The rumors of his Canadian birth were not enough to get him impeached as the general public liked him and the Impeachment process is based upon “Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors.”
It was however enough to produce that very rare event, an incumbent president requesting nomination by his party for reelection and not getting it.
As for a loophole? Could be. The text is very clear.
Age and Citizenship requirements - US Constitution, Article II, Section 1
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.
Term limit amendment - US Constitution, Amendment XXII, Section 1 – ratified February 27, 1951
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
I do not see the word “Vice-President” anywhere in the text. The constitution specifies the succession. Yet there is no natural born requirement for vice-President but a clear statement that the Vice-President replaces the President in case he is removed or dies.
Article II - The Presidency
Section 1 - Election, Installation, Removal
In case of the removal of the President from office, or of his death, resignation, or inability to discharge the powers and duties of the said office, the same shall devolve on the Vice President, and the Congress may by law provide for the case of removal, death, resignation or inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what officer shall then act as President, and such officer shall act accordingly, until the disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
Additionally the 25th Amendment is not subject to any interpretation at all and represented the general opinion that Article 2 Section 1 really does mean what it states.
Amendment XXV - Presidential Succession (1967)
Section 1. In case of the removal of the President from office or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President.
Sooo, the only thing I see that requires any further clarification is why do you constantly harass FReepers? Take a break, you don’t have to prove you are an azz-whole every day of your life.
Well, that’s a real big loophole if the Vice President does not have to be qualified under the Constitution to become President. Very interesting. It does seem that the Constitution has some gaping holes in it. That’s a real big one...
Very interesting...
And if it’s no big deal for a Vice President to be qualified, I’m wondering if someone will try to promote the idea that it shouldn’t be important for a President to be qualified either — since a Vice President can take the office of President without being qualified.
I do not see the word “Vice-President” anywhere in the text. The constitution specifies the succession. Yet there is no natural born requirement for vice-President but a clear statement that the Vice-President replaces the President in case he is removed or dies.
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Au contraire, mon frere ...
Might be worth your while to read the 12th Amendment ...
” ... The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.”