to attack Romney as the vaunted job creator he can't help but imagine himself as.— Murrayman
- Compared to the Obama budget which routinely receives no votes in Congress?
— RG 
Who cares?
I'm against gay marriage, but I don't care if someone is gay. Go for it if it makes you happy, but traditional marriage is what we as a society should support.- Republicans will reject it because its their strategy to -- block everything, no compromise (which makes the tax cut extension/UE benefits extension deal all the more remarkable). So why wouldn't it make sense for a D to vote against, and curry some semblance of favor? Nonetheless, although its timid and weak, the Obama budget proposal is much more reasonable than the proposal to end Medicare and cut and additional 2T+ in 2013.— Murrayman
- "block everything, no compromise"
So Republicans are obstructionist, but opposition to Ryan's plan is noble? Nice doublespeak.
— RG - "So Republicans are obstructionist, but opposition to Ryan's plan is noble? Nice doublespeak." Oh yes, of course - how very slick of you. Yeah there is no difference between obstructionism and blocking legislation because its terrible legislation. Once again - - the right shows their need to have a persecution complex.— Murrayman
- You've proved my point. Democratic legislation is inherently good and is just being blocked by those obstructionist repubs. Republican legislation is inherently bad, so Democrats are just protecting us by opposing them. — RG
- The first gay President sucked too.— tr88
- I'm not sure if you missed this, Will -- but Newsweek wasnt actually saying Obama was gas. Rather, they were saying he was gay-friendly, like linton being the first "black" president. At first I thought you were being sarcastic, but then I figured you might just be daft enough to make this error.— General Turgidson
- once again i read these comments and am reassured at the certainty of Obama's second term. no one wants to be associated with you guys.
- "So it's obstructionist if you like the legislation, and noble if you don't." atkins I know its important for you to join big boy conversations every now and then instead of just acting like a fey wanker, but why don't you read your sentence here again, and tell me how it makes any sense? See when replying to actual sentences its important to respond with a clear intent. Oh look how cute now RG is making this a moral issue (good -- bad). They think we're stupid. NO, you're right -- its my mistake -- vouchers is a great idea its just that because its a Republican posing it its 'bad'. Also, due to their being no clear empirical evidence drastically slashing spending in the teeth of a mild Depression actually makes the situation worse, a budget slashing 3.5T makes plenty of sense but because it is proposed by Republicans its 'bad'. Again, its a persecution complex, nothing more -- most likely borne of Religion (think Christians fending off the lions).— Murrayman
- For a progressive, you're awfully fond of the status quo. Keep pushing ahead with our faltering public education system. Keep defict spending in hopes that it will somehow spark a rate of growth that would be enough to not only close the deficit but pay back the accumulated debt. All while having government spend more and more as a % of GDP.
Looks like a winning formula to me.— RG - Obama has a big asdvantage getting reelected. Half dont pay Income taxes, about 25% get a government handout and he has a small army of paid propagandists that would make Soviet Russia proud. The fact that he isnt a shoe-in to win a second term tells you just how poorly he is regarded.— tr88
- And his opponent is a bland, flip flopping, repub lite who came from a despised industry Yet Obama is still running neck and neck with him. — RG
- Oh I know RG that is exactly what is being proposed (status quo nonsense you outline). How very slick of you. You must be in PR? If not you missed your calling. Seems like something right out of the Lanny Davis handbook. Unfortunately your lack of economic acumen cannot be known to you, being so very self-confident in your knowledge, gleaned from hacks like McCardle, so we need to bear it. This is my favorite: that somehow current deficit spending is supposed to be stimulative, due to something radical like the Ryan budget being just right -- not too much, not too little. Any day now of course RG will bring his findings to us -- how to go about finding some particular rate of growth. Maybe we'll even get an understanding of all these tax loopholes that will be closed in the Ryan proposal -- so we have our first glimpse of how the deficit will ultimately be closed. What a bunch of clowns.— Murrayman
- This coming from a stimulus supporter. Where's that money multiplier and the virtuous cycle we were promised?
Where is the Dem budget to close the deficit? Oh wait, they'll raise taxes on the 1%, bringing in a paltry $70 bil per year.— RG - Raising taxes a la the "Buffett rule" would net less than $5 billion per yer -- approx $50 billion over 10 years. Not even one month's worth of Obama debt.
"The non-partisan United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation released a letter in March 2012 estimating that the Buffett Rule would raise $46.7 billion over the next 10 years." -- United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation. "Memo On "Buffett Rule" Revenue Estimates" .. http://taxprof.typepad.com/files/joint-committee.pdf— critias -
How quickly Murray forgets Obama's empty promise to halve the deficit in 4 years.
"Urging strict future restraint even as current spending soars, President Barack Obama pledged on Monday to dramatically slash the skyrocketing annual budget deficit as he started to dole out the record $787 billion economic stimulus package he signed last week.
"If we confront this crisis without also confronting the deficits that helped cause it, we risk sinking into another crisis down the road," the president warned, promising to cut the yearly deficit in half by the end of his four-year term. "We cannot simply spend as we please and defer the consequences."
He said he would reinstitute a pay-as-you-go rule that calls for spending reductions to match increases and would shun what he said were the past few years' "casual dishonesty of hiding irresponsible spending with clever accounting tricks." He called the long-term solvency of Social Security "the single most pressing fiscal challenge we face by far" and said reforming health care, including burgeoning entitlement programs, was a huge priority."
http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-503723_162-4821499.html— RG - tr88 hilariously makes the implication that the Obama campaign is engaged in Soviet style propoganda yet insinuates that if McCain were POTUS, those approx. 47% of 'taxable units' paying no Federal income tax would be paying! They'd pay! --- or else! What it also insinuates is that legislation from the Obama admin. has made it possible for these taxable units (mainly households) to pay no Federal income tax (rather than of course lack of employment, and woeful real income growth, pushing them further down the marginal scale, until existing exemptions and deductions allow for no liability). But no -- if McCain were POTUS he would have repealed all deductions and exemptions -- so that for example a household of four earning 50k wouldn't have two child credits, and therefore would pay their fair share!— Murrayman
- So people with kids should be subsdized by the childless? — RG
- "How quickly Murray forgets Obama's empty promise to halve the deficit in 4 years." How could I forget when I've been reminded by right wing Republican shills like yourself -- oh I'm sorry I meant Libertarians -- like yourself. It was a terrible political maneuver, and stems from the initial estimaes of the severity and depth and breadth of this Depression. "Where's that money multiplier and the virtuous cycle we were promised?" Its happening right now -- you don't like the results? This is it -- you get paltry growth with what amounts to transfer payments and extension of tax cuts. Of course there is ample evidence that when the bulk of the ARRA money was being disseminated growth was much higher - again thats what happens when it isn't enough -- and includes too many tax cuts. "bringing in a paltry $70 bil per year." -- the right wing persecution complex will always be coupled with a deep cynicism -- which concludes with the attitude that one must then 'look out for themselves'.— Murrayman
- At least it stopped UE from goign above 8%....nevermind. — RG
- Of course its known to right wingers how pathetic the 'stopped UE from going above 8%' argument is mainly due to the fact it attempts to mask the actual growth that resulted. But no, you said you were going to get an A, so this B you got is actually an F. You should have said B, then the studying you did would have been a success. Its such a childish, impish argument its head scratching how such high brow types like RG would think to repeat it so often.— Murrayman
- You mean the paltry growth you pointed out below?
I think you need one of those t-shirts "I spent $800 bil on stimulus and all I got was high UE, paltry growth, and more record deficits".— RG - Don't bother, everyone, with estimates. RG wants evidence! Don't even use samples. Go out there and count everyone. Until then = fail. Of course those 'record deficits' would not be in the absence of the ARRA bill. Right RG? Without the bill --- employment would have been much better. Oh wait we can't deal with alternative scenarios in the hyper real RG world. So we can only reject the ARRA based on our --- feelings about it. Our partisan feelings. Hack. You're a hack. Lol.— Murrayman
- But you can accept the ARRA based on unfalsifiable counterfactuals. Because people liek me have "forced" you to be an Obama defender. — RG
- Buchanan biographer Jean H. Baker concluded that: "The best speculation about the sexuality of the nonshaving Buchanan, who in his portraits has the eunichlike, endomorphic features of body and face, as well as the low hairline characteristics of asexual men with low levels of testosterone, is that he had little interest in sex. What is important in his story is the deep friendship he maintained with the southerner King from the time of their first acquaintanceship until the latter's death in 1853."— Fisher
- did you ever notice how lincoln never blamed all the problems on buchanan, for all the problems. unlike bho.....— stevejones
- "as well as the low hairline characteristics of asexual men with low levels of testosterone". Fisher did the biographer mention anything about an acute sense of persecution leading to pathological needs to take his country back and recover lost liberty?— Murrayman
- SteveJones has a good point. How many times over the last three years have I shouted at the TV, MAN UP?— philly2flag
- Buchanan was the worst President Just above Carter and Obama— Ubercatholic
- Sorry, is there a point to this story?— lostInPhilly
- Yes, it indicates that gays make bad presidents. — bonnerlou
- Comment removed.
- Speaking from experience? — brotherlyshove
- Speaking from experience? — brotherlyshove
- I doubt Grover "Ma, ma, where's my pa? up in the white house ha ha ha" Cleveland was gay— Northeaster
- "..over 150 years Pennsylvania has gone from James Buchanan to Rick Santorum. You call that evolution?" Great! Give me Buchanan any day.
Seems like evolution in reverse.— jiminphila - Plz don't insult your readers by daring to point out that some of our presidents dared to be anything but the rocklike heroes we've made them out to be. We would have to go back and rewrite the history of our GrAYte nation. Go forbid we admit they were so far from perfect, Lets just keep that Americas, One of Americas best kept secrets.SMH— Lyrra
- If Obama had a son, he would look like this guy— Mottz
- so?— Old German
- let's get rid of tax benefits for the married that way we don't discriminate against anyone.
- The funniest part is that people are taking this Will Bunch article seriously. Too funny.— kelprod2
- Obama the first gay president? Really? Not worth comment but since it has become such a topic of discussion... Really???? Gay huh? I call it pandering at it finest and worthy of disdain. "The Dumbing Down Of America" does not even begin to describe this tactic. Only six and a half more months of political rhetoric. What a long hot summer it's going to be. The evil of two lessers. "I'm moving to Australia".— CA Scum
- James Buchanan. Just shows the first one of anything is not always the best.— Broad Stroke
- Time out!
I must defend our president from these abusive attacks! BHO is most likely bi, not gay, since he doesn't seem to mind f*****g everybody regardless of gender!— Bucks County Mike - Hmmm...Maybe Barak and Johnny Sinclair did have a steamy affair. He is certianly a lousy president like Buchanan..Wow, looks like they do have some things in common!— bonnerlou
- Hmm, and he was followed into office by a guy who wrote similar letters about his manly affections. One other salient thing done by Buchanan to this year's election: he sent federal troops into Utah to remove Brigham Young as governor and replaced him with a non-mormon, as mormon's were seen as...uhh....un-American. 154 years later...here comes Mitty!— bobcitydoc
- could you imagine what the right would say if obama was a mormon? there is no way they would come anywhere near to being as respectful as the democrats have been to his religion.
- I am a heterosexual male who has gay friends and family members and am a strong supporter of gay marriage (not civil unions, but full marriage) so take this the right way, Will and every other writer that I've seen post this, but why do certain people assert with absolute certainty that 5% of the population is gay? I've seen much more recent studies/estimates that it's 1.7% (see UCLA's Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy 2011 Study)or more like 3%, not 5-10%. I'm a supporter, but don't always use this made up number to support your arguments.— donde
This just in: With polls showing that Obama likely to be turned out of office, Obama has signed a 3 year contract to do floor shows at the Borgata Casino under his former name, Barry Soetoro. The act will be called "Barry S. and his Flaming Flakes." It's a dance act where they run around semi nude....streaming silk flags...singing show tunes. You know the genre. Obammy is capitalizing on this Newseek article since he certainly will go down in flames this Nov. I bet Will Bunch will be in the first row, applauding like a trained seal.- republicans want to pass a defense of marriage act on the federal level that will cancel the state's rights to decide the issue for themselves? that can't be right. the republicans are always defending the right of states to decide instead of letting the big bad federal government do it?
- samwise, looks like you seem to know a lot about what gays like. Guess you've had a lot of personal experience. Tell us what it's like, will you?— mike l
- There is no logic to your statistical reasoning in this blog entry, because you assume that the president is selected from a corss section of our population. By that reasoning, approximately 50% of our presidents should have been women. American presidents, as we all know, are hardly a random sample of this country's populace.
Inversely, if you look at our presidents and project to our general population, you would assume that 4.5% percent of the American people are Bushes, and another 4.5% are Adams. And because Americans (like our presidents) are 100% men, we would have no choice but to be gay unless we want to end up woefully alone like our President Buchanan eventually did.— Sound Fury - In Buchanan's time, being gay meant you were happy.— PhillySubsMac
- Comment removed.
- Can we finally get to the real issue? Who was the DNs first gay blogger/journalst?— philly2flag
- "if you assume that 5 percent of all men are gay, that puts at least two, maybe three, of our commanders-in-chief in the White House closet."
"At least" two? ugh, the fundamental misunderstanding of mathematics and statistics is mind-boggling.— ssball3333 - Statistics in general are a crock. It's like saying to someone that he has a 1 in 311 million chance to become President, when really, if he doesn't want to be, his chances are zero!— Loves To Comment
- What are these tax benefits you speak of HighWater? Our first year filing taxes as a married couple shocked the spit out me! I guess they are only for 2 people whose incomes are either really low or are very unequal.— Loves To Comment
FACT: Every straight man who doesn't bang a dude every 10 years, and not like it, is a homosexual.— KINGOFZED
Romney is a Gay Bashing Bully and a Union Buster. Go back to bed with the church, because they seem to like same sex, mostly between 10-15 years old.- ...judging by all the fellas I see parading aroung in flip flops and sandals, that 10% numbers seems low to me...— flank steak
- Lincoln slept with Speed for years
— Wilton Cabbage - This guys logic is awful. Following his line of thinking, since 50% of the population is female then we must assume that of our 44 presidents, 22 must have been women. Knuckle head. He's as bad as whoever conceived of that News Week Cover.— mcourtne
- And the Inky pays you to write this?— joedog
- Not sure but is Will gay?— TKL008
- Clearly Obama will win again. Who's going to beat him, Romney? Can't wait to see the debate on health care. Obama 2012!!— hallux
- Comment removed.
- brotherman1,the repulian's are Guy— brotherman1
- " if you assume that 5 percent of all men are gay, that puts at least two, maybe three, of our commanders-in-chief in the White House closet."
Either the author lacks basic reasoning skills and understands nothing about statistics, or he is being grossly intellectually dishonest for the sake of his own agenda. You cannot apply a statistic derived from a broader sampling of society to a smaller more specific one, especially in a situation with so many variables... Shame on you William Bunch— jbrooks - What do Rosie O'Donnell and James Buchanan have in common? Any Dickinson College grad knows the answer: both were asked to leave Dickinson for poor performance and both out of the closet. Not news on campus. Buchan served alongside Chief Justice Roger Taney, another Dickinson grad who was responsible for the Dred Sccott decision.— frinkie
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