Ron Paul’s path…
by David Benzion · 02/28/2008 6:36 am… to the Republican nomination has suddenly become stunningly clear [h/t NYT]:
The question has nagged at the parents of Americans born outside the continental United States for generations: Dare their children aspire to grow up and become president? In the case of Senator John McCain of Arizona, the issue is becoming more than a matter of parental daydreaming.
Mr. McCain’s likely nomination as the Republican candidate for president and the happenstance of his birth in the Panama Canal Zone in 1936 are reviving a musty debate that has surfaced periodically since the founders first set quill to parchment and declared that only a “natural-born citizen” can hold the nation’s highest office.
Almost since those words were written in 1787 with scant explanation, their precise meaning has been the stuff of confusion, law school review articles, whisper campaigns and civics class debates over whether only those delivered on American soil can be truly natural born. To date, no American to take the presidential oath has had an official birthplace outside the 50 states.
Mr. McCain was born on a military installation in the Canal Zone, where his mother and father, a Navy officer, were stationed.
Let’s review:
- Panama Canal Zone not mentioned in the Constitution? Check.
- Father served as part of America’s far-flung military-industrial Empire? Check.
If Dr. Paul can’t prevent this atrocious violation of our founders’ principles from proceeding, I might just have to reconsider how effective a congressman he actually is, Congressional Quarterly be damned.
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I’m still partly shell shocked that my only choice in November will be John McCain…..and now I find out there has always been a question of his citizenship. What a hoot.
Silly blogger, don’t you know that the definition of “natural-born citizen” is found right below the separation of church and state article and above the right to privacy and choice?
1936!!?? geessh, thats the disqualifier.
Yes, yes more Ron Paul posts please!
https://www.ronpaul2008.com/donate/
1. AW, I’m shocked that McCain would be anyone’s choice in November. Who in the world picked him anyway?
Nice job on a lighten up piece there, David…
That earned a solid 8 on the grin scale. Not in the “coffee spew” league (so don’t quit your day job) but still solidly funny.
I got an e-mail saying Obama was born in a Taliban village so he’s out. Paul was born on Mars, so its down to Hillary and Huck I guess, one raised by a village and the other the village idiot.
Bob to answer your question, I think the MSM and moderates, or cross-over voters from those pesky first primary states did this. Our conservatives were eliminated quickly.
#2 - And interpreted in the same manner that only “government” militias may have guns.
You mean we may have a way out? I means to rid ourselves of McLiberal?
Sweet!
The Founding Fathers intended to prevent European royal families from gaining influence on the fledgling republic. I think it’s safe to say now that will never happen. Long before that ever happens, the ‘Reconquista’ movement will gain momentum and the Southwest will be ceded back to Me-hi-co, and the likes of McCain will have made it happen. Wait a minute, on second thought, maybe the NY Times is onto something.
Mr. McCain was born on a military installation in the Canal Zone, where his mother and father, a Navy officer, were stationed
Memo to self ” If you are ordered to serve outside the US your child born there might not be eligible to be Pres” (Compliments of the Chrummycle)
Wouldn’t Mr. Obama have a worse problem? He was born in Honolulu in 1946 (14 years before Hawaii became a state) to a Kenyan father & American mother.
#6 GJT, I like it! ;=)
#12: DELETED That would make him more than 60. He was born in 1961, just after Hawaii became a state.
Funny thing is, when I first saw this story about McCain I thought they were going to say he was born in Arizona when it was still a territory …. hehehe.
Oops. My bad.
Actually, Barry Goldwater was. There was a bit of controversy about it back then.
# 9 DJ if only it was possable ! Maybe the ACLU or someone would file suit…oh well
There’s Ron Paul and liberal MSM in this picture - what’s missing? Oh yeah, no mean dogs.
Heck, the only thing we need now are disgruntled readers who doesn’t like what we choose to write about to leave comments telling us how we’re doing it all wrong.
Just for you Rastus, here’s some mean dogs.
I forgot about their desire to close Gitmo. Since I suspect that Gitmo houses some mean dogs, maybe that will suffice to complete the loop. I like the ones linked by bob42 - my idea of a mean dog. Hell, I might even turn into a mean dog in my next life. It would be fun to see a pack of wild dogs get after Hillary when she does her cackle - wonder if they could be trained to respond to that cackle command. Better stop while I’m ahead.
Sorry to dash your hopes, folks, US miltary installations are considered US sovereign soil–aslo, what would happen to a child of an Ambassador serving ouoside the US–they wouldn’t qualify? They are US citizens automatically. Right?
It is my understanding that the parents Citizenship can define a person’s ‘natural born’ status. They had a similar deal with Goldwater, he was born in Arizona before Arizona was a State……………. How long ago was this Rule put in anyway? Why can’t Schwartzanegger ( spelling?) and I become Prezzie too. All the founding Fathers were Brits, that maens I’m qualified!!!
Pimlico–The Govenator–is Foreign born by foreign born and non-US citizen parents–he’s a naturalized citizen
Kentbook — Sorry to dash your hopes, folks, US miltary installations are considered US sovereign soil–aslo, what would happen to a child of an Ambassador serving ouoside the US–they wouldn’t qualify? They are US citizens automatically. Right?
==============
Nobody is saying he isn’t a citizen. The question is, is he a natural-born citizen? Like you say nothing will probably come of it, but it is an interesting thing to think about. I am anxious to see how this turns out. GO HUCK!!
Read this Wiki article about Citizenship. It puts McCain in a grayer area than you might think.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural-born_citizen
Heres ya one from the link from # 25
Additionally, the 12th Amendment to the Constitution states that: “[N]o person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”
SOOOOOOOOO - if “no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.” then since Bill was already president 8 years and is now no longer eligible to be pres - then he can also not be vice president -
So does that mean hellary must divorce him before she can be pres
#26 — Don’t follow you. What does Hillary being married have to do with her being President?
Nope, he’s a US citizen (dammit–I was hoping Mitt could come back–only syuspended the campaign, didn’t close it)–Pananma Canal was US territory in ‘36–so, he was automatic citizen; PC was ours until Carter gave it away. If he wasn’t a US citizen he couldn’t be a senator.
Could the New York Slimes be any more transparent?
I told you earlier we could expect a Slime a week from the Slimes as they work hard to get Obama elected.
So far the Slimes is 2 (weeks) for 2.
This is laughable.
…the First Congress, on March 26, 1790, approved an act that declared,
“The children of citizens of the United States that may be born beyond sea,
or outside the limits of the United States,
shall be considered as natural-born citizens of the United States.”
That would seem to include McCain,
whose parents were both citizens
and whose father was a Navy officer stationed at the U.S. naval base in Panama
at the time of John’s birth in 1936.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/campaigns/junkie/archive/junkie070998.htm
#28 Kentbook says “If he wasn’t a US citizen he couldn’t be a senator.” == The constitution does not require a Senator to be a natural born citizen. It does require it for Presidency. The definition of “natural born” is what is in question, not his citizenship.
#30 LTC — Then came the 14th Amendment
The Fourteenth Amendment mentions two types of citizenship: citizenship by birth and citizenship by law (naturalized citizens): “All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside.”
It could be argued that McCain was not born in the US so he is a Naturalized Citizen. This could get very interesting…………
Don’t worry. If McCain is determined to be ineligible, Ron Paul is still around and unlike McCain, is a real conservative.
31: Sorry, bigmck–I mispoke–meant has to be at least natuarlized citizen.
Still, McCain’s a natural born American. Sorry, again. No loophole.
#32 I think you’re on to something. Note the clause “subject to the jurisdiction thereof” couldn’t that be construed to mean that there is no such thing as an “anchor baby” because if the parents are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the US there is NO CITIZENSHIP?
To date, no American to take the presidential oath has had an official birthplace outside the 50 states.
Someone alert the new york times factchecker:)
George Washington was born in the Colony of Virginia, British America. Technically not one of the 50 states. Lucky for Obama that he was born two years after Hawaii became an official state or else I am sure the times would make this an issue as well…