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Why should it even matter if Obama was born in the U.S.? (Cafeteria Constitutionalism?)
Foreign Policy ^ | July 16, 2009 | Joshua Keating

Posted on 07/16/2009 8:01:10 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

The weirdly persistant belief held by many Americans that President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States has been back in the news lately thanks to Major Stefan Cook, the "birther" soldier who was granted has requested conscientious objector status because he refused to fight for a president he believes is illegitimate. There's also a bill gathering some support in the House that would change election law to require candidates to prove their citizenship.

The birther phenomenon is predictable form of paranoia given the president's unusually exotic (for a president, anyway) background. But isn't the larger scandal that the anachronistic natural-born citizenship requirement in Article II of the constitution still even exists?

Let's imagine that Barack Obama had been born in Indonesia or Kenya or anywhere else for that matter, and hadn't become a citizen until moving to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Is there one good reason why that would make him less fit to be president?

Put another way, is there one good reason why foreign-born governors Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jennifer Granholm can't legally run for president but Mark Sanford and Sarah Palin can?

Naturalized citizens like Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Madeline Albright have been allowed into the highest positions in the U.S. national security establishment without anyone questioning their loyalty. Why shouldn't voters be allowed to decide whether a foreign-born candidate is American enough to be president?

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


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: article2section1; bho44; bhobirthcertificate; birthcertificate; citizenship; colb; eligibility; hawaii; indonesia; ineligible; kenya; naturalborn; naturalborncitizen; obama; stefancook; usurper; wolverines
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How many lies, half-truths, non-sequiters and wrong-headed notions can be squeezed into seven paragraphs? Funny, I didn't realize Major Cook had asked for conscientious objector status! They left that out of every other story on the subject.
1 posted on 07/16/2009 8:01:12 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I saw this a few hours ago but decided not to post it for the reason you state.


2 posted on 07/16/2009 8:03:26 PM PDT by Red Steel
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
The weirdly persistant belief held by many Americans that President Barack Obama is not a natural-born citizen of the United States

I can think of Adolf Hitler... he wasn't even a German... and we know how that went...

3 posted on 07/16/2009 8:04:35 PM PDT by John123 (Turn on your teleprompter Obama and read your lips... "No New Taxes!!")
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

To see why a non natural born citizen’s loyalties may not lie with America, see Barack Obama.

Hates America. Hates capitalism. Hates achievers. etc.

Say whatever you want about Palin or Sanford - but they love American and wish to avoid its destruction.


4 posted on 07/16/2009 8:05:21 PM PDT by Principled (Get the capital back! NRST!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

“Naturalized citizens like Henry Kissinger, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Madeline Albright have been allowed into the highest positions in the U.S. national security establishment without anyone questioning their loyalty.”

____________________________

I have questioned the loyalty of all three.

Trust me on this...if it were proven that Zero was NOT a natural born citizen, he would not go willingly and the congressional leadership would circle the wagons around him.
We can only hope that our military would display the same ‘nads as the Honduran Army, becuase that’s what it would take to get rid of him.


5 posted on 07/16/2009 8:06:34 PM PDT by Ikemeister
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Joshua..., Joshua...! How long have you been a complete dick, Joshua...?!


6 posted on 07/16/2009 8:06:44 PM PDT by freebilly
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Ah yes. Here it comes. The drip-drip-drip method of information is progressing very well. Now they're up to the part where they say, well, does it really matter anyway? BamBam is so woooonderful, so good for us, so uniting, so brilliant, so representative, so fulfilling of the dream.... does it really matter if he doesn't, you know, technically meet the requirements?
7 posted on 07/16/2009 8:06:46 PM PDT by workerbee (If you vote for Democrats, you are engaging in UnAmerican Activity.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Is there one good reason why that would make him less fit to be president?

Just for openers, if he skirted the Constitutional requirement, that makes him the ultimate scofflaw, and the biggest liar in the history of the USA.

8 posted on 07/16/2009 8:07:09 PM PDT by Migraine (Diversity is great... ...until it happens to YOU.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Well, if he isn’t, it would invalidate anything he’s done since taking office. And, then the questions began about who knew about this while he was campaigning and buried it. Tar, feathers, rope.


9 posted on 07/16/2009 8:08:57 PM PDT by Tench_Coxe
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To: Principled
Say whatever you want about Palin or Sanford

I generally do, but never in the same sentence. Wouldn't want any confusion over it. :)

10 posted on 07/16/2009 8:10:12 PM PDT by Migraine (Diversity is great... ...until it happens to YOU.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Any resemblance between reality and what a libtard (like this idiot) writes is purely accidental. Betcha this jerk doesn’t even know what conscientious objector status is, or what it entails! But it sounds good and fits his ill-begotten notion of truth.


11 posted on 07/16/2009 8:10:21 PM PDT by Babalu ("Tracer rounds work both ways ...")
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To: Principled
Palin and Sanford? I don't get Josh's connection.

obama exotic? Duh

12 posted on 07/16/2009 8:11:06 PM PDT by BARLF
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Oh boy, here it comes. Now it’s not that it’s a ridiculous Internet rumor perpetuated by tin-foil-hat-wearing crazies ... NOW it’s that the Constitutional requirement is outdated.

Just when the national media starts paying a little bit of attention to this story, now all of a sudden, it doesn’t really matter where Obama was born?

Whatever! We see through this line of horsesh*t.


13 posted on 07/16/2009 8:11:40 PM PDT by BuckeyeTexan (Integrity, Character, Leadership, and Loyalty matter - Be an example, no matter the cost.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
"Let's imagine that Barack Obama had been born in Indonesia or Kenya or anywhere else for that matter, and hadn't become a citizen until moving to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Is there one good reason why that would make him less fit to be president?"

If you can't follow the law, you can't lead the law.

14 posted on 07/16/2009 8:12:07 PM PDT by Psycho_Bunny (ALSO SPRACH ZEROTHUSTRA)
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To: Migraine

I never thought anyone could top the lies of the Clintons. Was I wrong.


15 posted on 07/16/2009 8:12:24 PM PDT by VicVega (Join Jihad, get captured by the US and resettled in the best places in the world. I love the USA)
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To: All; Red Steel

This shouldn’t surprise anyone:

FOREIGN POLICY is published by the Slate Group,
a division of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, LLC.


16 posted on 07/16/2009 8:12:30 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (I am Jim Thompson!!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It’s just the Obamabots at work trying to cover up for their con man.


17 posted on 07/16/2009 8:13:16 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Let's imagine that Barack Obama had been born in Indonesia or Kenya or anywhere else for that matter, and hadn't become a citizen until moving to Hawaii to live with his grandparents. Is there one good reason why that would make him less fit to be president?

Well, yes. It's prohibited by the Constitution.

I actually would have no serious problems with an amendment allowing naturalized citizens of 20+ years standing to be eligible for President. But this amendment should follow the standard route for such as prescribed by the Constitution itself.

18 posted on 07/16/2009 8:14:00 PM PDT by Sherman Logan (Perception wins all the battles, reality wins all the wars)
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To: Migraine

“We can only hope that our military would display the same ‘nads as the Honduran Army, becuase that’s what it would take to get rid of him.”

it may just come down to that before this is over


19 posted on 07/16/2009 8:15:45 PM PDT by 19D
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

If this fella thinks it is that important, his proper course is to advocate amending the constitution, instead of just ignoring it.

I, for one, think the Natural Born requirement makes a lot of sense, and that our current situation is a great example why.


20 posted on 07/16/2009 8:15:48 PM PDT by bondjamesbond (Don't blame me... I voted for PALIN!)
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