Wasn’t this issue raised over the candidacy of Barry Goldwater. There was, I believe, a question of his own eligibility as he was born in Arizona, BEFORE it became a state, but was a mere “territory”. He was truly born within the United States of American citizens.
Further weren’t McCain’s parents in Panama on MILITARY ASSIGNMENT. If some idiot tries to tell me that the young cousin, born on an AirForce base in Japan, where her father was stationed is NOT a “natural born citizen” of the USA, you know where they can go. I’m not sure, but I think this principle also accrues to children born of missionaries from America, temporarily in a foreign country.
John McCain lied about being born on an American military base in the Panama Canal Zone and Congress resolution 511 incorretly states so. Colon Hospital was outside of the U.S. Panama Canal Zone.
Anyway, the legislative Branch of the U.S. Government is not delegated with the power to change the Constitution (States) or determine the the meaning of the wording (SCOTUS) so 511 is legally worthless.
The common meaning of natural born is citizen by birth, as opposed to naturalization. The parents need not be on any mission, not divine nor patriotic. They could just be turistas, and their kid would still be eligible (35 years later, having lived in the USA at least 14 years).