I should begin by giving credit where credit is due. Arnold Schwarzenegger took on the office of Governor during a serious economic and political crisis in California. Governor Gray Davis had been an abysmal failure, and California was in shambles. Governor Schwarzenegger quickly moved in and rescued California, putting it back on the path to its former greatness.
Governor Schwarzenegger’s spectacular success in California is what makes him so dangerous. As soon as people began to realize that Schwarzenegger is not the big-screen muscle-head they thought he was and that he actually does have the brains and talent to run one of the largest economies in the world, they began whispering about what a great President he would be.
Most of the elements are in place for Governor Schwarzenegger. He is charismatic. He is wealthy. He is well connected. He has a proven track record of success, and he has a name that is known by almost every potential voter in America. There is only one thing missing: eligibility.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was born in Austria, and Article II of the United States Constitution prohibits foreign-born citizens from serving as President. For many people the realities of Article II are crushing. They would love to see a President Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fortunately, the United States Constitution will make that extraordinarily difficult.
Governor Schwarzenegger is an excellent Republican for California, because he is liberal enough to hold power in that left-learning state, but he is still loyal enough to his party that the Republicans do not have to worry about him doing too much irreversible damage to the California Republicans.
While Governor Schwarzenegger may be great for a California, he would be awful for America. If taken to a national scale, Schwarzenegger’s liberal social policies would result in a massive surge in the size and scope of the Federal government. We would have a large taxpayer funded program for almost every conceivable problem. Most politicians would never have the power to get all of these disastrous programs passed thorough Congress, but Governor Schwarzenegger is not like most politicians. His powers of persuasion and ability to get the populace on his side would make him a juggernaut in D.C. No Senator or Congressman would stand a chance against blocking Schwarzenegger’s initiatives. In short, Schwarzenegger would get his way on almost everything, making him one of the most powerful Presidents in history. His liberal policies would sail through Congress and become the law of the land, increasing the Federal government’s influence in our lives for generations.
Fortunately, as the law now stands, America is being spared this fate by Article II. Our Founding Fathers were truly brilliant when they drafted the United States Constitution. Hopefully, our modern-day leaders will not dare to assume that their wisdom is greater than the framers of the greatest political document ever created.
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