A new first?

I’m having conceptual difficulty analyzing Toni Morrison’s endorsement of Barack Obama for president, but whatever:

ABC News’ Rick Klein Reports: Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison — who famously declared Bill Clinton to be the nation’s “first black president” — is endorsing Barack Obama for president today, an Obama campaign source tells ABC News.
This comes as Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., also announces his support for Obama on Monday, at a rally in Washington.

I’m not especially impressed with Ted Kennedy’s endorsement, as I agree with Roger L. Simon that royal families are a thing that should be discouraged:

….We are a democracy. As I wrote yesterday in the comments section, it’s time to end the Divine Right of Kings in this country. That means no more Bushes, Clintons, Kennedys, Roosevelts, etc. I don’t even want to hear from Kennedys for their recommendations. Enough of this monarchical crap and these over-blown, over-important political families. We might as well bring back the Romanoffs.

(Via Glenn Reynolds.)
Family values are one thing, but royal family values are un-American!
Back to Morrison, who famously introduced into the national consciousness the notion that Bubba was the first black president:

In an October 1998 essay in The New Yorker, Morrison wrote: “Years ago, in the middle of the Whitewater investigation, one heard the first murmurs: white skin notwithstanding, this is our first black president. Blacker than any actual person who could ever be elected in our children’s lifetime.”

Obama’s candidacy proves Morrison was wrong about the latter, as he’s clearly electable.
The problem is that the first first lady of our first black president won’t let him try, because she thinks her royal family prerogative comes first.
The solution, obviously, is to amend the Constitution to either ban dynastic governments and presidential nepotism, or at least ensure that first ladies have to run for office and be elected just like everyone else.
Otherwise, what would stop first ladies from having as many terms as they want? There’s absolutely nothing in the Constitution to stop Hillary from divorcing Bill and remarrying another presidential candidate, or even a president, is there? In light of all the shameless Clinton shenanigans, it could happen.
Actually, I spoke too fast there. It’s not a First “Lady” Amendment we need, but a First Person Limitation Amendment, and I think we have to make it fair to both presidents and first people.
Something like this:
No person having already served two terms as first person shall be eligible to serve for any later term as first person, nor shall any person having served two terms as president be eligible to subsequently to serve as first person.
Have to start somewhere.


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One response to “A new first?”

  1. phandra Avatar
    phandra

    Come see what I think of the endorsement. http://hagglethelibs.blogspot.com/