Our server costs ~$56 per month to run. Please consider donating or becoming a Patron to help keep the site running. Help us gain new members by following us on Twitter and liking our page on Facebook!
Current time: March 28, 2024, 5:57 am

Poll: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
This poll is closed.
Only "natural born citizens" should be allowed to be President.
29.73%
11 29.73%
All citizens should be allowed to be President, but there should be other restrictions on people who are not "natural born citizens".
13.51%
5 13.51%
All citizens should be allowed to become President, and should be treated in the same way.
56.76%
21 56.76%
Total 37 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

Thread Rating:
  • 0 Vote(s) - 0 Average
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
#1
U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
Here's an interesting one for you. The debate about "natural born citizens" and presidential eligibility was brought up in the 2008 election (with Obama), and again this year because Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother.

This isn't a thread about what constitutes a "natural born citizen", but rather whether that clause should even exist. The USA is on a very short list of countries which require their head of state to be a "natural born citizen", rather than someone who has gained citizenship via another means.

So what do you think?

Personally, I think that all citizens should be allowed to become President, but much like the requirement that Presidents be older than 35, people who have gained U.S. citizenship via means other than birth should have held that citizenship for a number of years (e.g. 20) and also been a U.S. resident for the same period of time.
Reply
#2
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
I think it's an archaic and useless principle that should be removed. Whose vagina someone came out of and where they did should have no bearing whatsoever on their ability and qualifications to lead this country.
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#3
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
I think it is useful if someone grew up here, and knows a good bit about Americans and their politics, but if they were born in another country, and grew up here, I don't think it matters.
Poe's Law: "Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing."

10 Christ-like figures that predate Jesus. Link shortened to Chris ate Jesus for some reason...
http://listverse.com/2009/04/13/10-chris...ate-jesus/

Good video to watch, if you want to know how common the Jesus story really is.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88GTUXvp-50

A list of biblical contradictions from the infallible word of Yahweh.
http://infidels.org/library/modern/jim_m...tions.html

Reply
#4
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
(February 4, 2016 at 2:21 pm)Chad32 Wrote: I think it is useful if someone grew up here, and knows a good bit about Americans and their politics, but if they were born in another country, and grew up here, I don't think it matters.

Honestly I don't even care if they 'grew up' here.  If they're knowledgeable about our history and politics, and have shown ability to lead and be effective in a political arena (which I'm assuming is a given, as we're talking about presidential candidates here) I don't really care where they grew up.
In every country and every age, the priest had been hostile to Liberty.
- Thomas Jefferson
Reply
#5
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
(February 4, 2016 at 2:15 pm)Tiberius Wrote: Here's an interesting one for you. The debate about "natural born citizens" and presidential eligibility was brought up in the 2008 election (with Obama), and again this year because Ted Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother.

This isn't a thread about what constitutes a "natural born citizen", but rather whether that clause should even exist. The USA is on a very short list of countries which require their head of state to be a "natural born citizen", rather than someone who has gained citizenship via another means.

So what do you think?

Personally, I think that all citizens should be allowed to become President, but much like the requirement that Presidents be older than 35, people who have gained U.S. citizenship via means other than birth should have held that citizenship for a number of years (e.g. 20) and also been a U.S. resident for the same period of time.

Thinking of running huh.
Well you'd be a better choice than Ted or Trump hats for sure.



You can fix ignorance, you can't fix stupid.

Tinkety Tonk and down with the Nazis.




 








Reply
#6
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
It shouldn't matter. Let the people collectively decide what criteria matter at the polls.
Reply
#7
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
Another quirk I find weird is that the person in position #2 on the presidential line of succession (i.e. the person who becomes President if the current President and Vice President are unable to serve) is only required to be a U.S. citizen. The Speaker of the House could have been born in any country in the world, immigrated to the U.S., become a citizen, get elected to Congress, become Speaker of the House, and would still not be able to become either President or Vice President if either was unable to serve.

The current Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell should be in 8th place on the presidential line of succession, but because she was born a British citizen she is ineligible. She moved to the U.S. when she was 3!
Reply
#8
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
The problem is that the constitution uses the phrase "natural born citizen" and never defines it.
Reply
#9
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
(February 4, 2016 at 2:27 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The problem is that the constitution uses the phrase "natural born citizen" and never defines it.

No, but it's been interpreted as meaning someone who was either born in the U.S., or born outside of the U.S. to a parent who was a U.S. citizen (and there are some other age limit things, etc.)

This thread isn't about what the phrase means, it's about whether there should be a clause in the first place.
Reply
#10
RE: U.S. Presidents & The Natural-born-citizen Clause
Regardless, it is there and whether or not it should or should not be is irrelevant.

the 1844 case of Lynch v. Clarke
held that parental citizenship was not significant in that Julia Lynch, born in New York while her British parents were visiting the US was a "natural-born" US citizen in spite of the fact that both she and her parents left the US soon after her birth and never returned.


Quote:In the course of the decision, the court cited the Constitutional provision and said:
Quote:Suppose a person should be elected president who was native born, but of alien parents; could there be any reasonable doubt that he was eligible under the Constitution? I think not. The position would be decisive in his favor, that by the rule of the common law, in force when the Constitution was adopted, he is a citizen.[48]
And further:
Quote:Upon principle, therefore, I can entertain no doubt, but that by the law of the United States, every person born within the dominions and allegiance of the United States, whatever the situation of his parents, is a natural born citizen. It is surprising that there has been no judicial decision upon this question.[49]
The decision in Lynch was cited as persuasive or authoritative precedent in numerous subsequent cases, and reinforced the interpretation that "natural born citizen" meant born "within the dominions and allegiance of the United States" regardless of parental citizenship.


So, and this is bound to piss off the birthers, Obama who was born in Hawaii would be "natural-born" even if both his parents had been Kenyans while Cruz, born in Canada, would have some problem.
Reply



Possibly Related Threads...
Thread Author Replies Views Last Post
  Sovereign citizen - more Loony Tunes in the USA Ferrocyanide 20 1886 March 20, 2023 at 7:11 pm
Last Post: Anomalocaris
  [Serious] Thus is born the "LOST CAUSE" of this century. Gawdzilla Sama 36 2383 November 1, 2020 at 11:38 am
Last Post: Anomalocaris
  Four presidents come together to pay tribute Foxaèr 15 2757 April 23, 2018 at 1:09 pm
Last Post: mlmooney89
  Are Germans born evil Renug 38 9682 May 30, 2017 at 5:23 pm
Last Post: The Grand Nudger
  Natural Hair and my Issuez BrokenQuill92 9 2711 January 4, 2014 at 1:19 am
Last Post: pineapplebunnybounce
  Citizen Sade EgoRaptor 23 4393 January 1, 2014 at 1:21 am
Last Post: Autumnlicious
  Ted Cruz natural born citizen? Doubting Thomas 14 2538 November 2, 2013 at 2:10 am
Last Post: Minimalist
  Can a citizen of a progressive democracy do business with a dictatorship? Something completely different 8 3477 October 24, 2013 at 10:19 am
Last Post: Zazzy
  Bachmann: Natural disasters = Apocalypse Faith No More 27 7231 August 30, 2011 at 10:20 pm
Last Post: Cinjin
  American Presidents. bozo 81 39977 September 10, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Last Post: binny



Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)