Quotes of the week

You are right. I didn't know about the linux-image-amd64 package.
So, Debian has the ability to install a 64bit kernel on a 32bit system.

According to http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?suite=precise&arch=..., Ubuntu has no such package.

I know that RHEL 6 and its derivates have no such package, and neither does SLE nor openSUSE. I assume that Fedora has none either.

I'd say, even with this correction, my original statement stands: If one looks at the major distributions, one sees the reason why not more people use such an installation.