European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 8, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns the stars and stripes tuesday september 8. 1987 James j. Kilpatrick super tuesday1 facing Uncertain prospects obviously said Sam Nunn if i were dying to be president of the United Stales. I d be a Candi  alas the senior senator from Georgia is not so fatally stricken. He has no fire in his belly. He was the great White Hope for super tuesday. Sic transit Glorian unday. This is a pity. Nunn is far better qualified than any of the seven announced candidates for the democratic nomination. He has the experience the character the unflappable steadiness one would like to  in the while House. Yet his statement was inevitable. Given the current state of the democratic party Nunn could not Possi Bly have become its nominee. Of he might have raised the necessary $2 million to buy a stack of chips with a herculean Effort he might have formed a Campaign organization. But the democrats arc no More Likely to nominate a moderately conservative Sam Nunn than the republicans arc Likely to nominate a moderately Liberal Nancy Kassebaum. The political realities argue against any such Iri Bulc to the Intelli gence of the american voter. Nio corals a Roble he commented that so Long As the democratic part remains the party of minorities it is destined to re main a minority  truer words Seldom have been spoken in the realm of presidential politics. Think of the democrats and one thinks of what the party is an agglomeration of discrete minorities. It is identified with Blacks with jews with militant feminists with homosexuals with organized labor with Burn the bras and ban the bombs and let s abort the unborn babies. In this Parade everyone marches to different Drums. The republicans have a similar problem but not nearly to the same dimension. They must make peace with super Hawks sawdust messiahs gun nuts an smut Hunters but the Jesse Helms Wing of the party is influential not dominant. A year or so ago in the Wake of the Mondale disaster some of the democrats deep thinkers went into an analytical huddle. In a mood of poignant nostalgia they recalled the glorious Days when the solid South was truly solid. From 1880 through 1944, with Only minor defections in 1920, 1924 and 1928. The South was firmly hitched to the democratic Donkey. Then the slippage began four Stales to Strom Thurmond in1948. Three to Eisenhower in 1952, five to Ike in 1956. Ihrck to Nixon in 1960, five to Gold Alcor in 1964, and soon. Only in 1976, with Jimmy Carter did the South Cven to the old ways. Then came the Reagan land slides. In 1984 the Reagan Bush ticket claimed 62 per cent of the vote in the 14 Southern and Border states. William Safire yall Are   More than 17 million southerners voted Republican Only 10.4 million democratic. The deep thinkers looked at the figures and concluded that if the Whitehouse were to be regained in 1988, Dixie would have to do it. Thus was born the idea of a super tuesday in March 988. When 14 Southern and Border Stales would simultaneously hold their presidential Prima Ries. All told they would choose 1,138 delegates to the democratic National convention More than one fourth of the total. So glittering a prize it was thought would tempt the contenders to trim their sails to Southern winds. The South the White South that is would Rise again. The platform would reflect at least some conservative aspects. The party would be one Happy and triumphant family again. From the beginning the strategy depended upon finding and promoting a candidate who would accommodate himself to the Southern View. Preferably this would be an accredited southerner preferably this would be Sam Nunn. Possibly it might be Virginia s former governor Charles Robb. Sen. Ernest Hollings of South Carolina would do. Maybe sen. Lloyd Bent sen of Texas Boren of Oklahoma bumpers of Arkan Sas Heflin of Alabama worthy senators All. Sad to say these fans of enthusiasm have kindled no belly tires. Nunn is out. Robb is thinking of running for the Senate. Hullings 65, and Bentsen 66, arc get Ting a Little Long in the tooth. The deep thinkers who thought up super tuesday now face an Uncertain Prospect. The Field of avowed candidates includes Albert Gore 9f Tennessee a Rookie senator age 39. Otherwise the Only Gilt edged Morocco bound South Erner on the ballot is the Rev. Jesse Jackson of Green Ville . Because of the democrats system of award ing delegates by proportional representation Jackson will emerge on March 9 with a great big bundle of convention delegates. This was not exactly what the strategists had in mind. Universe press Syndicate Constitution is unfair to foreign born citizens i want to be a Delegate to the next constitutional convention con con ii. Here s my platform Amend the Constitution to make it possible for naturalized citizens to become president or vice president of the United slates. The present blatantly discriminatory eligibility clause in a blot on the National Escutcheon and an anachronistic offence to conscience. No person except a natural born citizen reads article ii. Sec. I or a Citi in of the United states at the time of the adoption of this Constitution shall be eligible to the office of  who slipped in that nativist bigotry at the convention whose 200th anniversary we Mark this month no record by any of the framers gives us a clue to original in Tern but a letter from John Jay to George Washington shows a genesis in an obsessive concern for National Security permit me to him wrote Jay an aristocrat who later served As the first chief Justice whether it would be Wise and seasonable to pro id a Strong Check to the admission of foreigners into the administration of our National government and to declare expressly that the commander i chief of the am incan army shall not be Given to nor devolve on any but a natural bom  in other words Don t Trust any of them sneaky furring is to command our army. Of course when Jay s idea was written into the Constitution the framers took care to exempt themselves whether Bora in Amer Ica or elsewhere All were bom subjects of what became foreign governments and not until Martin Van Burn in 1836 did we have a natural bom president. As a result of Jay s xenophobia eight million full fledged United states citizens Are today denied the Opportunity to seek the highest office in the land. The 3 percent of our population who Are Ameri cans by Choice May aspire to the House or Senate or to be chief Justice or to hold Ultra sensitive posts like chairman of the joint chiefs or National Security adviser but when it comes to the brass ring of politics the greatest flaw remaining in our Constitution relegates these naturalized citizens to second class status. The natural bom phrase unfairly Bur Dens children of americans born abroad As it did gov. George Romney in 1968 because it casts a Shadow across any Candi Dacy if elected the president elect would surely face a Challenge on the bom abroad impediment in the supreme court. That Means Minnesota sen. Rudy Boschwitz is blocked from advancement because he was bom in Berlin and Connecticut s sen. Lowell Wicker because he was bom of american parents in Paris. New Hampshire gov. John Sununu whose . Parents were in Havana when he was bom and Vermont s gov. Made Leine Kunin bom in Zurich and naturalized 40 years ago can forget about higher office. Other citizens distinguished in their Fields silently bridle at their political Limi tation. Economist John Kenneth Gabr Aith a former ambassador is out As a potential president because he s from Canada Henry Kissinger under whom two . Presidents served is from Ger Many and Felix Rohatyn financial Savior of new York is from Austria. My newly retired colleague James Reston could never entertain secret dreams of Power because he was bom in Scotland and my new oped Page colleague . Rosen thai cannot occupy Lincoln s bedroom be cause he came from Canada. My other columnist sidekicks and i Are Constitution ally clean but do not expect lightning to strike Why do we allow Jay s outmoded suspicion to dry up our Talent Pool and insult our most valuable imports a reasonable residency requirement is understandable As is the 35-year age requirement and we were Wise to limit service in the presidency to two terms. But the dead hand of the present should not Lay on the future let tomorrow s people decide whom they want to be their president. Place of birth should no longer be a Barrier. A few years ago sen. Thomas  dropped a Bill in the Hopper to Amend the Constitution a person who is a naturalized citizen of the United stat Sand who is otherwise eligible to hold the office of president or vice president shall be eligible to hold such offices after being a United states citizen for 11  the proposed Resolution died in com Mittee demonstrating that the Congress is Loath to Rise above nativism on this Issue. The other route provided by the framers to change the Constitution is through the states and a new convention. On to concon ii now York times new service