Commentaries appear at regular intervals. If you would like an invited commentary for your publication, please let me know!

Every few years a set of circumstances brings about a call for amending the Constitution. After FDR's "president for life" run the Republicans quickly passed one to limit any one person to two terms.

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton left each of their parties yearning for a third term waiver.

Today, Arnold Schwarzenegger's political success is leading people to question the wisdom of the clause that prevents foreign born nations from running for President.

The intent of the Founders was to prevent a foreign leader from assuming rule over the United States, as had happened in England when a problem with succession lead to a Hanovarian monarch assuming the British throne.

Certainly the idea of a carpet-bagger trying to run the United States is distasteful, but what about someone who has immigrated to the United States and lived here for decades? If we can elect someone like that governor of the nation's largest state, why not President as well?

Technically there isn't anything to prevent such a change, nor would it necessarily be detrimental. However, people should remember that previous changes have cut both ways: preventing both Bill Clinton and Ronald Reagan from running for a third term, for example. A prudent requirement, such as naturalized citizen status and living in the United States for at least 20 years and reside within the United States during the most recent 14 years would quell most of the objections to such a change. Certainly anyone wishing to run for President would most likely be holding lower office during much of that time anyway.

One last point: any change that makes Arnold eligible might also make Mikhail Gorbachev eligible. He has had a residence in San Francisco for years.

Arnold vs. Gorby?

Now that is an election that would boggle historians for centuries.

I do not think any such changes will be made, because at their core Americans are pretty conservative when it comes to making changes to the Constitution. As they should be!

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton left each of their parties yearning for a third term waiver

The intent of the Founders was to prevent a foreign leader from assuming rule over the United States.

Technically there isn't anything to prevent such a change, nor would it necessarily be detrimental.

One last point: any change that makes Arnold eligible might also make Mikhail Gorbachev eligible.