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Why? He served as president, it was public knowledge that his father was a British subject at his birth, and yet no one challanged his eligibility on that basis. That seems to be the perfect precedent for Obama's case.

It's my understanding that Arthur's father naturalized before Arthur reached majority. By the time most people would know of Arthur, they likely would have known his father to be an American citizen and probably had no reason to think otherwise and thus would not be likely to question his eligibility on the basis of his father's citizenship. Being born in Canada, however, would be a different story. Obama's papa, in contrast, never became an American citizen.

It's my understanding that Arthur's father naturalized before Arthur reached majority.By the time most people would know of Arthur, they likely would have known his father to be an American citizen and probably had no reason to think otherwise and thus would not be likely to question his eligibility on the basis of his father's citizenship.

Arthur was up front about the fact that his father was an immigrant, and it was well-known to his opponents. Furthermore, naturalizations are a matter of public record. Hence if anyone at the time had beleived that having a foreign father was disqaulifying, it would have been very easy for Arthur's opponents to check and find that his father was naturalized long after his brith.

Yet Arther's opponents didn't do that. The only thing they questioned was whether he was born in Canada. Not one brought up the citizenship of his father, even though that information was readily available.

Now why do you think that is? Do you think they were all idiots?

Or maybe, just maybe rhere's an obvious reason for it: until the birther movement started, no one believed that it was necessary for a US-born person to have citizen father in order to be eligible for the presidency.

Obama's papa, in contrast, never became an American citizen.

So?

It’s my understanding that Arthur’s father naturalized before Arthur reached majority. By the time most people would know of Arthur, they likely would have known his father to be an American citizen and probably had no reason to think otherwise and thus would not be likely to question his eligibility on the basis of his father’s citizenship. Being born in Canada, however, would be a different story. Obama’s papa, in contrast, never became an American citizen.

There is no Constitutional requirement that Obama’s father be an American citizen.
If there was, the McCain/Palin campaign would have sought an injunction to stop Obama’s election; Vice President Cheney would not have certified Obama’s electoral votes; and Chief Justice Roberts would not have sworn him in as the 44th President of the United States.