Posted on 10/31/2004 7:54:11 PM PST by Stew Padasso
Schwarzenegger Talks White House What-Ifs
Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says he would be interested in running for president if the Constitution were amended to allow foreign-born citizens to seek the nation's highest office.
During an interview for Sunday's CBS program "60 Minutes," Schwarzenegger said, "Yes, absolutely" when asked if he would like to run and would support such an amendment.
Schwarzenegger, 57, had previously deflected the question.
"I think, you know, because why not? I mean, you know, anyone with my way of thinking, you always shoot for the top," the governor said. "But it's not something that I am preoccupied with.
"I am not thinking one single minute about that because there's so many things I have to do in California, and my promise was to straighten out the mess in California," he said.
Schwarzenegger, a native of Austria, came to the United States in 1968 and built a fortune as a champion body builder and actor. He won his first bid for public office in last year's gubernatorial recall election in California.
Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has proposed an amendment that would allow immigrants to run for president after being citizens for 20 years. Schwarzenegger became a citizen in 1983.
There is a way that he can get into the presidency without the constitution being changed. At least for one term. See this link:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1264396/posts
He would have to be picked by the House in the event of an electoral college tie.
No, I have no problem with him being Governor of California. I just think his attitude doesn't belong in the White House even if he were eligible to be President.
It's not "foreign-born" per se who can't be Prez.
Foreign-born Americans can already run (Goldwater was born in Arizona before it was part of the union, for instance). Incidentally, the best president who never was president was Alexander Hamilton, who was not able to run, having been born (illegitimately, no less) to a British ex-patriot living in Jamaica.
American-born children of foreign parents are also able to run as they are automatically citizens "through geography" as they say (though an American-born child of foreign-born parents who were never naturalized can actually be deported under some circumstances).
So it's really just foreign-born children of non-Americans who are barred from the Presidency. This could have theoretically created a problem when Kissinger and Brezinski were Secretaries of State in their days, as neither was born in the US and therefore would have had to have been skipped in the order of succession (but if they ever have to go all the way down to the Secretary of State, the US Government would probably have already been taken over by FEMA).
Barring any new Alexander Hamiltons, there are just two words as to why no "foreign-born child of non-American parents" should be allowed to run for President: GEORGE SOROS
2008 is already in the bag: Giuliani-Rice is a lead pipe cinch. Besides, I think all this talk of Hillary running is nonsense. Her negatives are way too high--the DNC would lean heavily on her and having her in NY as a Senator is much more important than what would be a purely symbolic run for the WH. As much as I can't stand her, she's way too smart for that. After all, she did used to be a Goldwaterite, so she must have some brains up there.
Baloney! The conservative base of the GOP would not consider either Giuliani or Rice acceptable candidates. Giuliani is far too liberal and will never get the GOP nomination. Condy Rice has never held elected office, which disqualifies her for VPOTUS.
my position too.
if schwarzeneggar can straighten out california, then he would make a great presidential candidate, and i would love to see him run against hillary in '08, but our forefathers had a darn good reason for making the constitution the way it is.
Wasn't Arhnulds daddy really a nazi ? I mean a goose stepping heil hitler jew killin jack booted nazi ?
Thanks for the information, it's quite interesting. Let's just say, we don't need to amend the constitution on this point :)
Seriously, if Kerry can be a "war hero", you can be born in Iowa.
The Nazi Party was also the forunner of the Green Party which is enjoying quite a revival in Austria and Germany today. In this country it's disguised as the EnvironMental/GovernMental/Anti-Private Sector movement!!!
Well, I disagree. Even if Giuliani-Rice could get the nod, they would lose the general because evangelicals would sit out the election, unless both become fire-breathing cultural conservatives within the next four years!
Okie Dokie.......:o)
There are alot of names on both sides that won't "get the nod". Hitlery will never get the south. Giuliani, Ahhhhnold, and probably even McCain couldn't get the south. It depends on what the choices are, of course, but I believe the die is set for a more conservative type to get the nod. The left got a woody for Obama, but he won't make it either. CBSNYT will go bonkers for him, but I can't see him get anywhere outside of the northeast. We probably haven't heard the names yet of the winners.
Lordie, I can think of a bunch of other ways I'd rather amend the Constitution before I got to that one! I voted for the Governator here in CA, but the office of President is different. As has been pointed out, our forefathers had a darned good reason for setting it up the way they did. I've managed to hang on to a few grudges for 20 years ... I can easily imagine that a Manchurian candidate could hang onto a determination for 20 or 30 years. Sorry, Ahnold my bud, but no way.
I really think that's irrelevant. Focus more on Arnold's nonsense. Bring his dad into such discussions is beyond low.
Hell, I'd vote for Jack the frickin' RIPPER over Hillary. What an idiotic question.
My answer would have been simple: "You don't want me for President. I'd actually get things done and not give a damn who I piss off."
That is ridiculous. Arnold is anti-gun and pro-embryonic stem cell research. He even wants this debt-riddled state to go an additional three BILLION dollars in debt to finance that abomination.
Schwarzenegger ain't nothing but a Kennedy with an 'R' by his name. Comparing him to Reagan is a joke. Reagan was 10 times the governor that Schwarzenegger is.
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