One of the few things I like about John McCain is that he, like me, is a member of the semi-exclusive fraternity of Americans who were born on foreign soil to two American citizens, and is therefore a natural-born American without being, strictly speaking, a native-born American. The reason this is significant is because Article II, section 1 states that "No person except a natural born Citizen..." can become President. If elected, McCain (born August 29, 1936 in the Panama Canal Zone) would be the first President born outside the incorporated territory of the United States. Pretty cool, huh? Well, I thought so, anyway.
Every few years, some overly excitable person with a nativist streak and a hazy memory of the Constitutional requirements for the office of the President rediscovers that McCain was born in the Canal Zone, and--in an argument reminiscent of the chuckleheads who say we don't have to pay taxes because Ohio wasn't really a state--declares that McCain is ineligible to become President; wackiness typically ensues. Given the distinct nativist streak and general zaniness that typify a lot of Ron Paul supporters, you will not be surprised to learn that this argument has begun to make the rounds among the faithful over the past week or two now that McCain has taken a commanding lead for the nomination.
One Robert Werden, a dedicated fan of the Ronster, makes the case (or at least I think that's what he's trying to do):
A territory is not the United States. The United States is one of the 50 states. If Panama was a state things would be different. However Panama is a sovereign Country.So there.
In fact, there's no debate here. Since 1790, U.S. laws have held that children born abroad to U.S. citizens acquire United States citizenship at birth, and no knowledgeable person seriously believes that there are any Constitutional issues that would remotely prohibit McCain from becoming President due to the circumstances of his birth. Of course, we're not talking about knowledgeable people, we're talking about Paulbots.
"I mean, I could really care less about where he was born," says "gangreneday" at dailypaul.com, "but the constitution needs to be amended then, if he does get the nomination (god forbid) right?" Right.
"Terri and Dustin," one or both of whom organize the Ron Paul Meetup in Knoxville Tennessee, offer up this lengthy screed from something called AmericanVoiceRadio.net, which somehow manages to bring in the USS Liberty incident--a favorite obsession of anti-Semitic nutjobs everywhere--and reminds us that "Senator McCain also collaborated with ultra liberal Senator Ted Kennedy to attempt to provide amnesty to nearly 40 million illegal aliens, mostly Mexican." (Mexican, for God's sake!!)
Not everyone who makes this argument is a racist; some are simply morons. Like Carl at ronpaulforums.com who speaks with all the self-assured dickishness of the truly ignorant:
Yes he is disqualified, he was born on foreign soil. A child born to parents outside of the United States Proper is not a natural born citizen of the United States even if that birth takes place upon a U.S. military base. Every military parent is told this. If he was born in Germany, even upon a U.S. base, he would be considered a German citizen and subject to their military draft system.(Emphasis mine.) I'll have to ask my parents if the U.S. Marine Corps put them in touch with Carl after I was born so that he could give them this important information. I may unwittingly be AWOL from the Philippine military even as I write this.
Fortunately, a Paultard who appears to go by the name "Sir David-Andrew" has figured it all out.
...McCain is not a natural born Citizen; therefore, is he not eligible to hold the office of the presidency. I suspect that there is a deal between McCain and Clinton over this very issue. After Clinton steals the DemocRATic nomination and McCain steals the Republican nomination, and then Clinton planned on challenging McCain about his citizenship and McCain would be more then willing to bow out the election a week or two before the General Election. Leveling Billary to steal the election unopposed.Got all that? Good.
However, Blomberg most likely is aware of this fix and is ready to step in and run as well, or maybe, Blomberg was planning on bumping McCain himself with is trump card. Either way, both Clinton and Blomberg are both able to buy McCain's loyalty.
4 comments:
This post clearly shows that Paultards basically never bothered to show up in civics class in high school.
But then, in the eyes of the Paultards, I'm not a citizen either!!!, since I was born in Germany to a German mother and -- wait for it -- an American father. HOWEVER, since my father went to the closest U.S. consulate to register me, I am a natural-born U.S. citizen. That is, unless the Paultards have their way...
I was born in the Canal Zone to 2 US born Parents working for the Canal Zone Government.
Guess what? I am not a Natural Born US Citizen. At age 3 my parents applied for my Naturalization Papers and my mother guarded them with her life.
When I apply for a Passport, a birth certificate is not good enough, I must pull out that Naturalization Paper work.
My birth certificates state on them Ancon, Canal Zone, Republic of Panama.
Panama is unique. It has never held the same generally accepted laws as US Military bases in other over seas locations. Babies born in Panama are registered w the Panamanian Registro Civil. My marriage was preformed by a Panamanian Judge in a Panama Court house - My marriage to a US Army Soldier and me a dependent of US Civilian Parents.
Do a little real homework before staying the idea is wrong. In the end the US Supreme Court will have to make the ruling. There are enough cases on the books regarding CZ's status that any good lawyer can lay a claim McCain is not eligible by the definition in the constitution.
Person above me, the difference between you and McCain is that we was born before 1979 and you, im guessing, weren't. The Panama Canal Zone was under US sovereignty until 1979, meaning that any children born before that time are eligible to run for president.
Why would this stop Paulvestites? They can just ignore the laws that allow McCain the candidacy just like Paul ignores things in the Constitution he doesn't like.
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