"Why do people who cover the birthers not bother to point out that where Obama was born is utterly irrelevant? His mother was an American. He was an American by definition as soon as he was born, regardless of where his mother physically was when she gave birth to him."— Walter Strapps
Walter,
You miss the central point of the birther argument. Obama can be a citizen but still no be a natural born citizen as required by the Constitution. Historically, a natural born citizen has been defined as a one born on U.S. soil to TWO citizen parents. Even the U.S. Foreign Affair manual, an official government document, warns those born abroad that while they are 100% citizens of the United States of America, they may not be natural born citizens eligible to hold the office of president. If our own executive branch is unsure who is and is not a natural born citizen, then we need a ruling by the SCOTUS to settle the matter once and for all.
The founding fathers clearly intended that the president meet a higher requirement than simply being a citizen of the U.S. The reason for that is they were concerned about the president possibly owing allegiance to a country other than the U.S.
Consider this. For the sake of discussion, assume that Vladimir John Doe is president. Assume that he was born on U.S. soil to an American citizen mother and an Russian citizen father. Vladimir has family in Russia. Tensions with Russia escalate to the point that Vladimir must declar war on his father's homeland. Can we trust Vladimir's allegiance to American enough to know with certainty that he will make decisions the in best interest of America regardless of the consequences to his family?
The answer is no. That's why the President of the United States of America must owe no allegiance, whatsoever, to any country other than the United States of America.
Take President Barack H. Obama out of the picture for the sake of discussion and fully the consider the consequences of the president not being a natural born citizen.
This is not true. A "natural born" citizen is a citizen by birth. Parentage has nothing to do with it. Nothing in the term "natural born" implies anything about parental status. The historical understanding of the term is consistent with the obvious meaning. Citizen by birth.