An Amercian political ?.

[goodbasil]

According to the U.S; constitution the president has to be born in the U.S.

Other leaders, (eg: governors) don't. Arnie, what's his name in California was born in Austria. The governor of Minnesota, (I think) was born here in Vancouver but left when she was 3 so probably feels more American than Canadian.

I think this was written into the U.S; constitution when the country had just gained independance from England and they didn't want a Brit in the Whitehouse.

Do you folks think it would be okay to amend the constitution to allow one of any birthplace to be president? Or would that be the end of the world as we know it?

[cybulski]

game over

[Bruce Hooke]

I think it would be a pretty reasonable change but I doubt it will happen for a couple of reasons:

1. If either major party has a likely potential candidate who would become eligible to be President then the other party would oppose such an amendment and given how hard it is to amend the Constitution, you really need both parties behind the move to have much chance of it actually going through.

2. If neither major party stands to benefit in any immediate way then it is hard to imagine where the drive would come from to make such a change. It just is not something enough people care about...

[boatbuddha]

According to the U.S; constitution the president has to be born in the U.S.

Other leaders, (eg: governors) don't. Arnie, what's his name in California was born in Austria. The governor of Minnesota, (I think) was born here in Vancouver but left when she was 3 so probably feels more American than Canadian.

I think this was written into the U.S; constitution when the country had just gained independance from England and they didn't want a Brit in the Whitehouse.

Do you folks think it would be okay to amend the constitution to allow one of any birthplace to be president? Or would that be the end of the world as we know it?


That's not quite true. THe constitution requires that the President be a natural born US citizen. Which is not quite the same thing as being born in the US.

[BrianW]

It would take some unusual circumstances before I would vote for a Senator not from my State, let alone a President not from this country.

[Nanoose]

That's not quite true. THe constitution requires that the President be a natural born US citizen. Which is not quite the same thing as being born in the US.

If you're born in the US, doesn't that make you a natural born citizen?
Help me.

[Nanoose]

It would take some unusual circumstances before I would vote for a Senator not from my State, let alone a President not from this country.

Brian are you saying you want your Senator born in your state?

[Phillip Allen]

It would take some unusual circumstances before I would vote for a Senator not from my State, let alone a President not from this country.

so NY is pretty unusual?

[boatbuddha]

If you're born in the US, doesn't that make you a natural born citizen?
Help me.

Yes but you don't have to be born in the US to be a natural born citizen. As early as the 1790's Congress recognized that children born to US ambassadors overseas were in fact natural born US citizens.

[Keith Wilson]

John McCain was born in Panama while his father was stationed there, and he's still "natural born".

[Nanoose]

Yes but you don't have to be born in the US to be a natural born citizen. As early as the 1790's Congress recognized that children born to US ambassadors overseas were in fact natural born US citizens.

ahhhh....perhaps like our daughter, born here, but dad is American, and at the embassy last summer, they gave her a version of a 'birth certificate'....something like american birth abroad?....along with her US passport...

I didn't realize that was 'natural born citizen'.

[goodbasil]

What is the actor Bruce Willis? Born in Germany to a U.S., soldier. I suppose he could be elected. He knows Arnie.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Willis

[Bruce Hooke]

so NY is pretty unusual?

I'd bet that New York and Alaska are kind of at opposite ends of the spectrum on this. New York city and the surrounding suburbs, which together compromise a sizable chunk of the state's voters, is a very international place, where I'd guess that in general "outsiders" fit in more easily than just about anywhere else in the US. Alaskans on the other hand seem (from what I've seen) to be especially aware of how their state is different from the rest of the U.S., and often seem to feel like the folks from "outside" will never really get Alaska.

So, I am not surprised that New York would vote for someone who hasn't lived their long at all if they think it will get them the best representation in Washington, whereas Alaska would be much less likely to vote for someone from the "outside."

[ljb5]

What is the actor Bruce Willis? Born in Germany to a U.S., soldier. I suppose he could be elected. He knows Arnie.

Yes, that would make him eligible, but he has to wait in line behind Carl Weathers because he's clearly next in line.