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Are There John McCain Birthers, Too?
Newsweek ^ | David A. Graham

Posted on 09/28/2009 9:46:05 AM PDT by nickcarraway

Yesterday, Public Policy Polling released results of a poll showing that 42 percent of Republicans nationwide do not believe Barack Obama was born in the United States. This sort of statistic has become old news by now. Despite overwhelming evidence that the president was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born citizen, a core of Americans remain convinced he was born overseas.

But with pollsters frantically trying to get in on the birther action, has anyone stopped to ask whether Sen. John McCain was born in the United States? McCain was actually born in Panama, but is considered a natural-born citizen, since he was born to an American military family stationed on a U.S. base. And, except for perhaps a small fringe, no one has questioned whether he would have been constitutionally qualified to be president.

We've poked around a bit and been unable to find any professional poll that asked Americans whether they believed McCain was born in the U.S. The fact that he was physically born outside the U.S. should have had no bearing on his own legitimacy, real or perceived, had he been elected president. But it would be interesting to see how many of the people who believe, incorrectly, that Obama was born outside the U.S. realize that McCain actually was not.

(Excerpt) Read more at blog.newsweek.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: birthcertificate; birthers; mccain; obama
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To: nickcarraway
There may be mccain't birthers...but as much of a RINO as he is, I'll bet he'll show you his birth certificate in a new york minute.

My son was born in Germany, in the Hahn AB Hospital, and is going through this right now trying to get a VISA to visit China. Luckily, I have all the paperwork and he shouldn't have any problem.

It's funny how commiebama can be president without a B.C., but my son can't even get a visa without his B.C. AND they want a copy of mine and his mother's b.c. too.
21 posted on 09/28/2009 9:59:09 AM PDT by FrankR ( We're up to "reverse discrimination"...what's next, "reverse SLAVERY"?)
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To: nickcarraway

The democrats DID ask questions about this before the election. McCain quickly provided all the documentation that was asked for. The democrats dropped it so I presume he satisfied their question. I hope they do make a big deal about it. There is a nice contrast between McCain’s openness and Barry’s obsessive secrecy.


22 posted on 09/28/2009 10:00:00 AM PDT by DManA
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To: nickcarraway

David, you need to look up the term ‘moot point.’

I imagine you already know what it means, but then you wouldn’t have been able to write this stupid article instead of something that took some thought and effort.


23 posted on 09/28/2009 10:01:55 AM PDT by Right Wing Assault
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To: E. Pluribus Unum; All

he doesn’t have to be president for them to question this....the NYSLimes ran a hit piece infering McCain was not a natural born citizen hence did not qualify to be president in February of ‘08...

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/politics/28mccain.html

they never did any such article about zero being born in kenya leading up to the election...boy that’s a shocker...


24 posted on 09/28/2009 10:02:49 AM PDT by God luvs America (When the silent majority speaks the earth trembles!)
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To: nickcarraway

John McCain was born to TWO American citizens, one of which was out of the country on OFFICIAL US BUSINESS.

How can the two even compare?


25 posted on 09/28/2009 10:04:49 AM PDT by autumnraine (You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out!)
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To: nickcarraway
OK... I'll SHUT UP... IF YOU LEFTISTS WILL SHOW ME THIS OVERWHELMING PROOF THAT THE KENYAN IS HAWAIIAN!

LLS

26 posted on 09/28/2009 10:04:50 AM PDT by LibLieSlayer (hussama will never be my president... NEVER!)
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To: Phantom Lord

John McCain is a Natural Born US citizen since both his parents were of age and themselves US citizens. He could have been born on the Kabaala in Mecca and still be a Natural Born US citizen.

The questions concerning BHO are because his mother, though a US citizen, was not of age AND his father (whoever he may be) was not a US citizen ... so, if he was born outside the US, he would not have been a Natural Born US citizen.

Moreover, it is plausible and even likely that BHO took up Indonesian citizenship (& muslim religion) as evident in documents from his school days as well as in his travels to Pakistan at a time when US passport holders could not travel there.


27 posted on 09/28/2009 10:05:29 AM PDT by dodger
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To: Phantom Lord

“and had his mother gone into labor and delivered while she was OFF base,”
Well, actually, Mclame was born off base. He was born in the Colon Hospital. Because of that he was elegible for Panamanian citizenship at birth. Because of that, you can argue that he was not elegible to be POTUS. I believe that neither major party candidate was constitionally elegible. Good Job major parties!
BTW- just because the senate looked at this in committee and passed a resolution didn’t effect a thing. They can’t change the constitution with a senate resolution (thank God). This interpretation is the job of the SCOTUS, but they won’t take it.


28 posted on 09/28/2009 10:05:48 AM PDT by PilotDave (America; nice while it lasted... I miss it already.)
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To: Phantom Lord

What makes him Natural Born is that he is the child of TWO AMERICAN CITIZENS, both well over the age required to transfer citizenship regardless of where he was born.

Obama was not.


29 posted on 09/28/2009 10:05:59 AM PDT by autumnraine (You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out!)
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To: dodger
Moreover, it is plausible and even likely that BHO took up Indonesian citizenship (& muslim religion) as evident in documents from his school days as well as in his travels to Pakistan at a time when US passport holders could not travel there.

That same document says Obama was born in Honolulu.

30 posted on 09/28/2009 10:07:01 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: Phantom Lord
-- Is it not true that McCains birth on a US Military base is what makes him natural born and had his mother gone into labor and delivered while she was OFF base, he would not be natural born? --

The meaning of "natural born" as stated in the US Constitution hasn't been contested/litigated, so the answer is "we don't know." In my opinion, he WOULD be, because the founders saw children born to citizen parents to be "natural born citizens," even if they were born abroad.

What is generally lost in the "birther" noise as generated by the lame media is the question of whether or not a DUAL citizen at birth satisfies the constitutional requirement. Obama is a self-admitted dual citizen at birth. Defenders of his legitimacy point to a post 14th amendment case, Wong Kim Ark, for the proposition that birth location is the ONLY thing that matters, and even a person born of two foreign parents, on vacation in the US, is a US-natural-born citizen. A cottage industry exists now, where Korean and Japanese families who are financially well-off, schedule birth vacations to the US, after which they take the baby home and raise them as Korean/Japanese natives - all the while having the status of "natural born American."

31 posted on 09/28/2009 10:07:09 AM PDT by Cboldt
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To: nickcarraway
Despite overwhelming evidence that the president was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born citizen, a core of Americans remain convinced he was born overseas.

If this periodical had real journalists they would address any number of issues raised instead putting forth unsupported assertions.

There were a number of ways to secure a birth certificate in Hawaii in 1961. The primary one is the long form that identified the hospital and attending physician. But if the child was not born in a hospital the applicant could still make a declaration and secure an equivalent to the long form as a Certificate of Live Birth. In this case there might not be a hospital or attending physician. The legal requirements for this avenue to acquire a Hawaiian Certificate of Live Birth were "loose" at the time.

Taking a look at the long form would clarify whether Mr. Obama was born in a hospital in Hawaii or elsewhere in Hawaii. Of course the possibility exists that a close relative could have secured a Certificate of Live Birth for Obama even though he was born elsewhere. Many people just do not know. They would like to feel assured that all is well and in order in this case.

The real story is the unprecedented lack of openness by our President in connection with his kindergarten records, Punahou school records, Occidental College records, Columbia University records, Columbia thesis, Harvard Law School records, Harvard Law Review articles, scholarly articles from the University of Chicago, passport, medical records, files from his years as an Illinois state senator, his Illinois State Bar Association records, any baptism records and adoption records, not to mention his sources of funding.

Oddly, though congressional hearings were held to determine whether Sen. John McCain was constitutionally eligible to be president as a "natural born citizen," no controlling legal authority ever sought to verify Obama's claim to a Hawaiian birth, or to certify that he is a "natural born" citizen (being as Obama has admitted that his father was a British citizen).

32 posted on 09/28/2009 10:07:54 AM PDT by olezip
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To: Phantom Lord
Is it not true that McCains birth on a US Military base is what makes him natural born and had his mother gone into labor and delivered while she was OFF base, he would not be natural born?

No, it's not true. Despite the Senate Resolution, and despite popular sentiment, children born abroad to U.S. citizens in the military are not natural born. There have been numerous attempts to put forth bills for a Constitutional Amendment to this end, as recently as 2003. But, none have been ratified.

33 posted on 09/28/2009 10:08:09 AM PDT by RegulatorCountry
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To: nickcarraway; stuartcr; LucyT
What American's believe is largely irrelevant. Bottom line is that John McCain was born in a foreign country and is not a Natural Born Citizen. Further, the statute on which he relies for his claim of citizenship was enacted several years after his birth and is not retroactive.

John's not eligible either. He has a citizenship problem comparable to Obama's problem also.

Nobody cares? Well that may also turn out wrong.

Assuming Obama is ultimately kicked out over this issue, the legal status is that you have an eligible and duly elected and certified Vice President who is presently in a position to be acting President.

Up to a Joint Session of Congress to elect a President from among the other two top electoral college vote recipients. Problem with that is that only one other person got electoral college votes and that is John McCain and he is not eligible either.

Not altogether clear what happens next although I haven't looked specifically at the legal constitutional question.

34 posted on 09/28/2009 10:09:12 AM PDT by David (...)
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To: Non-Sequitur

If so, what is the pertinence?


35 posted on 09/28/2009 10:09:40 AM PDT by dodger
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To: Always Right
"Really, such as Obama refusing to release the actual birth certificate, instead of some legal certification..."

That's a birth certificate. "...which there is pretty good indication that it has been legally altered."

There's no such indication.

"...$10 and Obama can turn that 42% into 20% and end most of the legal challenges. Really, what is on the actual birth certificate??????"

That $10? It gets you the birth certificate you just dismissed. He already did that. And no, it hasn't ended any legal challenges.

36 posted on 09/28/2009 10:13:08 AM PDT by mlo
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To: dodger
Moreover, it is plausible and even likely that BHO took up Indonesian citizenship (& muslim religion) as evident in documents from his school days as well as in his travels to Pakistan at a time when US passport holders could not travel there.

If it is plausible and even likely that he was an Indonesian citizen and Muslim based on that document alone then doesn't that also mean that Obama was born in the U.S. because that document said he was?

And U.S. passport holders have never been banned from traveling to Pakistan. Not by us. And not by them. Not ever.

37 posted on 09/28/2009 10:13:15 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: dodger
"...travels to Pakistan at a time when US passport holders could not travel there."

This is another birther myth.

38 posted on 09/28/2009 10:14:52 AM PDT by mlo
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To: nickcarraway

There are thousands of American citizens who are legitimate bacause they were born of American parents on a military base somewhere in the world.

This is smoke and mirrors.

The problem with NObama is that he hasn’t produced a real long form birth certificate and he has spent close to 1.5 million $$$$$ trying to hide the information on that document. We already know that his Daddy was NOT an American citizen.

Spending over a $1 million to hide something only makes the public less comfortable with the issue.


39 posted on 09/28/2009 10:16:42 AM PDT by ridesthemiles
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To: nickcarraway
Despite overwhelming evidence that the president was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born citizen...

They always call the evidence "overwhelming", but neglect to say that it's hidden in the Dear Reader's new clothes.

40 posted on 09/28/2009 10:16:54 AM PDT by MortMan (Stubbing one's toes is a valid (if painful) way of locating furniture in the dark.)
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