"A man who abhorred Catholics nominated for the top job? Wonderful!"
I wasn't nominating Bradman. But I would like to see some evidence of this anti-Catholic stance you ascribe for Bradman, because I think you are wrong. Bradman was a product of his times, just like anyone is, and the Protestant-Catholic friction in Australia up until (at least) WWII is well documented. But to say that Bradman abhorred Catholics is a strong claim which I don't think is backed up by much evidence. Though he made one quip in the 90s about his Catholic team mates being met by priests in cassocks at the train station (which is so mild a comment that it almost qualifies as a joke), the Rivett letters didn't indicate any sign of bigotry. His disputes with Tiger O'Reilly and Jack Fingleton seem to have been based on personality more than anything else. And I can't remember any instances of Bradman supposedly having problems with selecting Catholic teammates when either captain or selector (and remember, Bradman was probably the most powerful captain and chairman of selectors in the history of Australian cricket, what he wanted he tended to get).
I just found this transcript from a Lateline debate from 2001 exploring this question:
"TONY JONES: You're not suggesting he was anti-Catholic?
GERARD HENDERSON: I don't think he was.
But he did make a comment to Lloyd Williams in the book that came out recently that when the cricket team came back from South Africa in the mid-1930s, they were met by a priest.
That's a surprising statement.
I don't think the priest wore cassocks in those days.
Even if they did, who cares.
ROLAND PERRY: I agree with him.
He was not anti-Catholic.
That has to be one of the great furphies of all time.
GERARD HENDERSON: It came from that Protestant ascendency tradition.
And by the time we got through the Second World War, that had disappeared.
By the time they went to England in 1948, that had all gone.
But we're talking about the period before the Second World War when there was tension in the team between Catholics and Protestants.
TONY JONES: Roland Perry?
ROLAND PERRY: I just want to make a very good point there.
I think this ridiculous attitude about him being anti-Catholic -- I tracked that one down.
I would have been very happy to put that in the book if it was true in the sense of exposing a bigotry.
He had no bigotry.
If you have look at the 1936, 1937 team, you'll find he selected seven Irish Catholics.
He fought very hard for one Laurie Nash that the conservative board did not want in the team.
GERARD HENDERSON: These were not Irish Catholics.
We're talking about Australian citizens.
ROLAND PERRY: You brought up the sectarianism.
GERARD HENDERSON: It's in your book that you said he was a Mason.
No-one had ever made that point before.
ROLAND PERRY: True.
So what if he's a Mason?
GERARD HENDERSON: I don't think it's a big issue, but you put it in your book.
ROLAND PERRY: You're making an issue of it.
TONY JONES: Can I move it along a bit?"
So, as far as I can see, the evidence indicates that he was a lot more tolerant than most people of that time. If Bradman was young enough to be considered a viable candidate for President (would have to be 1960s though so outside the remit of the OP), I can't see Catholics taking to the street over the matter.
But there is one last impediment to an elect the Don campaign, he was a staunch monarchist.
Anyway, how about Dougie Walters for President?
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