“...as soon as a person says Kenya the audience will immediately know who you are” .... “
That’s true, and even someone like me, who would like very much to see the SCOTUS define the ‘natural born’ term once and for all, and who does not discount the eligibility questions or questioners, tends to cringe when Kenya is brought up. More often than not, when “Kenya” is brought up it’s in reference to the (probably remote) possibility of BHO, Jr.’s being born there. IF Jr was in fact born in Kenya, it obviously becomes key, but for now is mere speculation. It is more a diversion than the BC, long or short. “Kenya” doesn’t much matter, except to BHO, Sr’s citizenship, and thus possibly conferring British or Kenyan citizenship on his son.
The bigger question, the constitutional question, is: what did the Framers mean by the term ‘natural born citizen?’ It’s a more far reaching question than just BHO’s status. IF BHO produced a ‘long form’ birth certificate tomorrow showing he was born in HI as he has claimed, of an American mother and Kenyan father, it would not answer the underlying Constitutional question.
” ...there is a limited opportunity (more than time) for any group to pitch their objectives.”
But, this is not a fleeting pop culture issue, like trying to define a movement or an individual politician. It’s really about defining something written in the Constitution as drafted more than 200 years ago.
The SCOTUS does not depend on People magazine for its research (thankfully). They would have to research writings at the time the Constitution was being drafted and adopted to determine the intent of those Framers.
There was a common language, a common understanding among the Framers. They were among the most highly educated men of their time and had studied the same writings. They knew what they meant by the phrase ‘natural born’ that they purposely and meaningfully inserted into the Constitution.
When a party (or parties) who are deemed as having ‘standing’ presents the question to the SCOTUS, this or some future Court will have to fill in a newer, differently educated population about what was so clear to those men of the 18th century. With an upcoming generation of thousands upon thousands of “anchor babies,” with legal immigrants maintaining dual citizenship for themselves and their children, and with marriage between citizens of different countries very common today, this issue will eventually have to be resolved.
“The SCOTUS does not depend on People magazine for its research (thankfully). They [w]ould have to research writings at the time the Constitution was being drafted and adopted to determine the intent of those Framers.”
I agree with almost everything. Sadly, I think your “would” has become a “should” and that is where the whole problem lies.