Yes folks, in an infinite universe anything is possible - even Republicans changing the constitution to allow non-American born citizens to become President with the intent to allow Arnold Schwarzenegger to become President. While on one hand I do feel that the "American born" vs. naturalized criterion for Presidency is a discriminatory one, one that preserves some arcane prejudice against immigrant Americans vs. "I was born here" Americans. It's the same thing that lead early invaders of the American continent to believe they were superior to the indigenous populations because they weren't born here, and then that they were superior to later invaders because they were born here. As you can see, it has little to do with where you were born and all to do with how many guns you are packing, how much wealth you have and quite a bit to do with the color of your skin.
However in this particular case I know what its all about. Its nothing to do with opening up the Presidency and removing this discriminatory clause. No, its all about getting one particular guy into the Whitehouse with a landslide and keeping him there for as long as possible while he does as much as possible to change American irrevocably - that one guy is Arnold Schwarzenegger. If it were anyone else - from Mexico, or Asia, or Russia, or heaven forbid, the middle East - there would be a cats chance in hell of anyone backing changing the constitution to usher them into the white mans house on the hill. But I just know, if Arnold were on the ticket, states would crumble like a pack of cards and change the constitution over night.
Americans, regardless of party allegiance, would line up to vote for him in droves if only out of curiosity to see what he'd do. I mean, wasn't that really what happened with Reagan the first time around? Remember that Reagan, a candidate that democrats were deeply suspicious if not afraid of, won by 10% of the popular vote in 1980 and then 18% in 1984. With Schwarzenegger on the ticket I'm afraid to say that women would vote for him because he's a macho hunk, men and young kids would vote for him because he's a cult hero of some of their favorite movies, and no one would be focusing on the issues. He's a campaign marketers wet dream and judging by the California recall result nothing bad whatsoever would stick on him.
Oh sure there would be many women who'd protest his misogynistic attitudes (which no matter how hard he tries have shown they were not just a trivial dalliance confined to the past). Many men and women who would protest his simple minded sales pitch on how he's going to solve everything by locking the doors and then banging heads together until they agree (it never worked).
Regardless, the Terminator President would prevail and no doubt be wonderfully popular no matter what he did. Hummers would proudly display their Presidential Seal of Appoval and driving monster trucks would now become an simple issue of patriotism. Decrying monster trucks and cars would become unpatriotic, and American the country would be born again under the "Bigger, stronger, better!" slogan.
I would not be at all surprised if the Republicans and middle of the road voters would love him so much that they would also amend the constitution back again to allow more than two terms as President. Knowing our luck old Arnold would go on like a machine, never stopping until the flesh finally rotted off his bones. In fact at that point the GOP would probably amend the constitution yet again to allow a dead person to be elected and American would be officially run by the mere cult of a personality ad-infinitum.
Like I said, in an infinite universe anything is possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment