He may be natural-born, but from what I understand the president cannot have dual-citizenship. That’s what would disqualify him.
I would be shocked if that was true although it would make sense.
So if, say, North Korea decided to make John McCain a citizen to show their interest in making peace with the US, would that disqualify him?
Shouldn't the person have to -do- something to acknowledge/accept the citizenship>
If Kenya requires a loyalty oath to become a citizen, Obama may have forfeited his US citizenship. I have always heard that you cannot have dual citizenship when the other country requires an oath of loyalty.
Remember there was that same issue with Kerry and the question that he also held French citizenship? Nothing much came of it, but a lot was said. I hope, this time, if this is true, there is a lot of attention to this. You cannot proclaim allegiance to the flag of one country and swear to protect it, if you are also a citizen of another. Come to think of it, now we have a clue of why Obama didn’t wear a flag lapel pin, put his hand over his heart when the National Anthem was played, and does not regularly have the Pledge of Allegiance said at his campaigns (until someone complains!).
Weren’t the first Presidents citizens of both England and the United States?
Yes, but what exactly is the claim that a president can’t have dual citizenship based on? I’m not even sure that at the time of the Constitution definitions of ‘natural born’ would have precluded that. Now, you could argue that a President shouldn’t have dual citizenship or that voters wouldn’t elect someone as President knowing that about him.
Even if the pressure got too great and it were known that ‘Bama has split loyalties—to Kenya an/or Indonesia—could he not renounce the other citizenship(s) before taking the oath of office?
Given the murkiness of the law and the media’s support of Obama, I can’t see another practical outcome.
Article II says nothing about dual citizenship. I think the broader argument would be, are Americans interested in a candidate who holds dual citizenship?
You understand incorrectly.
My understanding is America doesn’t acknowledge the concept of dual citizenship. If you’re a citizen here you’re a citizen here, pay your taxes or else. What other countries want to believe about you isn’t our problem.
Really we can’t ban people from being president just because of dual citizenship. Since we have no control over other countries’ definitions of citizenship. If we banned dual citizens other countries could invalidate our candidates just by declaring them citizens.