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(23,757 posts)ErikJ
(6,335 posts)hobbit709
(41,694 posts)geardaddy
(24,926 posts)but I don't think he can run for prez. He was born in Canada.
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)A person who is not born here can still be considered a natural-born citizen and able to run for Prez as long as they have at least one parent born in the U.S.
geardaddy
(24,926 posts)Then why were the birthers' heads exploding if they thought Obama was born in Kenya?
Jamaal510
(10,893 posts)A. he is of the opposite party
B. he has an ounce of melanin in his skin, or
C. both A & B
geardaddy
(24,926 posts)I forgot that we're dealing with reality challenged people there.
PatrynXX
(5,668 posts)except in 2008 they had to clarify that rule so thanks to John McCain not Barack Obama there's a chance arnie would become president. but I highly doubt that or Ted. Hell even Mittens had birthers thinking he's from Mexico
MADem
(135,425 posts)His parents were in the Canal Zone BECAUSE his father was engaged in official business of the US government on orders of the POTUS through the DoD and the DoN.
Further, McCain was not "born abroad," anymore than someone born in a US embassy is "born abroad." Congress clarified this seventy some odd years ago.
At the time of McCain's birth (of two American parents, one on official business), the Canal Zone was an "unorganized US territory."
McCain was, in effect, born in the USA.
See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_Zone
Money quote (gotta read the whole thing, full of twists and turns):
merrily
(45,251 posts)Congress said McCain is a citizen--and I believe he is, wherever he was born--because both his parents are citizens. However, laws passed by Congress don't mean a thing when it comes to interpreting the Constitution. And being a "natural born citizen" is a Constitutional requirement for President. The Constitution does also say that Congress has the power to pass naturalization laws, but being a naturalized citizen is not the same as being a "natural born citizen."
There was no need to pass a law regarding Obama because Obama was born in the US (Hawaii having been made a state in 1959) and the one thing that the SCOTUS has mentioned about the Constitutional requirement is that being born within a country has traditionally been understood to mean that one is a natural born citizen of that country.
The whole birther thing started after an African woman supposedly claimed that she had witnessed Obama being born in Kenya. IMO, even if that were so, he'd still be a natural born citizen because his mom was a US citizen. I say that is my opinion because only the SCOTUS can say for certain. However, it simply cannot be (again, IMO) that going into labor while traveling forfeits citizenship for the infant.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)Must be a GOP tradition.
nxylas
(6,440 posts)That would have made it much scarier (apologies if that *is* the Oval Office, it isn't obvious from the photo).
SoapBox
(18,791 posts)Horrific.
Initech
(100,067 posts)Richard D
(8,754 posts)Nightmare on Pennsylvania Ave.
William769
(55,145 posts)louis-t
(23,292 posts)Giggety.
rug
(82,333 posts)Creepy.
Cleita
(75,480 posts)Really disturbing. If he tried to strike up a conversation with me, I would be looking for the nearest exit.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,233 posts)Bucky
(53,998 posts)Voice for Peace
(13,141 posts)beac
(9,992 posts)bowl of "eyeballs" (peeled grapes) that my sadistic childhood neighbor made us put our hands in during the "house of horrors" tour of his place we had to endure blindfolded we could get our Tootsie Roll.
*shudder*
JimboBillyBubbaBob
(1,389 posts)That's some scary shit! Look at the Big Head on that bastard!
merrily
(45,251 posts)Photoshop doesn't scare me, though.