If I were JUST interested in electing the 1st woman President ...

[sjdnb]

I'd be supporting Madeline Albright and fighting for her right to run for the office, although not currently eligible - kind of -- they haven't quite figured the whole 'natural born citizen' thing out yet. (BTW John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, but for some reason this is not a Constitutional issue)

Anyway, with regard to Madeline's credentials ...

Although, going through some incredibly rough patches in her early life, she earned a B.A. from Wellesley College with honors in Political Science, studied at Johns Hopkins University, received a Certificate from the Russian Institute at Columbia University, and a Masters/PhD from Columbia University's Department of Public Law and Government. She was also awarded Honorary Doctors of Laws from the University of Washington in 2002, University of Winnipeg in 2005 and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2007. Wikipedia.

Her credentials are unchallengeable http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeleine_Albright

[MonkeyFunk]

1. It's not an issue for McCain because both his parents

were US citizens, and a child born abroad of US citizens is a US citizen. And, the Canal Zone was a US possession at the time.

[sjdnb]

2. Now, isn't that silly

Someone with Madeline Albright's credentials is denied, while by the 'luck' of his being born to two US citizens, even if born out of the country, is eligible ...

It's kind of a reverse born in the US to 'illegal aliens' thing, now, isn't it?

[MonkeyFunk]

3. No

I don't think it's silly. If two married Americans are travelling and the wife goes into labor and has the baby, you think the baby shouldn't be an American citizen?

And as I said, the Canal Zone was US property at the time, so he technically WAS born in the US.

But I agree Madeleine Albright rocks, and I've long thought we should amend the constitution to let naturalized citizens run for President.