Is John McCain Ineligible to Be President?

Newsmax ^ | Monday, July 16, 2007 4:26 PM | By: Lowell Ponte

[Perdogg]

Pundits are now writing obituaries for Sen. John McCain's sinking campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

I hereby join them with a fundamental question: Does the Arizona senator fulfill our Constitution's eligibility requirements to be president?

Like several other prominent American politicians, John McCain was not born in the United States.

Article II of the Constitution specifies that "no person except a natural born Citizen . . . shall be eligible to the Office of President."

Because of this, California's Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in Austria in 1947, is ineligible to be president. He moved to the United States in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in 1983.

[MEGoody]

If every one would read the article, the author points out that his eligibility might be subject to judicial review.

Which is stupid. No judge is going to waste his time reviewing the citizenship of someone born on a military base to American citizens who were there because they were working for America.

[Vigilanteman]

Even more senseless when you consider that McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which was then under U.S. Administration. One may as well argue that William Henry Harrison and all presidents before him were ineligible for election because they were born in British Colonies.

[pabianice]

A better question: is Hillary eligible to be President when it is rumored that she was not born to a human being?

[truthguy]

This type of article is why I stopped reading Newsmax several years ago. They waste your time on nonsense like this.

[ReignOfError]

How many US Presidents were born in territories?

Andrew Jackson is the only one I can think of, There was some bustle about AuH2O, but it didn't get much traction. Of course, the first presidents weren't born in the US because there was no US to be born in, but the Constitution explicitly exempts them.

It is possible that a court could exclude someone born to two US citizens on US territory from the status "natural-born citizen," but I find it incredibly unlikely.

[toddlintown]

A very stupid article.

[ReignOfError]

Even more senseless when you consider that McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, which was then under U.S. Administration. One may as well argue that William Henry Harrison and all presidents before him were ineligible for election because they were born in British Colonies.

I agree with the first clause of the sentence, but not the second. The Constitution is explicit in the requirement that the president be a native-born citizen or a citizen at the time of the adoption of this Constitution. That is not a matter of judicial interpretation. It is black-letter law.

[Tanniker Smith]

Typical of Newsmax they ignore the part that also says that a president must also have been a resident of the US for at least 14 years as well as being a "natural born citizen".

I'm no fan of newsmax, but the residency requirement isn't a problem for McCain, so why would it need to be mentioned.

[Mr. Mojo]

Incredible ludicrous, even for Newsmax. That publication’s credibility is slightly below that of the National Enquirer.

[CodeToad]

All persons born to service members outside the US on military orders are natural born citizens. Only ignorant drama-queens looking for a pie fight try to theorize otherwise.

[Cheburashka]

This story is so stupid I just wnet into my browser and deleted Newsmax as one of the pages that opens up when I start Firefox.

Yeah, I know, I should have done it years ago.

[lonestar]

I stupidly got on Newsmax’s mailing list

I finally got off when I changed my address--what a relief that was!

I can think of a lot of reasons why McCain shouldn't be POTUS and none of them have anything to do with his birthplace.

[CDHart]

My brother was born on an Army base in Stuttgart, Germany. He had to do something that made him a naturalized citizen because he wasn't born on U.S. soil. I don't remember exactly what as it was some time ago.

Carolyn

[Cheburashka]

Try writing “Deceased -Left No Forwarding Address” on it.

[KarlInOhio]

I’m not a McCain supporter, but I won’t resort to this kind of nonsense to oppose him.

Some would.

Imagine it is November 5, 2008. President-elect McCain has just beaten Hillary 350-188 in electoral votes. Hillary is packing up the silverware from the hotel ballroom where her victory party was supposed to be, but she is interrupted by her lawyer who says "there is one more thing we can do... by some interpretations of law, McCain isn't a natural born citizen and can't be president." Hillary cackles with delight at the thought of dragging America into chaos...

[kenavi]

Only if his mom followed the “natural” Lamaze method...

[gunservative]

Are you sure McCain was born? He acts like he was hatched.

[mnehring]

I would never want to set a precedent that someone born on a US military base overseas does not qualify for President.

[Born to Conserve]

“All persons born to service members outside the US on military orders are natural born citizens. Only ignorant drama-queens looking for a pie fight try to theorize otherwise.”

Wow! “Drama-queens looking for a pie fight”? Do you know that many service members are not citizens? Or is it just that your gut feelings are more important than law?

[freedomlover]

Try writing “Deceased -Left No Forwarding Address” on it.

---

But that would be not be telling the truth ;)

O well I tell cold calling stock brokers that I have just been diagnosed with colon cancer. That stops the callbacks alrighty.