[Wonder Warthog]

Publius is an idiot. Indeed, the sovereign people ARE the ultimate authority, but the way their authority was to be undertaken was by means of the processes defined in the Constitution. The “natural born” citizenship requirement is part of the Constitution, and what the Founding Fathers would say is that if “the people” wanted the provision removed, the Constitution should be amended to remove it. And THAT takes the passage of such an amendment by majority vote of both houses of Congress, and approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures. Changing the Constitution by a simple majority vote of a nation-wide plebescite was NEVER intended.

[RummyChick]

Two words. Electoral College. Can overrule the will of the people. Why was that put in if the will of the people was more important than a foreigner being elected President.

[Ravenstar]

Excuse me but that is two thirds of the House and the Senate NOT a majority for the President has no say in whether the Constitution is amended or not. The rest is correct.

Ravenstar

[cripplecreek]

If Al Qeada warned us to elect a Taliban leader or there would be violence, “Thomas Jefferson” would want us to do so if it meant we could avoid making them angry.

[/BIG SARC]

I’m feeling like I’ve been teleported to europe.

[TheThinker]

Publius is an idiot. Indeed, the sovereign people ARE the ultimate authority, but the way their authority was to be undertaken was by means of the processes defined in the Constitution.

And it's those processes that we must follow now regardless of the consequences.

[benasawin]

>... if “the people” wanted the provision removed, the Constitution should be amended to remove it.<
Exactly. Let us also add, should the ill-informed masses be deluded into voting for the elimination of the 2nd amendment, should this also simply be taken in stride as the will of the people and thus “supreme” over the Constitution?
Makes just as much sense. Rule by illiterate mob rule (majority vote) rather than the Constitution. Somehow, I just don't think this is what our Founders were looking for or intended.

[benasawin]

Though I disagree with Publius on his stand regarding this issue in particular, Publius IS NOT an idiot.
He certainly is 180 degrees out-of-phase on this point, he has stood well for many years regarding conservative issues offering insightful perspective for all of us.
For this, I thank him. He just happens to be wrong this time, seriously wrong.