Ben Carson's Meet The Press appearance has been quite the hot topic today. When he said he wouldn't advocate for a Muslim president, because Islam is inconsistent with the constitution - it sent shockwaves through scholars, religious groups and members of the GOP and has drawn him a ton of criticism.
Article VI requires public officials to be "bound by oath, or affirmation, to support this Constitution." Then it adds, "But no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States."
During a debate on CNN's The Situation Room over Carson's bigoted stance, S.E. Cupp said that not wanting to vote for a Muslim president wasn't bigoted at all. Peter Beinart immediately jumped in to ask her why that's not bigotry and she stumbled and stammerd throughout her answer.
Cupp: ...by the way, it's not bigoted to say you wouldn't vote for a Muslim president. That's not what Ben Carson is saying
Beinart: It's not?
Cupp: No, you can say I wouldn't vote for a Muslim, I wouldn't vote for an atheist. They're not in line with my ideas, that's not bigoted.
Beinart: Just based on their religion?
Cupp: That's not what Ben Carson said.
Beinart: Just based on religion, I think it is.
Cupp: No I think based on religion where I think you have a doctrine. ah, ah,,a very clear ideas that you might disagree with, I think it's completely appropriate for a voter to judge someone on their ideas, on their faith and on their world view.
Beinart: So if you said you wouldn't vote for a Jew for President or a Christian for president, that would be OK?
Cupp: He's, no....all the same thing he wasn't saying, I wouldn't vote for a Muslim, he was saying we shouldn't have a Muslim for president. That's completely different. And voters are allowed to have the opinions, but you're not allowed, what you should not be allowed to say is that Muslims shouldn't run this country.
OK, my head hurts. And by the way, saying you wouldn't vote for an atheist is bigotry as well, S.E. Why does one have to believe in God in order to make moral and rational decisions? George Bush supposed was thought to be the next coming and he helped lie the country into an unjustified war.
In a few simple words Peter turns her whole weird justifications on its head. Voters have every right to be bigoted if they want, but it doesn't change the fact that they are bigots. Cupp's twisted logic did not help her cause. Beinart let her ramble on because you could see he was completely stunned. Wolf jumped in to end that particular conversation.
