Mark4Prez?

Constitutional Problems?

Tossing Obama and McCain?

Bloggers are raising questions about Illinois Sen. Barack Obama’s qualifications to be U.S. president, because of the secrecy over his birth certificate and the requirement presidents be “natural-born” U.S. citizens.

[…]

The presumptive Republican nominee for president, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., already has gone through the same type of challenge, and the U.S. Senate responded with a resolution in April declaring him to be a “‘natural born Citizen’ under Article II, Section 1, of the Constitution of the United States.”

[…]

Others say the issue isn’t quite that simple, and the matter could be resolved fully only by a constitutional amendment or a U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

I, on the other hand, was born in Oregon. 🙂

Barack O’Quayle

I remember when Vice President Dan Quayle was mercilessly mocked for misspelling potato (or was it the plural version thereof?). Even to this day, that incident is part of the Quayle legacy.

Maybe that’s why this story interests me:

Barack Obama wants to be president of these 57 United States

“It is wonderful to be back in Oregon,” Obama said. “Over the last 15 months, we’ve traveled to every corner of the United States. I’ve now been in 57 states? I think one left to go. Alaska and Hawaii, I was not allowed to go to even though I really wanted to visit, but my staff would not justify it.”

Or maybe I’m interested in the story because, as a write-in candidate for President of the United States, I have never allowed my staff to not allow me to do something.

Neither have I ever messed with geography like Mr. Obama did. (Nor fouled-up in national spelling bees like Mr. Quayle.)

In the interest of humility and transparentness, I admit I misspelled of way back in the fourth or fifth grade. But I can explain it. (But I’ll not bother here, no matter what my staff says or doesn’t.)

What I will bother with here, though, is complaining about 75% of these photos:

Obama in Woodburn

My complaint: I could have taken that photo.

Except I wasn’t there. At that time. I’m sure I’ve been at that location at other times. Because I used to live in Woodburn. And still go there about once a week.

And if I’d had known Mr. Obama was going to be there, I would have tried hard to be there. To see him. To take his picture. To shake his hand in a magnanimous candidate-with-candidate moment. (Besides, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Secret Service agent. Now there’s someone I’d like to engage in a friendly handshake while he’s on the job.)

Oh well.

At least Barack’s staff allowed him to follow his stomach.

“I thought, on the way to Albany, (Woodburn) was a good place to stop and I heard it was a good place to eat – and I was hungry,” Obama said. “I like to do this (make surprise stops) and talk to people and hear what they have to say.”

Maybe his staff was/were also hungry.

Tony Marino Hangs a Lantern

OregonLive reports:

House candidate tells all in letter

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama confessed snorting cocaine in high school, and Portland mayoral candidate Sam Adams came clean with his bankruptcy.

But Tony Marino, a Tigard Republican running for the Oregon House, may be the top candidate confessor with an open letter distributed to newspaper readers listing all his flaws: bankruptcy, multiple divorces, a federal tax lien and a degree from an online university that’s not accredited in Oregon.

Way to go, Mr. Marino. Your openness is commendable. (I plan similar openness before too long in my own “campaign.”)

But five divorces?!! 😯

At least he’s been married to Number Six for at least ten years.

If you look at the second paragraph in my selected quote above, you’ll see “listing all his flaws.” But if you read the full article, you’ll also note that not all his flaws are listed. What’s with that? Don’t they make writers and reporters and editors like they used to?! 🙄

I wonder when Tony will fess up to substitute hosting for Michael Savage. (Or was it Bill Cunningham?) I’m sure he’ll just deny it. So would I.

Straining Credulity

Hillary Clinton — “I misspoke.”

John McCain — “I am a conservative Republican.”

Barack Obama — “I wasn’t there. I didn’t hear.”

Mark Roth — “I am a write-in candidate for President of the United States.”

Which of the above statements requires the most willing suspension of disbelief?

And which requires the least?

(And did you notice they’re arranged alphabetically?)

What Qualifies Me?

The US Constitution qualifies me to be President of the United States:

  • natural-born citizen of the United States
  • at least thirty-five years old
  • resident in the United States for at least fourteen years.

Like I said in my first post on this subject, I meet all three requirements. Easily.

“That’s fine, Mark, but it qualifies millions of others as well. What other qualifications do you have?”

Picky, picky, picky. 🙄

OK, then, since you asked, I’ll have to toot my horn state a few relevant facts.

Leadership experience

  • husband and father and grandfather
  • missionary field director (ex)
  • church pastor (ex)
  • high school teacher (ex)
  • school principal (ex)
  • lead man on assembly line (ex)
  • Christmas tree crew foreman (ex)
  • textbook editing and review committee chairman (ex)
  • mission board chairman
  • school board secretary
  • Anabaptist Bookstore founder and owner-operator

“Ho hum!” you say?

“Too many ex’s there,” you say? Well, how much of the above can one man do at the same time, huh?

Like I said, picky, picky, picky!

But for your sake, I’ll add another category.

Read it all

Which Is It, Mr. Romney?

Tuesday night I heard you say you’re going all the way to the White House.

And I think I heard you say you’re going all the way to the convention.

And maybe even something about being in it for the long haul.

(If the exact quotes were important enough to me, I’d google your speech then.)

Anyway, I just heard you say another bunch of cheer-inducing (there at CPAC) stuff.

Then you withdrew from the race for the Republican Presidential nomination.

So, Mr. Romney, the cheer-inducing stuff you said a few minutes ago — did you mean that more or less than what you said Tuesday night?

Just curious.

And, yes, you may change your mind about things.

Oh, and thanks for making a bunch more room for me in the Presidential race!

PS: As I was listening, I thought, “He’s launching his 2012 bid.” Am I right?

Bye, Fred

I thought he would have made the race much more interesting.

And maybe he did.

But now we won’t know for sure.

Because Fred Thompson dropped out. (No, I’m not linking to any blogs or news stories about the matter.)

Too bad he left, I think.

On the other hand, it’s surely part of God doing part what the Ancient of Days does — setting up and taking down rulers.

I rest in that.

And I look forward to learning more of what He is up to in the US Presidential election.

Oh, and here’s the requisite statement on the subject: Maybe Fred’s departure is another signal to me to start making public the planks of the platform of my own Presidential campaign. (I suppose you still think I’m joking, eh?)

Above all, love God!