Posted on 01/15/2016 1:15:14 PM PST by Isara
Time Magazine called this the “your mama” response in presidential political debates. Since the entire eligibility issue for Ted Cruz hinges on his mother’s status as a natural-born citizen of the US (thereby making him one despite his birth in Canada), Cruz’ pushback against Trump seems appropriate — if a bit of a reach. Cruz obviously prepared for this moment, and delivered his attack with considerable flair and relish:
Donald Trump Vs. Ted Cruz over Natural Born Citizen Issue - 6th GOP Debate (Video)
Trump, the bombastic billionaire, remains atop the polls nationally but locked in a tight race with Cruz in Iowa. That's why Trump has been shivving Cruz on his constitutional eligibility, even though most legal scholars consider this another sideshow. Cruz was ready with a rejoinder questioning Trump's own qualifications.
"At the end of the day, the legal issue is quite straightforward," Cruz said calmly. He had prepared for this moment. After all, he didn't win national debating championships by happenstance. "But I would note that the birther theories that Donald has been relying on, some of the more extreme ones insist that you must not only be born on U.S. soil, but have two parents born on U.S. soil. Under that theory, not only would I be disqualified, Marco Rubio would be disqualified, Bobby Jindal would be disqualified and, interestingly enough, Donald J. Trump would be disqualified."
The moment caught Trump by surprise. "Not me!"
Oh, yes, you. A woman born in 1912, in some voters' minds, might be the thing that finally disqualifies frontrunner Trump from the most powerful office in the land
"Donald's mother was born in Scotland. She was naturalized," Cruz continued with the calm of a former Supreme Court lawyer, which he is.
"But I was born here. Big difference," Trump said, trying to set this attack back on track and stretching out the adjective as long as he could. "Big" became a very big word. He knew the clip was going to be a cable news favorite.
"On the issue of citizenship, Donald, I'm not going to use the issue of your mother's birth against you," Cruz said. It was a fantastic reminder that no white paper, no policy address can compete in the modern era of political campaigns with the snide dagger stabbed just below a rival's rib cage.
Watch the clip all the way through to see Cruz’ level of preparation. Trump tries to respond to Cruz’ ridicule of Trump and this issue by bringing up Laurence Tribe as his expert, a move which is known as a fallacy of authority: Trump isn’t making his own legal argument, but simply citing Tribe as an authority. Cruz springs the trap by explaining Tribe’s political affiliation and his support for Hillary Clinton. Cruz practically licked his chops waiting for Trump to slip on that banana peel.
Will this make any difference at all? Eh … doubtful. According to observers who might normally not want to credit Trump, he had a very good night otherwise. Cruz and Marco Rubio reportedly had excellent nights, too. At this stage, the candidates are probably too well adapted to the format — and voters too familiar with the candidates — to expect any real game-changers from the debates. But those who want to see strategy, preparation, and delivery might find themselves more impressed with Cruz.
Wouldn’t that apply to Rubio as well?...................
This is idiocy.
Being absurd is a sure fire defense alright Ted.
I’d like to know if anyone at all on this forum, at 43 years of age didn’t know they were a citizen of a nation other than the U. S.
I don’t particularly think Ted is ineligible, but I do find some parts of this particularly annoying.
Cruz fumbled this one. Unlike Cruz,Trump's parents were BOTH citizens at the time of his birth.
> Since the entire eligibility issue for Ted Cruz hinges on his mother’s status as a natural-born citizen
Hahahaha. More false framing.
> “you must not only be born on U.S. soil, but have two parents born on U.S. soil.”
He hurts himself with false framing.
I guess Ted Zeppelin forgot about 1000’s of New Yawk Snowbirds down Florida way and various NY Jews scattered around the 57 states.
No problem, Trump will take those votes gladly.
Where is such a theory found as opposed to the concept of both parents being citizens at time of birth? Just curious.
Related to the subject of this thread, a Texas attorney has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of Ted Cruz’ status as a “natural born citizen”. Not surprisingly, the plaintiff is a Bernie Sanders supporter? Hmmmmm.
Bernie Sanders’ father was an immigrant from Poland. Two questions...did Sanders’ father obtain US citizenship BEFORE Bernie was born...and, if the father did obtain US citizenship did POLAND formally rescind his Polish citizenship? If Sanders’ father had dual citizenship (because Poland refused/neglected to rescind his Polish citizenship) at the time of Sanders’ birth, Bernie Sanders’ status as a “natural born citizen” could be in doubt by the same theory that states Donald Trump is not a “natural born citizen” due to his mother’s dual-citizenship at Trump’s birth.
DONALD TRUMP AND BERNIE SANDERS NEED TO GET THIS CLEARED UP BY FORMAL AND FINAL COURT DECISION SOON—WELL BEFORE THE ELECTION.
I am, of course, recommending Trump and Sanders clear this up solely for their own good. :^)
BS and Cruz knows it...typical politician talk.
Score Rubio +1 for this during yesterday’s debate:
^When you talk about immigration. Ted Cruz, you used to say you supported doubling the number of green cards, now you say you’re against it. You used to support 500 percent increase in the number of guest workers, now against it. You used to support legalizing people here illegally. Now against it. You used to say you were in favor of birthright citizenship. Now you are against it. Not just on immigration, you used to support TPA, now you are against it. I saw you on the Senate floor flip your vote on crop insurance because they told you it would help you in Iowa. And last week we saw you flip the vote on Iowa for the same reason.
That is not consistent conservatism. That is political calculation.^
Touch’e, my FRiend.
It is impossible for a man with Cruz’ knowledge and experience to claim he didn’t know he was a citizen of Canada.
Didn’t he ever need his birth certificate for anything?
Dishonesty on Cruz’s part. He knows what the Constitution and 6 USSC cases says here and it does not require both parents of a candidate be Natural Born citizens, they only need to be citizens Legally created or otherwise at the time of his birth.
Here's the thing in my view, and I have studied this issue extensively.
If Ted Cruz was born to two Citizen Parents on US soil, would we be even debating this?
There is no doubt that a child born in that condition is a NBC.
Is there doubt to any other configuration?
You bet, ergo the arguments we're having here now.
Then I have to ask myself, what did the Founders intend?
By virtue of what this situation has created, I think it is glaringly clear.
Baloney. Both of Trumps parents were US citizens. There is no requirement in the constitution for a natural born citizen (like Trump) to have natural born parents. Cruz was just throwing a smoke bomb here.
Frederick Christ Trump 1905–1999
Birth 11 OCT 1905 • Woodhaven, Queens, New York, USA
Donald Trump’s father was a United States Citizen by birth. As Lawrence Tribe says, the original intent argument for Natural Born Citizen says citizenship descends from the father. Therefore, Donald Trump is a Natural Born Citizen, even if he had been born abroad.
As Lawrence Tribe says, Ted Cruz is a Natural Born Citizen only if you adopt the “living” Constitution that says the evil, sexist founders should have included decent from the mother.
So Ted Cruz is a Natural Born Citizen only if Ted Cruz is not a original-intent Conservative! That was Lawrence Tribe’s argument as well.
Now you can be as emotional as you want about this, but these are the facts of Ted Cruz’s “birther” problem: He is either ineligible and a Real Conservative, or he is eligible and a Sometime Liberal.
Lawyer slippery talk is the usual from a slippery lawyer. The comment does matter in light of how Cruz handled it. Add in his NY smear, Rubio's pummeling and the bad tax plan and Cruz did not come out of the debate very well.
Don't you realize that most countries in the world do NOT have birthright citizenship? So a birth certificate from another country does not automatically imply citizenship in that country if you are born to US citizen parents.
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