Okay, the actual quote:
“…based on the numbers of American Muslims [as a percentage] in our population, I cannot see that a cabinet position would be justified. But of course, I would imagine that Muslims could serve at lower levels of my administration.”*
Well, there goes my shot! I guess he feels cabinet level positions should be filled by quotas and not by merit. I wonder if his fellow Republicans know he likes quotas so much…
IF (big if there) this is his actual belief (i.e. population, not merit) and not a smoke-screen for discriminating against Muslims, doesn’t this have some serious implications? If the Muslim .6% of the population (a 2001 figure that is probably higher now) is not high enough, then who else is out? Well, the Orthodox Christians at .3% have no shot (in your face Stephanopoulos!). Forget any Hindu (.3%) or Buddhist (.2%) in a Romney cabinet. At a measly .3% the religion of multiple former US presidents and freakin’ Superman does not stand a ghost of a chance.
Who knows where the ceiling for getting into the club is? Heck, if by Romney’s logic .6% ain’t enough to get you in the cabinet, is 1.4% really enough to be president?
*In all fairness there is a small chance that Romney meant he would only not appoint a Muslim for cabinet level positions on security matters. If so, I guess that is marginally less bad.
Related posts:
- IMEU: The New PA Cabinet Up & Close
- Sharon Considers Kadima Cabinet Posts
- Abu Mazen Seeks Cabinet Post for Hamas
- Giuliani Wins “Islamic Terrorism-Bee”
- Obama, Osama, Yo Mama
No, I’m pretty sure that Romney would not hire any muslim to do anything other than mow his lawn. You are exactly right, if there are not enough muslims (or arabs) to warrant political office then he should drop out of the race because of his mormonism. He is simply extenuating the “tyranny of the minority” philosophy that he uses to bash muslim hopes of equal representation.
Posted by Edmund | December 4, 2007, 12:41 pm