What is a "Natural-born Citizen"?

[MegalosSkylaki]

Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States, and the first to have been born a U.S. citizen. Just food for thought that all prior Presisidents were not born in the United States of America as the United States of America did not exist when they were born.

Now if you read the Wiki article about this clause of the Constitution you will discover some odd facts, like George Romney was not born in the United States but in Mexico.
Other Presidential candidates were not born in the USA as such but in Territories. There are other issues that have been raised about candidates and Presidents--but none with the vehemence of the "birther" charges against Barack Hussein Obama II as I can see.

Now looking at this issue from the point of view of a literal interpertation of the Constititution, it is clear to me that it not clear exactly what a literal interpertation would even be. Moreover, the Constitution has been amended by the Fourteenth Amendendment, ironically to protect in major part the rights of freedman African-Americans.



More info can be gotten by reading the
Natural Born Citizen?
site.

“ No person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty-five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Natural-born-citizen clause - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


It is probably easier to determine the intent of the Natural born clause than of its literal meaning.

It is also clear to me that if Mr. Obama were not an African-American in part and perceived or socially defined as a Black, the vehemance of the issue of what piece of land his physical birth would never have arisen and maintained with such ardor.

I don't recall George Romney's documented Mexican birth to even have been an issue. His grandparants had left Utah to avoid the anti-polygamy laws that Utah was forced to accept in order to become a State which resulted in George being born in Mexico. It would seem to me that it was precisely this devided loyalty that the natural born clause was included in our Constitution, not what piece
of land a person happened to have been born in.

The fourteen year requirement for those born before the USA existed suggests the Founding Brothers were cognizant of the psychological aspects of actually living in a Country rather than an accident of parturition--expulsion from the womb.

MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

While I tend to regard the "birther" pseudo-controversy regardy Obama as a code word for underscoring his race and saying he's not a "real American" by reason of his race, Mr. Romney is also not free of carrying some baggage.

After beating out a crowd od Bozos and near-Bozos to become the Republicrat standard bearer in what looks like the closest elecetion since 2000==perhaps closer.

Anybody remember the Dukakis-Bush Sr/ Election which was decided by maybe one man and he couldn't even vote?

The face of Willie Horton, rapist and Murderer was splashed on every screen. The black face of Willloe Horton --after the face of Michael Dukakis as Governor "who freed Willie Horton" and the TV faded into the black face of Willie Horton with the less than subtle message, "Vote for Dukakis and the blacks will rape and murder your wives and daughter." Dukakis --who failed to adequately respond--went from front=runner to also-ran.

Today cheap shots like that are left for "supporters" and are "disavowed" by the Candidates---who nevertheless watch the polls to see what effect they have.

Now Romney belongs to a religuion which many so-called mainstream Christian religons do not regard as truly Christian for the simply fact that it relies on Scriptural text outside of the Bible, sich as The Book of Mormon.

Do you not think that in key battleground States "supporters" of the Obama camp==especially as the campaign draws toward a conclusion and if its still close will with varying degrees of subtlety--or lack thereof--make the point that Romney is "not a real Christian" ?

With the polarization of the Electorate there may be fewer undicided "swing" voters probably than two decades ago when it was not uncommon for people to vote outside of their Party label. And they really only matter in swing States, the wisdom goes although maybe in this election that's wrong.

Imagine voters entering into voting booths contemplating a choice planted subliminlly in there heads between "not a real American" and "not a real Christian".

Has political discourse really devolved to this?
MegalosSkylaki

[MegalosSkylaki]

In the 1998 Presidential Election. Geo. Bush Sr. was way behind Michael Dukakis in the critical period 100 days before the Election.

The Bush campaign denied running these TV ads -but they were all over the airwaves and if you watched TV before the Election I remember how often you would see an ad about Willie Horton..

By the way, the law for weekend releases was signed into law by Dukakis predecessor, who belonged to the same Party as Bush Sr. This was not mentioned.

Now personally I regard Mr. Obama as maybe a "Grade C" President and would have hoped I didn't have to review a field of Bozos and near-Bozos would was only spared from being worse because Ms. Palin decided not to run. You wouild think his record alone would be a viable attack point for replacing him with a better Leader.

Apparently the opposition party things that Americans are too stupid to grasp, say the notion that with the economy in a mess, maybe this was not the best time to force through a divisive Health Care Bill which at the least very few people understand in its 2,000 page complexity.

So they cast around for a Willie Horton and think they found it in all all things, his Birth Certificate. After all, you can't say, "Don't vote for him because he's Black".

Or can they?

Anybody who bothers to look up online --or just sees it broadcast--will say the name Barack Hussein Obama II. Already, this may not sound so "American" in, say, Oklahoma.

Then there is another problem...did I mention race?

There is a notion in Psychology, Advertising, Marketing etc. that people are influenced by stuff not in their immediate or conscious awareness. The only prisoner who makes eye -contact in the "revolving door" commercials is--surely just a coincidence, right? Is black. As the saying goes about coincidences, they takes a lot of planning.

And Obama is in the bind that the Birther issue is really about how "American" he is--just look at his middle name:HUSSEIN and just denouncing this name strategem as such only calls attention to "Hussein"

The reality is that many Democrats may be uncomfortable in voting for a Candidate who is black, but being decent enough folk are reluctant or unable to admit that to themselves. But they may have an easier time voting against one who is not born here.

"That's right maybe he was not born here...After all the Constitution says only a real American can be President....Hmmmm...Hussein ?...His Father is an African from ..where's Kenya in Africa..Maybe I should play it safe..No, not safe: But what the Constitution requires...that's right..that solves it..I'm going to vote according to the Constitution!"

In a close Election, how much latent racism--or simply fear--do they need to tap into to get their Candidate elected.

Now if people just don't think the other Candidate--their front man-- "is not a real Christian".

This is shaping up to be the most miserable Election since Bush sr.-Dukakis.

MegalosSkylaki