I'd welcome it just because it would keep China out of our politics, and also because DC is just that fucking incompetent that having someone behind the wheel that wasn't beholden to the ballot box or special interests would allow them to actually get shit done.

You're totally right that it isn't good for the long term, but the fact is Rome lasted another 450 years after it became an empire. An American Empire that actually maintained its ideals would probably be a net boon for the human race for some time.