Posted on 04/27/2012 8:24:47 AM PDT by vadum
According to the Constitution, to be eligible for the presidency (or vice presidency), a person must be a “natural born citizen” of the United States. The purpose of this restriction is to prevent a foreigner from becoming the nation’s chief executive.
How can people become U.S. citizens? There are just two ways; either they are born citizens or they become citizens later in life. In the first case, anyone who is a citizen by nature of his birth is a “natural born citizen.” In the second case, anyone who is a citizen of another country at birth, but is granted U.S. citizenship sometime afterward, is a naturalized citizen.
For example, John McCain, though born in Panama, is eligible for the presidency, because he became a citizen at birth. Similarly, had Gen. George Meade sought the presidency, he would have been eligible because, though born in Spain, he was a U.S. citizen by nature of his birth. Any non-naturalized U.S. citizen over the age of thirty-five with fourteen years of residence can be President of the United States.
Sadly, this common-sense, logical approach does not dissuade some conservative pundits from inventing a new constitutional requirement for the presidency. Despite the plain meaning of the text, they claim that, to be eligible, a person’s parents must also be U.S. citizens. A few even assert that one’s parents must also be natural born citizens. I’ll spare you a recitation of their nonsense about “native born” or Emerich de Vattel or whatnot. Finding things in the Constitution that are not there is for Democrats!
Now that Mitt Romney has become the presumptive Republican nominee, there is speculation that the junior senator from Florida will be his running mate. Marco Rubio’s parents were from Cuba and did not become U.S. citizens until he was four years old. Voices from the fringe are claiming that this means Rubio is not eligible – and they’re wrong.
Marco Rubio was born is Miami, Florida. He is, therefore, a natural born citizen of the United States. Per the Constitution, the citizenship status of his parents (or grandparents or anyone but himself) is irrelevant.
Let’s look at U.S. political history for more proof. Were there other instances of a presidential or vice presidential nominee with a foreign-born parent? You betcha!
The first presidential nominee of the Republican Party, in 1856, was John Charles Fremont. He was born in South Carolina to an American mother and a French father. Jean Charles Fremon was born a French citizen, near Lyon, France. He was not a U.S. citizen at the time of his son’s birth and never did become a citizen. Abraham Lincoln campaigned for Fremont. All the founders of the Republican Party campaigned for Fremont. One would be hard-pressed to find any suggestion at the time that Fremont’s birth made him ineligible for the presidency.
The seventh vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party, Chester Arthur, was born in Vermont to an American mother and a foreign-born father. William Arthur was born a British citizen – in County Antrim, Ireland – who did not become a U.S. citizen until his son was fourteen years old.
John Fremont, George Meade, Chester Arthur, John McCain, Marco Rubio – all eligible for the presidency. Republicans should not allow themselves to be distracted away from contesting the 2012 presidential campaign on the real issues.
Michael Zak is a popular speaker to Republican organizations around the country. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is his acclaimed history of the GOP, cited by Clarence Thomas in a Supreme Court decision. His Grand Old Partisan website celebrates more than fifteen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. See www.grandoldpartisan.com for more information.
If you are not being sarcastic, you should be zotted on the spot.
He usually could be found on the Civil War threads calling Southerners Nazis, democrats and traitors. He got zotted for being a garden variety liberal troll.
Good, I’m glad all that is cleared up. Rubio was born on US soil. Period, end of story.
Just like any Hispanic who waddles into a San Diego hospital to birth her child or the Korean moms that visit on 3-month shopping visits, their children are American citizens. Can’t say I like that much latitude, these days, but thems the rules, like it or not.
Eligibility for election to a federal office doesn’t change the equation.
That was not my point. Whether you like it or not the government considers all wealth and property as its own. The take property any time they want, they tax as they want, they make literally 10's of thousands of laws and regulations and you can be assured that you are breaking one or several of them without you knowledge.
In my time we have lost so many freedoms that I could not list them, but the government has done it a little at a time, we used to call it creeping socialism, but the communists have always been there, pushing their agenda. I had first hand knowledge of the Communist cells working to undermine our war effort, they did not leave after the war, they just moved into congress and the courts and the schools, waiting patiently for such a time as this.
The current election has offered up a grand illusion for us to pretend like we had a say in who was selected, I could have saved you all that TV time and aggravating web posts that availed nothing, because anyone with any experience with the GOPe knew who the nominee would be. How like the communist party elections with only one candidate, except for the show, which of course was good for the media coffers.
We now have a fake choice between Marxism and Socialism, good luck because all the old patriots are too old to fend off the child of the 70's.
Look to God for your solution, not a politician.
That’s easy.
Americans are not subjects of anyone. We’re citizens sharing in the corporate sovereignty.
Bite me; punk!
perhaps you can clear up a vexing mystery for us, just what is the meaning of the word “is?”
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
You’re too ignorant to understand if I explained it to you. Move on down the road fanatic.
Just ignore him; he’s ignorant.
Actually Insane John is a natural born citizen because his American born parents were stationed overseas and serving the United States Armed Forces in Panama at the time John was born. I recall grade school in Ramstein 1966. My sister was born there and they clearly taught us that she had all rights including the right to be President.
Now that is a more logical and intelligent post than those declaring Rubio is not NBC but have no explanation why Obama is still reigning as Commander in Chief.
By the reality on the ground...that neither SCOTUS or the Congress has taken action to throw Obama out of presidency. Those are the only institutions who have the power to do so.
Obviously Obama presidency is NOT an illegal act since Congress or SCOTUS have taken no action to so declare. Therefore your post saying condoning one legal act because of another does not apply here.
In my mind he is not NBC unless his authentic BC is available for public to see. But I do not make the rules. It is upto the duly elected congress or the SCOTUS. If those two do not take action, we are stuck with Obama as “legitimate” NBC.
>If those two do not take action, we are stuck with Obama as “legitimate” NBC.<
.
And to think that this country might be permanently damaged or destroyed by a possible foreigner simply because government failed to act in accordance with the guidelines set forth in the Constitution that they swore to uphold.
We’ll be the laughing stock of world history especially after all the bragging we have done about how great a constitution we have and how we are the greatest nation in history.
Only Congress has the power to oust Obama. Majority of the House. Two thirds of the Senate. Not going to happen.
However, SCOTUS might be relevant as to whether he can run again. But, as I've explained up thread, I strongly doubt they'll act.
They went bad a few years ago. It’s not the Human Events that was a Reagan favorite.
“Rubio’s parents became permanent residents under US Law the second they set foot on US soil and requested asylum.”
Rubio’s parents came here before Castro’s revolution and the resulting asylum law.
In your example it is important to notice that young Steinkauler was a natural-born US citizen. His parents became US citizens one year prior to his birth.
You cannot extrapolate his case to all persons born in the USA and claim that all native-born citizens are eligible for US presidency.
Oh. That could make a difference. Were either of his parents US Citizens in 1971? Had his parents applied for permanent residency and had they requested Asylum?
You have complicated the picture my FRiend. I may have to reassess my argument.
Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon....
Only if you don't know, I understood the bent ones explanation apparently you didn't.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.