“If it were that simple, McCain would not eligible either, having been born in Panama, or maybe on a US Navy installation in the canal zone, reports differ. (Someone needs to ask his mother, who is still with us, and appears to have her faculties intact.)”
It really is that simple and McCain is a citizen. The code in play at the time of McCain’s birth included baby’s born to military personal serving where his parents were.
When this issue first came out posters here posted all the statutes involved.
Now while the following is not accurate it is close to some of the statute.
“If the mother is 18 or younger an hasn’t resided in the US for five consecutive years just prior to the birth while in another country than the child is not a natural born citizen”
As I mentioned the above while not exact it will give you an idea of the statue.
Also the law has been revised over the years so one must research what the law was at the time of the birth.
There’s also the issue of school papers stating Obama was a citizen of Kenya, Kenya doesn’t allow dual citizenship. Meaning his mother and adoptive father had to have renonced his US citizenship.
I know, but you didn't say that. You said "born on American soil) Actually any person born of two US Citizens then, as now, was a citizen at birth.
In a way we disputing over a technicality, an arbitrary one at that. If the law had not had the age restriction, or Obama's mother had been older, then he'd be a citizen at birth, regardless of where he was born. But that doesn't really get to the reason for the "natural born citizen" requirement in the first place. It was to be sure that there was no "agent of influence" of a foreign power or society at the very pinnacle of our government. Because Barry was raised for a number of years in Indonesia, by his Indonesian stepfather, going to school in Indonesia, with Indonesian (probably mostly Muslim, even in the catholic school) teachers, his "gut" loyalties may not be with the US, assuming he has any loyalties. He's more likely loyal to "The Internationale", than "The Land of the Free, and the Home of the Brave".