George Neumayr Ping
I'm a foreign born American. I can understand the reason for limiting our nation's two highest offices to native born Americans was and continues to be a valid one. Whatever one's personal desires are, they must take a backseat to the greater good of the country. Which is why the so-called "Arnold" Amendment is destined to go nowhere.
I'm also a foreign born American, and proud of it. But I think it's a bad idea to allow foreign born Americans to become the leaders of this great nation. Some have dual citizenship from their home countries and there would always be questions about their loyalties.
The restriction was put in there for a reason and we shouldn't change it.
Life imitates art. If any of you haven't seen it I highly recommend the movie "Demolition Man" with Sly Stallone. In addition to being really funny, it paints a picture of the near future that we can see coming to pass before our eyes, including the Arnold for President thing.
While I have enjoyed some of his movies, one needs to separate the man from the image. In addition to the problem of being foreign-born, Arnold has the intellectual depth of a mud puddle. I doubt whether he has actually any idea what his positions on things like economics, education and abortion actually MEAN.
While he may be some kind of asset to the Republican Party in The People's Republic of California, his "style over substance" cannot carry its own weight.
If they thought it was a bad idea when our country was only 13 years old, and they were disqualifying people like Benjamin Franklin, and many other English-born people who had risked everything- life, liberty-- for America, then who are we to change it for Arnold.
Another note, I for one would not have supported Arnold for CA Gov if it were not for the fact that he wasn't eligible for President. I suspect that I am not alone.
The only "flawed one" is Barney Crank.......
Any Freeper would be nuts to support this Amendment, whether you're for or against Arnie as an individual. It's primarily leftists pushing this idea. They have no problem putting up with an Arnie for four or eight years, if it means that forever afterwards they'll be able to put a George Soros into the Presidency.
Qwinn
A bit of history forgotten:
The web of marriages in european royal families resulted in the kings and queens of various countries having little or no ties to the country they come to rule. Such was the case in 18th Century England. George I was imported from Hanover, Germany, as the closest Protestant relative to the throne. He divided his time between running Hanover and Britain and never learned to speak English. England has been run by Germans ever since, including the infamous George III.
One could argue that in an election, as opposed to hereditary monarchy, that one with such little tie to America would never reach the Presidency. But one has only to look how close John Kerry came. The founders wanted to take no chances.
Democrats like to create false issues to distract voters from the real fraud that government itself since the New Deal has become. This is just one more in a long series.
I just have 4 words to say...
"Imagine President George Soros"
Mark
A new victim group has just been born by the left.
The "foreign born who never can be president of America" victim group.
Dan
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NEVER make a law for one specific case. That's an excellent rule. I don't want to see a Muslim born in Morroco as a president of the USA some day.