There are exactly two ways to be a citizen of the US:
(1) Be a citizen-by-birth (natural born citizen), wherein the circumstances of your birth convey citizenship automatically, or
(2) Be a naturalized citizen, where you have successfully gone through the legal naturalization process and been awarded citizenship papers.
I submit that a person who is not a "natural born citizen", nor gone through naturalization, is not a US citizen in any respect.
(1) Be a citizen-by-birth (natural born citizen)...
I am trying to get out the door and will get back to you later. But let me ask: Do you believe the founders would have allowed the 35 year old son of two parents newly arrived from England at the time of his birth to serve as the CinC?
If you do, please help me with this:
"no person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States at the time of the adoption of the Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President,"
Do you have a theory on why the founders allowed ordinary citizens to serve as president on the first day of the nation, but required presidents born after the first day of the nation to be natural born citizens?