[MHGinTN]

Was the Panama Canal Zone at the time of McCain’s birth considered ‘U.S. soil’?

[Diggity]

Carter gave it back to them so I guess so. Not sure exactly what type of “ownership” we had.

[Technical Editor]

Nothing is U.S. soil but U.S. soil.

[Spaulding]

No, it was not U.S. territory. McCain was born in a hospital in Colon, not even on the army base. The constitution was intended to protect our liberties. Only the president of the U.S. and vice president must be natural born citizens. McCain needed an amendment which no congress in 24 attempts has voted to bring to the states for concurrence. While I think that unfortunate, even given that McCain had sponsored the probably unconstitutional McCain Feingold act, the protection of liberties by the natural born citizen requirement is more important. Jindal fails it too. Obama, of course, is ineligible and knows it better than most of us. But he has a more important mission, one from which he will not be deterred by the antiquated constitution.

[El Gato]

Was the Panama Canal Zone at the time of McCain’s birth considered ‘U.S. soil’?

Possibly, but the real test is "US sovereign territory", while the Canal zone might or might not have been, the Coco Solo Naval base certainly was, as the US had sole jurisdiction there.