Talk Elections

Since the election of Gov. Schwarzenegger, there's talk about amending the constitution to allow foreign-born citizens to hold the office of President.  First, do you think this is likely to ever happen?  Secondly, and for fun, cast your vote on who would win a hypothetical match-up between Austrian-born Gov. Schwarzenegger and Canadian-born Gov. Granholm.

I would support this amendment, I agree with arnold, we live in a more global society today and if you have been a citizen for 20 years, you deserve to have the right to run for president.

PRESIDENT GRANHOLM :P

I don't know if I would support this does anyone Know if other countries allow foreign born people to run.

Granholm would make a bad bad bad president.

Granholm would get elected if the amendment passed

well I think it is fine, but all this talk about ammending the constitution...arent there far more important areas to ammend it, how about fixing the Electoral College first?

RE: Arnie vs Grandholm

I got to go with the babe here....and I doubt Arnie would survive a Republican primary process which is still winner take all, California may be able to handle him, but he is a Democrat from the point of view of the South.

Granholm and schwarzenegger both have similar views
Granholm's a moderate democrat and schwarzenegger is a liberal republican.

A Granholm vs. Schwarzenegger election would be fun

It's highly unlikely to happen, it's just too much hassle to change the constitution. Certainly it's not going to happen while one major party has a credible foreign-born contender, the other party would be hell-bent to prevent it.
I guess Arnold would probably win, not that I like the prospect.
Of course no civilized nation would ever ban foreign-born citizens from political office, the only places where I know of such a rule are the US and Cote d'Ivoire, where it was introduced to keep the most popular candidate, Alassane, I've forgotten the surname, from running. (He was born in Burkina Faso.)

the sur name is OUATTARA

In Finland we also have such a rule. President of Finland should be native Finnish.

Alright, I guess there's a number more. I just don't know of any other examples. Certainly there's no such rule in either Germany or India.

I think Granholm would win narrowly against Arnold.

most countries do not have such a law

Schwarzenegger would lose... remember the Wille Horton ads?
Say hello to Kurt Waldheim ads...

Granholm would win shes more likeable

I am against amending the constitution for this reason.  Nor do I think it would pass.  

I believe this is completely antiquated and is exactly the type of thing that is worthy of amending the constitution over.  When this country was formed, it was a completely different world and the issue made sense.  I think that it is a real shame that kids from Korea or China or wherever who are adopted as babies into familes of US citizens and know no other world besides the United States cannot be president because they were born elsewhere.  Let us not forget that the president has to be elected so the concern over allegiances is pretty remote, given that they have to win an electoral victory anyway.  Obviously, there would need to be SOME guidelines, with respect to citizenship, etc., but in theory I'm all for foreign born Presidents.

I saw her on Fox News Sunday. She was a smooth operator. I was impressed.

Whoa, you mean, like,  there's politcs and stuff happening in California, dudes? Righteous! Oh, like, you mean it's totally Arnold Schwarzenegger the movie star? Whoa-oa-oa, awesome, man! I would like, totally, want to like, amend the constitution for Arnold, man. Whoa-oa!

Oh, yeah, Arnold would like, totally, crush the Canadian chick.

Arnold is a clown.

Arnold is a great public servant and is an excellent Governor.

Yeah? Well he's not all too good of an actor......"Ja! GET DOWN! HERE COMES DA HELA-KOPTER!!! IT IZ ZOOTING AT US!!! GET DOWN!! AGGH!!"

I'm against this amendment.

But I would vote for Arnold(As I would have in the REcall but I missed it by 4 months) and I think he'd crush pretty much anyone with his name recognition alone.

All those arguments were entirely valid back then.
In fact, the Constitution says that those who immigrated before its adoption are eligible as Presidents.

Seems to me the Founding Fathers seriously undervalued the longevity of the document they drew up...and the difficulties in changing it.

BTW M Dude! you sure you shouldn't have a California like as your Avatar?

LOL

But you support amending the constitution to ban gay marraige.  I never understood social conservatives.  They want to amend the consitution to take rights away, but oppose amending it to add rights.  ???

The Swedish king has to be a Lutheran... ;)

I don't think such demands are common on other people than the head of state. I think it should be scrapped as a rule and that Granholm would beat Schwarzenegger, all other things equal.

I LOVE IT! LOL!!!!

Well anyway, Arnold would lose dramatically.  He's an idiot.  He wouldn't take Democratic votes because he's an idiot and Democrats know this.  His liberal tendencies, though, would stop the Christian fundamentalists from coming out. 

Also, I am all for a foreign born amendment.

No.

I have a question. Let's say the son of the US ambassador in Japan is born in Tokyo, can he become President? He's foreign born?

If your parents were citizens then you're a citizen so no.

The Constitution says "natural-born citiizen", that is someone who is a citizen by a nature of his birth.  This is distinguished from a naturalized citizen.

When Milt Romney's father (George Romney) was running for President, there were questions that he might not be eligible since he had been born in Mexico.  In that case, it might not quite have been as clear cut, since I think his grandfather was part of a Mormon settlement, rather than residing temporarily.

I do endorse the idea of allowing foreign-born citizens to run for President. We allow them to run for Congress or the State Governorships. That is why I don't really buy into the "cedeing our sovereignty" argument because if that is the case, why allow foreign-born citizens to serve in any government institution?

Of course foreign-borns should be allowed to run for President.  Only racists and mindless conspiracy theorist whackjobs would disagree.

In Australia, you have to have cut all ties to any other country. There was a case in which a woman was elected to the Senate but then couldn't hold the position because she was a dual citizen of Australia and England. It was found that the Queen of England is different from the Queen of Australia, even though she is the same person.

What a logical argument. "If you disagree you're a racist/whackjob"
REAL MATURE!!!

Isn't that on page 1 of the book "How Liberals Win Arguments"?

I'd support a Constitutional Amendment allowing foreign borns to run for President, as long as they've resided in our country for at least 30 years.

30 is a little much. Maybe 20 would be better.

The only qualification to run for office should be ability to vote for said office.

and living there.

That would ban everybody not from DC or its immediate suburbs from reelection to the United States Congress. Or else you meant "be registered to vote there", "own an address there" - which doesn't really make any sense at all. :P (Though America has made a shibboleth of it.)

Bump.

I think it's interesting to see this discussion again, with newer members.

Born citizens only is a ridiculous, and even offending, rule. This is simply not just to prohibit citizens, who can vote, from seeking an office. Are they lesser citizens just because they were born not as U.S. citizens? U.S. is a nation of immigrants after all, so this is pure hypocrisy.

20 years requirement is fair.

I agree.

I disagree with the 20 year requirement, Kalwejt.

Eligibility for any political office should be optained automatically whenever you're entitled to vote for that office.

In other words, American citizen and at least 18 years old. That's it.
There's no reason for any other requirements. It's not like an 18 year-old will be elected...but he should be eligible.

I'm 100% behind that. I don't see the point of 2 classes of citizens.

My view is that it's discriminatory to those who pay taxes, if you can fight in the armed forces and vote for the president, you should be able to run for president.

Anyone who can vote should be able to run for President.

So does that mean you think foreign-born citizens should not be able to vote? ;)

It's so funny seeing how years back many Repubs were way more receptive to changing the constitution for Arnold then turn around and freak out and claim Barack's foreign born.


Anyways, I suppose natural born citizen disqualifies anyone delivered by C-sect haha. I think it's a pretty archaic law but since the constitution has things for numbers divisible by 7, lets just say the foreign born candidate needs to live the last 21 years on US soil.

I agree with this as well... although it could lead to more "aristocratic" politicians...

Actually, if I had to choose between a rule that only "natural-born" citizens are allowed to become president and a rule that only foreign-born citizens are allowed to become president, I think I would pick the latter.  :P  (Not only in the US, but in principle.)