I enjoyed an interesting discussion recently, revisiting Barack Obama’s birth certificate, or lack thereof. It is my studied opinion that both were poor forgeries, especially considering the defects present in both as well as the manner of presentation. The first was by author unknown on the photo sharing site photobucket, and the second was a digital pdf which is easily shown to be highly manipulated.
Whether the Obama COLBs are real or not is beside the point.
Even if real, neither establishes Natural Born status.
The Framers were concerned about foreign influences in the Office of President,
and so required that any President born after ratification of the Constitution must be a Natural Born Citizen. They didn’t define it further, as the term had a universal meaning at the time. They deliberately did not use the term “citizen”, so there is a special, super-citizenship requirement for the highest office in the land.
The place of birth is not important, the parents citizenship status at the time of birth is, and this is the only Natural Born requirement. Both parents need to be citizens is the long and short of the difference between citizen and natural born citizen.
Simply being born on native soil of the USA does not confer citizenship status. Congress has never passed a bill to such effect, although the Courts have twisted the 14th Amendment to the point that we all go along with it. A topic for a separate discussion I guess. The only true citizens have at least one parent who is a citizen, or who have been legally naturalized. Natural Born Citizens have both parents as citizens, regardless of place of birth.
This is why Chester Arthur and Barack Obama are not Natural Born. This is also why Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio are not Natural Born either, as well as why John McCain is.
I posted briefly about this at Minor v. Happersett, 88 U.S. 162, 168. in March 2012.
The following is edited from a conversation also around March of 2012. It is a good place to start your research, so please click to read more.
H/T to Jo, thanks! Continue reading Rich TAkes on Natural Born Citizens→
