Is there a chance for Schwarzenegger to become president?

[astorian]

@Monty

I’ve no extreme love for the man. My concern is the issue of a ridiculous and foolish, IMHO, prejudicial bar in the Constitution.

I don’t see any need for this Constitutional provision any more myself, and would be happy to see it repealed- I just don’t see it happening because it’s such a minor issue to most Americans. I can’t see Congress and 38 states taking the trouble to pass an amendment over a matter that affects so few people.

[Ibn_Warraq]

@pkbites

There are far more reasons for the prohibition than against it.

If what you’re saying is true than it should be easy for you to list some of them.

Please do.

Explain why if both, instead of just one of my parents were Iranian citizens when I was born in Tehran, before coming to the US when I was 2, that I should have been disqualified from running even for my local city council.

Thanks.

[actualliberalnotoneofthose]

Considering every accomplishment in his life can be attributed to the use of steroids, I don’t think he could get the votes anyway.

[DrDeth]

@Ibn_Warraq

Explain why if both, instead of just one of my parents were Iranian citizens when I was born in Tehran, before coming to the US when I was 2, that I should have been disqualified from running even for my local city council.

.

I don’t think your city council has a natural Born citizen requirement.

[Lemur866]

He’s responding to this statement:

@pkbites

I don’t like the idea that folks born somewhere else can get elected to anything, much less elected President. That’s my position on the issue. I’m fairly certain I don’t have to explain nor justify it.

Of course that’s not the law currently, that’s just pkbites’s opinion. The only offices that actually have this requirement are the presidency and vice-presidency. You can be elected senator, governor, dog-catcher, or hold any appointed office if you are a naturalized citizen, just not Prez or VP.

[Rucksinator]

@pkbites

…Your example of a 7 year old coming here and become a citizen and then running for office at 35 is not the same as a 35 year old coming here, becoming a citizen, and running for office at age 50. That 50 year old is still going to have some loyalties to his nation of birth and it will skew his/her decisions as a leader on issues that pertain to that nation. This is the justification for the prohibition on POTUS.

This is why I would be OK with changing it so that you would have to have been a citizen for 35 years. So no matter where you were born, you would have to have lived as a US citizen for 35 years. But that’s just my opinion.

The only way that that* would happen would be if Jesus’ parents moved him from Israel to the US when he was a baby, and he grew up to be a very popular moderate.

• any change to the matter in discussion, not specifically my idea

[Nava]

@aNewLeaf

For people confused by ‘natural-born’, that’s vs ‘naturalized’. Father’s nationality is irrelevant, place of birth is what counts.

No, since father’s nationality can make someone who’s been born abroad “natural-born”. Do you think that the children of soldiers stationed abroad aren’t natural-born? Do you believe McCain was Panamanian by birth?

There’s several people who have made references to “where you’ve been born”, I picked this one because it was the clearest one.

[Ranger_Jeff]

As for the OT, I’m reminded of some dialog from an episode of Night Court

Carolanne Wheeler: Will I ever get to see Disneyworld now, Daddy?
Bob Wheeler: Never, sweetheart. Never in a million years.