Will we ever elect an active alcoholic as President?

[pbrower2a]

No, not an alcoholic as defined by AA -- that is, anyone who has ever been a problem drinker. Not simply an alcoholic who doesn't drink.

[Citizen James]

Although he didn't completely admit to being a recovering alcoholic, Bush did admit to having previously had an alcohol problem, which he quit cold turkey upon finding religion.

Grant was a more traditional alcoholic - it is said he had two loves, whiskey and war.

[Antonio the Sixth]

No way.
Alcohol really damages someone's intellectual faculties and probably makes him unable to decently govern. Now it has nothing to do with minority, but only with leadership capability.

[Stranger in a strange land]

We probably already have: Franklin Pierce was likely an alcoholic, Andrew Johnson may have been, and Nixon was a heavy drinker, though he may not have met the medical definition of alcoholism.

[Free Palestine]

Andrew Johnson may have been

He was drunk at his inauguration.  Sounds like an alcoholic to me.

And no, not with today's focus on image with the Presidency.  The national Messiah can't be addicted to booze.

[Хahar 🤔]

Andrew Johnson may have been

He was drunk at his inauguration.  Sounds like an alcoholic to me.

Eh, he was just really nervous. Wouldn't you be?

[Antonio the Sixth]

Andrew Johnson may have been

He was drunk at his inauguration.  Sounds like an alcoholic to me.

Eh, he was just really nervous. Wouldn't you be?

Sure, but a President should not.

[RScannix]

Andrew Johnson may have been

He was drunk at his inauguration.  Sounds like an alcoholic to me.

Eh, he was just really nervous. Wouldn't you be?

Sure, but a President should not.

Johnson was coming into office on the heels of an assassinated president during a Civil War. He had to figure out Reconstruction on the fly and his home state was one of the states rebelling.

Oh, and most of Congress hated him. Sounds to me like a situation that calls for a drink.

[Kaine for Senate '18]

No true alcoholic could survive a primary and general election campaign without doing something that would totally destroy his chances; so No.

[Person Man]

No true alcoholic could survive a primary and general election campaign without doing something that would totally destroy his chances; so No.

[Free Palestine]

No true alcoholic could survive a primary and general election campaign without doing something that would totally destroy his chances; so No.

My opponent...my...my opponent is a....stupid...*falls.*

[rebeltarian]

Time out for a funny story:  I once heard that U. S. Grant's last words on his death bed were "Water! Water!"  and that one teenage poly sci student at my school theorized that perhaps he meant fire water.  LOL!!!!

[minionofmidas]

Powerful people who aren't active alcoholics (at least by a wideish definition) were the exception rather than the rule until quite recently, I think.