Is America ready for a vegetarian president?

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America has already proven it's ready for a black president. But what about a president who eschews a nice cut of beef in favor of a salad packed with leafy greens?

Here's the Huffington Post with a scoop on 2016 GOP hopeful Ben Carson:

Carson, the only openly vegetarian candidate in the 2016 pool, has avoided meat for decades. He told the Vegetarian Times in 1990 that his religion and health concerns inspired his diet. Politico confirmed with Carson's campaign that the candidate remains mostly meatless, noting Carson's lifestyle would put him at odds with the meat industry in Iowa, an important primary election state.The meat industry in Iowa and nationwide has been aggressively lobbying against proposed federal dietary guidelines that would encourage people to eat more vegetables and less red and processed meat. [The Huffington Post]

Beyond the question of what he'll do when it comes to eating the obligatory corn dog at the Iowa State Fair, Carson's dietary habits may be indicative of a bigger problem. The Huffington Post notes that a PPP poll from 2013 found that 30 percent of Republicans view vegetarians unfavorably.

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Samantha Rollins is TheWeek.com's news editor. She has previously worked for The New York Times and TIME and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.