Ah-nold starts a third party?

[Macfistowannabe]

Actually, I don't think birthplace should determine a person's right to run for president. Generally I think the law is ridiculous and they should change it, but there is always a card to play concerning a foreign-born person alot of people don't want in the White House. For a long time it was Kissinger, now it's Schwarzenegger.

Yeah, this isn't the first time we've discussed foreign-borns who can't be president. I think Colin Powell would make a great one, but I wouldn't like to see such a man cause any division.

 

[shooboxx]

that implies that all the laws set in motion by the original text are sufficient for the rest of america's perverbial life. It's a shame i guess that that "crazy laws" like outlawing slavery were added to the original. the constitution has within it a portion known as the elasticity clause. the framers knew that times change, subsequently additions, negations etc would need to take place. It's only been in the last ten or so years that we have been afraid of touching the constitution. in addition, it's not very easy for ammendments or clauses to be ratified. i think like two-thirds in congress need to ratify as do two-thirds of the states. someone with the exact info please feel free to correct me on the ratification process.

You are very correct - it is meant to change and there are things set in place to make it a bit difficult to make changes willy-nilly. I think what makes the issue with Arnold so disturbing is the fact that he is willing to go thru so much as to try to form his own political party of sorts, dump tons of money into a campaign and try to get something changed to the Constitution that really benefits no one in the US except Arnold. When looking at when the Constitution has been amended, it is to benefit our country as a whole. Abolition of slavery, women’s right to vote, these changes affected and benefited the USA as a whole. What is being proposed by Arnold would be solely for his own benefit.

 

[sharky]

The Constitution cannot be changed whenever you want because the amendments need to hold up to standards years from now and not just what's popular today because a few people pushed it -- remember Prohibition?

As for the natural born rule, I think it should be in place. what happens when Arnold becomes president and favors Austria over other countries for trade agreements, economic aid, immigration, etc.? Whether he does it on purpose or not, there will always be suspicious by the international community. And yes, if this does go through, as Irvine said, Jennifer Graholm would give Arnold a run for his money. Not to mention there is no way the majority of America would vote for him -- when it comes down to it, those "moral value" red states will have problems with his stance on abortion, stem-cell research and gay marriage and would never vote for a guy whose claim to fame is violent movies.

He should just give up and be happy he has California.