It isn't that simple. Is dual citizenship a problem? My understanding is that US citizens have to "forsake all others."
In any event, whether it is as simple as that or not, I feel that Barack and his supporters have hidden many facts about his past that should have been part of the vetting process before the election. The facts of his past are still of interest to me, and I don't think that his election changes my right to know them. The citizenship issue isn't the only thing I, and I believe many others, are concerned about. It is only one factor among many.
Far more is known about, for example, Sarah Palin, a "johhny-come-lately" in political terms, than our President. That should not remain a permanent state of affairs, natural born citizen or not.
>My understanding is that US citizens have to “forsake all others.”<
.
I also heard that the US accepts dual American/Israeli citizenship. How else can American Jews fight for Israel and not lose their US citizenship?
It get's a little complicated. The "foresake all others" probably comes from a line in the US Oath of Citizen ship that reads something like..."I absolutely and entirely renounce and all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince...".
So, when you apply for US citizenship, you are effectively "renouncing" your allegiance to other countries and presumably you citizen privileges as well. But, as a practical matter, it doesn't work like that.
Moreover, when another country confers upon you citizenship status (and you are a citizen at birth) either through principles known as Jus soli or jus sanguinis, it has absolutely no effect on your American citizenship status - none, zero, zip, nada.
Whether it has any effect on a persons status as a natural born citizen as it relates to presidential eligibility is another matter all-together. I would argue that if it's obtained as a minor child, then it wouldn't. I would also argue that if it was obtained as an adult, then it would.
But, that's an opinion - and an opinion I could probably argue equally well from both sides. And, until a court actually takes up the matter, which none have chosen to do up until this point, that's all it will be - someone's opinion.