Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Our Next President Should Be ...

It’s coming upon that time again when we need to start thinking about who the next president will be.

Sure, the election is two years away, but that’s not stopping politicians like Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Rudy Giuliani, as well as a few others, from jockeying for position. Fund raising dinners are being held and top political consultants are choosing which campaign to milk for every last dime.

In more sober quarters of the American electorate, people will soon be asking, given the challenges that the United States faces today, who’s the best person for president?

After eight years of George W. Bush, I say we need someone – who at the very least – can speak English. And not just speak English – actually enunciate and have command of the language.

And, as always, given these treacherous times, we need someone with experience in foreign affairs.

And, finally, we need someone who can effectively straddle both the Democrats and the Republicans so they can meet the difficult tasks ahead of them.

So who is the best candidate for this difficult, thankless and often unforgiving job?

Tony Blair!

Yes, that’s right, the British Prime Minister should be elected president of the United States in 2008 because he’s the most qualified candidate for the job.

Blair has everything going for him: Executive experience and knowledge of foreign affairs because, well you know, he’s a foreigner. He’s basically a centrist when it comes to his politics, and he speaks English fluently but with a British accent, which would be a nice touch after eight years of mumbo-jumbo Texan.

Now, of course, there are those who will argue we can’t possibly elect Tony Blair as president because, even if he becomes a naturalized citizen, he’ll never be a native-born American, a key qualifier for the job of president, as laid out in the United States Constitution.

That’s strictly a technicality, I say, that should be overlooked. After all, our first 10 or 11 presidents weren’t native-born Americans – and the nation survived them. Yes, George Washington was born in Virginia, but he was born there when it was ruled by the British crown, effectively making him and a number of his successors native-born British subjects.

And, yet, no one ever accused George Washington of confusing his loyalties. So if George Washington could keep his allegiances straight more than 200 years ago, Tony Blair can certainly do the same two years from now.

So join me in voting for Tony Blair for president in 2008. He’s the best candidate for the job.

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