I know there's a controversy regarding Obama’s birth certificate - I am not satisfied that he has provided an authentic one. Either he can't, or he's just trying to rope-a-dope Republicans into wasting time on a non-issue.
Bush haters overplayed their hand against Bush - they might just have won in 2004 if they had a less idiotic candidate and presented a rational alternative, rather than claiming Bush was “a liar” and “evil.” There was a lot of anti-war sentiment out there.
In any event, we all have to be careful to stick to relevant and/or provable criticisms of Obama. I'm still waiting for the “whitey” tape, and I suggest that perhaps all that time and effort spent speculating could have been better spent on something else.
Just my two cents. Flame away, all! :)
I’ll bite: Where do you think he was born?
You’re barking up the wrong tree. If he was of foreign birth, HRC would have outed him early.
The states could refuse to put candidates on the ballot who do not document their qualifications to hold the office for which they are running. Considreing being a “natural born citizen” is a requirement for office, all candidates running for that office should have to document that they had US citizenship from birth. The secretaries of state of each of the 50 states should demand to receive certified copies of birth certificates of all candidates running for President of the United States.
Perhaps challenging eligibility in one or two states after the convention might flush out the truth early.
I think any American could go into Federal court and seek an injunction.
But I think that Obama was very likely born in Hawaii, and there’s something unpleasant on his birth certificate.
The most troubling—i.e., “troubling”—thing I’ve seen on FR is this: the claim that since only Obama’s mother was a citizen at the time of his birth, Obama would be a natural-born citizen ONLY if his mother had been living a minimum of ten years in the U.S., with a minumum of five of those years AFTER her sixteenth birthday. Since she was 18 when Obama was born, this seems like prima facie proof that Obama is not a natural-born citizen!
Note that the PLACE of Obama’s birth is irrelevant, according to this argument. The data that prove Obama NOT a natural-born citizen are already known with certainty: 1) his father was not a citizen; 2) his mother was 18 years old.
“Obviously the tallier of the votes could demand proof of natural citizenship and just not tally votes in the absence of such proof for someone receiving a vote or votes. But the tallier might not do that.”
I am not a lawyer either, but I would think the moment a candidate ‘qualifies’ to have his or her name placed on the November presidential ballot in a given state might be the appropriate moment to challenge a candidate’s right to be included on the presidential ballot in that state.
I don’t know, but I presume states might begin preparing the print layout and printing of ballots starting in September of an election year.
If there were to ever be a theoretical challenge, even assuming for the sake of argument BO is not constitutionally qualified, waiting till December would only throw the election to the House (presumably still democratic), which would select a democrat regardless.
I suppose if the candidate were to use public funds for the campaign knowing he's ineligible, then a taxpayer could claim damage. However, Obama passed on public funding.
-PJ
The Secretary of State in most states is responsible for determining eligibility for office. In the State of Washington they do not do this for major party Presidential candidates. A lawsuit could probably force them to.
Ping for a constitutional lawyer.
There’s a broad discussion of legal standing in the 2006 ruling on Tom Delay’s “qualification” case. http://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/06/06-50812-CV0.wpd.pdf
Of course, by definition, any citizen in a republic would have standing. However the burden of proof may be on the accuser.
If Obama is found ineligible I’d be surprised if the Democrat Party wasn’t found negligent and financially liable to it’s donors LOL!
1) The members of the Electoral College.
2) The special Joint Session of Congress which counts the votes.
3) The Chief Justice of the United States, at the point of administering the oath.
If all three of these safeguards fail, then the fourth element - the People of the United States - have a duty to act which is clearly spelled out in the Declaration.
