The Washington Post Endorses Arnold for President!

Okay, maybe not quite. But today’s top editorial, “Let Immigrants Run,” does support the idea of a Constitutional amendment rescinding the “natural-born citizen” requirement for presidential eligibility. Okay, okay, their underlying argument — in this day and age, are we really worried about a foreign-born citizen selling out American interests to their native country’s? — does make sense, but the timing’s just too funny to take at face value.

I remember an article way back in the mid-’80s joking about Schwarzenegger’s popularity, suggesting — tongue planted firmly in cheek — that he’d follow in then-president Reagan’s footsteps; all we’d need to do is pass that pesky amendment, and he’d be in. At the time, of course, it was a joke (as was the similar reference in Arnold buddy Sylvester Stallone’s picture Demolition Man), but in light of his California recall victory, it’s becoming all too possible. Strange that at a time when Arnold’s “star power” is arguably at its nadir, he should still command enough authority to get himself elected without proposing a single thing to help California out of its budget morass.

Now, I’m not one to jump on the bandwagon of belittling Arnold’s intelligence; it’s all too easy a joke, and frankly, it’s getting old. Okay, so he’s no Rhodes scholar, but compared with... say... Duh-bya, he’s an absolute genius. I’ll readily concede that he’s not the most articulate fellow in the world, and has yet to really master the English language (despite having lived here for how many decades now?), but I can’t deny his success, in entertainment, real estate, what have you (and it’s not the “daddy handed it to me” kind of success either). But even so, the idea of Arnold in the oval office is just... a little too creepy to contemplate.

Then again, it’d be a hell of an improvement over the nut job in there now.