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Arnold Schwarzenegger, lambasted by a well-organized liberal-left attack at the last minute, proves to be even more effective than Bill Clinton in attaining a victory, even without the same smooth, Clintonian rhetoric.
The question remains, if Schwarzenegger is successful in fixing California, and Sen. Orrin Hatch's constitutional amendment is successful, will Arnold run for president?
Article comments
1 - Doc
He was blasted by the ultra right too so don't doubt a few of those groping stories were planted by the some fellow GOP members... And I bet Alan Keyes and Rush (if he's not currently high on hillbilly heroin) probably have their panties in a twist
Anyway, I'm sure he'll do just as well as Jesse Ventura. Maybe better since Arnie's movies did so much better. He's running out of movie lines to use so this could get interesting.
Hatch is an idiot. But that ammendement is worth a look (the only one out of his ammendment-happy judiciary subcommittee).
2 - Eric Olsen
I can't think of any good logical reason why a naturalized citizen should be prohibited from being president.
3 - John Mudd
Me either, especially since our economy is now globalized and people move from country to country to attain employment, just as they used to move from state to state for employment. If they're a naturalized citizen of whatever nation they're in, they've been paying taxes to that nation, so they should have the right, if the people so deem them qualified, to lead.
4 - debbie
I disagree. I don't want anyone holding the highest office in the country that would have feelings of loyalty to another country.
Other countries "could" send over "operatives" to live here for the specified amount of time and take the citizenship test. (Bin Laden's operative lived here in the US for years) if they were well funded and were able to convince people to vote for them.. (we all know how that goes) then you would have a person holding the highest office in our country with loyalties to another country.
5 - mike
Let's see. Arnold is pro-choice, pro-gay rights, pro-gun control, and conservatives are cheering this great victory over liberalism? What am I missing here?
6 - Eric Olsen
I think it's the "R" in front of his name.
7 - JR
"I don't want anyone holding the highest office in the country that would have feelings of loyalty to another country."
Too late. We all ready have a president with loyalties toward the Kingdom of Heaven. So native birth is no guarantee of loyalty. At least someone like Schwartzenegger would have loyalties toward another democracy.
8 - John Mudd
Debbie, don't you think the media, given the scrutiny they give to political candidates, would find out if a candidate was a traitorous operative and report it, widely, to the public?
Just because someone is born in a country doesn't mean they're going to be loyal to it.
I don't think the public is stupid enough to elect someone who would betray that country, and I seriously doubt the FBI or CIA would withold intelligence from the media if your worst case, nearly impossible scenario were to occur.
Cheers.
9 - John Mudd
Conservatives are cheering because we won.
We also cheered when Bush won in 2000, even though he has proven to be an oligarchic liberal.
So far, Arnold has proven to be a wise choice, but it is early-on. He, too, will have to prove whether or not he is worthy of carrying the conservative mantra any higher than he already has.
The mantra being this: Cut taxes, regulation and balance the budget.
Cheers.
10 - argalite
Jeez, Arnold was a knee jerk, Bush is the cause. He is going to give away the state and destroy our environment. just wait and see what happens to the lawsuits against the EPA regarding CA's more stringent air standards. Although Hatch is not my favorite, he is certainly smarter than arnold any day. Naturalized citizens should never be allowed to be president, the security of the world is too much at stake.
11 - debbie
"Debbie, don't you think the media, given the scrutiny they give to political candidates, would find out if a candidate was a traitorous operative and report it, widely, to the public?"
No, I don't. I don't have a very high regard for the media. They pick and choose what they think is important to report....which is why I visit a wide variety of blog sites :~) After they choose what they want to report, they then put their spin on.
12 - Eric Olsen
But Debbie, blogs are part of the "media" (smile)
13 - John Mudd
Good point. Well, maybe we should just leave it the way it is then and not allow naturalized citizens to become president, although, I do have a feeling that this debate will be re-ignited, as I do feel that if Arnold is successful as governor, he will likely run for president.
Cheers.
14 - John Mudd
Eric does have a point...
and often times news that appears on blogs first often appears in newspapers, on TV or radio afterward.
Take my interview with Mary "Mary Carey" Cook, for example. I was interviewed about the interview by my local media after posting it here at Blogcritics.
With the modern media environment being 24-7 broadcast, plus print news, radio talk and blogs, too, it's very hard to keep anything a secret anymore.
15 - Eric Olsen
I think blogs will only continue to work their way into the media ecosystem, and this will become more explicit and recognized, which makes it all th more important that blogs use good journalistic practices like not just making shit up.
16 - John Mudd
Who's making stuff up, Eric?
17 - Eric Olsen
No one, I hope. But I hear bloggers accuse other bloggers of making things up all the time.
I'm just saying that with readers and attention comes scrutiny and once someone is found to be unreliable, that's about it for them whether you're at the NY Times, BBC, or Barney's Butt Blog.
18 - Joe
Do you have the URL for the BBB?