You are right, it is plain English. If someone doesn’t have to be a natural born citizen to be President then why isn’t the Governator eligible?
No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution.
You can only be President if you are:
1. A natural born citizen or
2. A citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of this Constitution.
The 2nd and 3rd requirement are plain English as well.
The Constitution is the law. If you are not a natural born citizen you are not going to be President. Arnold Schwarzenegger cannot be President because he isn’t a natural born citizen.
The grandfather clause is not some conspiracy. Citizens cannot be President. Natural born citizens can.
There had to be an exemption for a period of time after the adoption of the Constitution where citizens could be President. Why? Because they weren’t natural born citizens. They were born British Subjects. This is not some conspiracy.
The govenator is a naturalized citizen. Not a natural born citizen, or a citizen because of circumstances of birth. You are not a ‘natural born’ citizen if you are born in China. But, if both your parents are US Citizens and you are born in China you are a citizen eligible to run for POTUS. To wit, John McCain was not born on US soil, but since both his parents were US Citizens, he satisfies the constitutional requirements for POTUS.
If you believe John McCain is a ‘natural born’ citizen, then you believe that it is possible to be a ‘natural born’ citizen and not be born on US Soil. Therefore whether one or both of your parents is a citizen, in order for your to be a citizen eligible for POTUS, becomes paramount otherwise Barry’s possible Kenyan birth becomes irrelevant.
Think about it, you have to pick one: Either John McCain was not eligible to run or Barry’s Kenyan birth is irrelevant. Their citizenship status of their parents is the only issue.