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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe New Birthers: Republican Ted Cruz's Presidential Eligibility Questioned
Some members of the Republican party who have spent years questioning whether President Obama was really born in the U.S. now find one of their own rising stars in a birther controversy: Ted Cruz, the Canadian-born Tea Party darling...
I am sure people have posted this before.. but I have to say.. Karma..
Just Saying
(1,799 posts)The same people who want to prove President Obama was born outside the US will now have to fight the very notion of "native born" to elect Cruz.
Frankly, I believe Cruz is unelectable because he's a complete wacko, but I do enjoy that their bullshit is smacking them right back in the face.
Peacetrain
(22,836 posts)entertaining this time..
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)the crazy train will go off the rails.
Just Saying
(1,799 posts)Sometimes I can't believe who some people think would make a good leader.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)Just Saying
(1,799 posts)Can't remember where I saw it, but some talking heads on TV were saying that it's never been challenged and there was some question about whether a baby born on foreign soil would qualify.
Makes it all the more funny that they've tried so long to prove President Obama shouldn't be President because he was born outside the US to 1 American parent and then turn around and try to prove the law doesn't really mean "native born" for Cruz.
brooklynite
(93,879 posts)Course, you can TELL they're not "real" Americans; just look at their last names.
LuvNewcastle
(16,820 posts)Peacetrain
(22,836 posts)Wouldn't that just be about it..
bravenak
(34,648 posts)Peacetrain
(22,836 posts)There is no way in the world, we as Democrats could have orchestrated anything better.. I have been laughing all morning..
bravenak
(34,648 posts)Karma karma karma karma karma chameleon, they come and go, they come and go-o-o.
Are we paying them for this? We should be.
malaise
(267,842 posts)Cruz is Canadian born. McGramps was born in Panama but that didn't matter to them
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)even if Obama had been born in Kenya, he would still be a citizen by birth bcause his mother was an American.
malaise
(267,842 posts)Have no fear
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)of course we know the answer.
unblock
(51,974 posts)rl6214
(8,142 posts)What other argument could they put out there?
Jim Lane
(11,175 posts)If Obama had been born in Kenya, he would not have been a citizen by birth and would not now be eligible to be President. Cruz, however, is eligible.
At the time these two men were born, the law applicable to the Cruz case and to the hypothetical Obama-born-in-Kenya case (birth abroad, one citizen parent, one noncitizen parent) was that the child was a citizen provided that the citizen parent met certain conditions. One of those conditions (residence in the United States for at least five years after turning 14) was NOT met by Obama's mother, because she was only 18 when he was born. Cruz's mother, however, was older and had met the residency requirement.
I believe that Cruz is a natural-born citizen based on the law at the time of his birth. If a child had been born in Kenya in August, 1961 to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr. and Stanley Ann Dunham Obama, however, that child would not have been a U.S. citizen.
Thus, most of the birthers could uphold Cruz's eligibility even though they denied Obama's. Some of them, however, took a different tack about Obama. Realizing that there was no evidence of Kenyan birth, they argued that, even if Obama was born in Hawaii and was therefore a U.S. citizen, he was also entitled to British citizenship by virtue of his father's citizenship. (I think that much is true.) They then argue that no one with dual citizenship, and hence "divided loyalty", can be considered a natural-born citizen. That argument, unsupported by any provision of the Constitution, would also disqualify Cruz if, at birth, he was entitled to citizenship in Cuba (by virtue of his father's citizenship) or Canada.
cali
(114,904 posts)so yeah, of course he was eligible and so is the President and so too is Cruz. There is no legal definition of what constitutes a "natural born citizen". There are simply those who are born U.S. citizens and those who are naturalized. Really, it's that simple.
kestrel91316
(51,666 posts)or Panamanian soil.
And being born on foreign soil apparently isn't an issue if you're white and Republican.
RZM
(8,556 posts)It's not like McCain was born in some village to Panamanian parents. He was born on a naval station to two American citizens, one of which was serving in the military at the time. The argument that he was ineligible to be president is pretty weak.
The Obama birther shit is just pure CT nonsense.
Cruz's birth, OTOH, might turn out to be a problem for them. His father wasn't a US citizen at the time, though his mother was born in the US. It will be interesting to see what happens.
cali
(114,904 posts)you are either born one or you become one.
sabbat hunter
(6,825 posts)but in the canal zone, which is considered the same as if he was born in the US.
COLGATE4
(14,732 posts)there were no medical facilities. McCain was born in a Panamanian hospital.
sabbat hunter
(6,825 posts)his dad was stationed at Coco Solo, which was within the zone, and John mcCain was born at a naval hospital on the base.
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)Cruz's mother was born in Delaware.
Bragi
(7,650 posts)Jenoch
(7,720 posts)Bragi
(7,650 posts)I say that as a Canadian.
Jenoch
(7,720 posts)Bragi
(7,650 posts)Though it's possible he was conceived in Canada. Has anyone ever asked about this?
Lochloosa
(16,019 posts)He was a "person" at that moment, hence he is Canadian.
Bragi
(7,650 posts)LanternWaste
(37,748 posts)Delaware sounds very...exotic.
arely staircase
(12,482 posts)Mentally, not so much.
nyquil_man
(1,443 posts)rl6214
(8,142 posts)LearningCurve
(488 posts)Of course, that's when the issue was Obama.
Then he got evasive when asked how that applied to Cruz.