Show of Hands

Yeah, sure. I don't see why not. Why should birthplace automatically make your ideologies and potential to be a successfully president decline? If I agree with them the most, I absolutely would.

While that is likely to be true it has never been tested. It's being debated right now because Ted Cruz, a presumptive presidential candidate, was not born in the US. It does not make him ineligible to run, but if he were to be elected president

it would likely be challenged forcing the SC to give a legal definition to "natural born". We'd all presume they would not invalidate his victory, it's just that it has not yet been determined by law.

John McCain was born in Panama while his parents were working there and he was found to be qualified to run for POTUS. Obama's father was not American and he was found to be qualified to be POTUS.

Lol

Again I'm not saying that it isn't constitutional. My point is that it has never been given a legal interpretation. The term "natural born" has not been defined by the SC, one would assume they'd take it to mean born American, or of American parents.

And as I stated, it hasn't been a barrier in determining eligibility for candidates, but none have won so none have had it challenged yet.

Obama should have been challenged since his father wasn't an American citizen.

Where do you believe the President was born?

Maybe Hawaii, maybe not. He's a man of too many secrets.

@Imamerican - no. He's a man of many lies.

And that's pretty much all I need to hear

The constitution specifies a "natural born citizen."

I think the poll is asking if we should make an amendment to change this.

I know what it says, I'm just saying that I don't agree with it.

The founders specifically limited that post to a person with no foreign family entanglements. That still makes sense to me.

Okay. That's nice.

Let's take, for example, somebody like my husband. Born in Germany. Came here at 5 years old. Became a citizen with his parents, as a young child. Raise as an American and never knew anything else. No living relatives abroad. Although ...

... he never had any *desire* to be President, it does strike me as odd that the Constitution would not have allowed it.

Correct which is why I am changing my answer!

:-)

I was asking the question with the assumption that they weren't born a US citizen. Sorry, I probably should have worded that more clearly.

If no citizen parent, no. I covered both sides of it in original answer. :-)

The SCOTUS ruled on the definition of a "natural born citizen" in the 1800s. Mother and father must be US citizens. If we're talking about Obama, being born in Hawaii would make him a citizen, but not a "natural born" citizen.

I know what the law *is*, but I'm asking if things should be that way. And I actually wasn't even thinking about Obama when I wrote the question haha.

Lol. Most people still argue the point. I think it's a reasonable requirement, if a president has close relatives that are foreign they might not put America's interests first.

Exactly.

and we have enough issues with our own. ;-)

Who's wealthier than the American wealthy already buying our elections?

I believe they are born a citizen anyways in this scenarios.

Of course assuming that your mother is a U.S. citizen when you are born.

And your father, to be a "natural born" citizen rather than simply a citizen.

...and should not be one here.

Country of origin does not affect how qualified someone is for the Presidency.

Why should anyone be denied the opportunity to be the President simply because they moved to America after they were born?

Mother was US citizen, therefore making him an American.

If it is not that, there is some other weird circumstance that makes him a US citizen.

That's not what the question asked. Let's get our reading comprehension down, mmmmay?

He is considered a natural born citizen, smarty pants.

m.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/05/yes-ted-cruz-can-be-born-in-canada-and-still-become-president-of-the-us/275469/#

IT STILL DOESN'T ANSWER THE POLL QUESTION.
Jeez, no wonder our schools are failing. Reading isn't that hard, is it?

My answer is yes!

I answered poll question elsewhere. Calm down.

PuppyLvr has stated this question is not about Obama.

Huh? Who owns it?

I think he's being sarcastic.

That's different, I think the question aims at people born and raised in a foreign country then moved to the US.

The constitution uses the term "natural born citizen", not "born on US soil" or similar, so it seems clear that anyone who is a US citizen from birth would qualify.

I don't see how it makes any difference where they were raised, as long as they are a natural-born citizen.

I think the question mostly aims at the possible conflict of interest if you grew up in a different culture, no matter your legal status.

A citizen born in the US to American parents, who moved with them overseas as a baby and didn't return until he was fully adult would qualify without question, yet might feel the same conflict.

Before you ask: I was born and raised in Germany, moved to America, love it, am meanwhile a legal resident but not yet citizen, and even if I were, I'd disqualify myself, and this comes from an immigrant.

The question specified that they're a citizen.

John McCain was born in Panama, DERPITY DERP DERP

Oops. Read that wrong. :P

@commonsense: I mostly agree, but do you think foreign born Arnold Schwarzenegger did a good job running California? I'd say yes, so political posts below potus ok, just not the whole nine yards.

Agreed. All political posts okay save POTUS.

Yup. My main argument is that a state governor doesn't have the conflict of interest I mentioned, because he usually doesn't deal in international affairs. The potus has to.

That's precisely the reason for that requirement.

I agree.

That's reasonable

Hope you or no one you know voted for McCain in '08, then.
Oops!

I know, I know... reading comprehension is hard. Good luck in the future. Little fella!

Exactly! If your birth certificate doesn't read USA then get out of my Oval Office.

He was born on a military base or something like that. He is perfectly fine in that regards. Now, his politics is screwed up.

McCain was born to US citizens on a US military base in Panama. He is a "natural born citizen" by definition. Obama was born to a US citizen and a non-US citizen. He is not a "natural born citizen" even though he was born on US soil.

3gun, ANYBODY born on U.S soil is automatically a natural born us citizen. Bin laden could rape a 9 year old who then crosses the border and pops her child out in Texas, and that is a natural born citizen. Have you heard of anchor babies?

No so. They're a citizen, but not a natural born citizen. Read the link I posted to Supreme Court decisions on the definition v