OK I will show my ignorance. I thought that was required when you filed the paper work for the presidency.
It obviously isn't, so we need to make it the law for 2012 and beyond.
Since it's not, what would prevent Arnold from running and just not producing any thing related to his Birth Place?
That’s my understanding from reading posted articles on FR, that no bc is asked for.
The way I understand it, one need present absolutely nothing. All one need do is declare oneself a constitutionally qualified candidate.
Yes, your party may, or may not ask you for documentation. It is entirely within the discretion of the national or state party to accept your declaration. Obama was accepted, and his declaration was in turn passed onto the state party committees, and was accepted by them.
The election officials of all 50 states placed Obama on their ballots, accepting in turn, the declaration of the party officials. Hawaii had a problem with the national party's declaration, but the problem was resolved (somehow) and Obama was placed on their ballot. 53% of the active voters gave BHO, Jr. their vote, and in turn their Electors elected him President. ANY, any Elector could have challenged his constitutional qualifications, but did not
Those very few who fought to have him declared ineligible in 2008 could not succeed in having their cases heard on the merits, and their pleas were rejected by the courts.
In a way, the various state officials around the country threatening to demand documentation by state law are being redundant. They already have the power to demand of any candidate any documentation they want, or declare a candidate ineligible on constitutional grounds, which they certainly have done in the past, but only very rarely.
Right now, any governor, any state AG, and certainly ANY state election board could rule that Obama is ineligible to be on the 2012 ballot in their state. It would then be up to Team Obama to bring suit as the plaintiffs ... just as Rahm Emmanuel is doing in an attempt to be placed on the ballot in Cook County, Illinois.
There are large grey areas in this part of the law, and Team Obama simply slipped between them, sort of like a smuggler slipping between fog banks. It is extremely difficult to accept that not one person in authority in the United States cannot find the courage to exercise his legal prerogatives. But, there it is.