Patrick

I went to do a quote today and the woman was saying she wasn't at work for presidents day blah, blah and then said the reason I was working was because the British have nothing to do with George Washington.

I pointed out to her that every president up to van buren was british (the first president after the war of independance)

She told me that they couldn't of been as you can't be president if you are not born in America!

You could probably hear the sound of a forhead repeatedly banging on the table in Memphis.

Patrick

Jabba1

That's quite true about the Brit pesidents. I also understand that you have to be German to be a member of the Royal Family nowadays. My parents are Germans, which means that I should be able to move to the UK and become King. Heh...

Lion in Winter

I know you were born here, but sometimes you display a perfectly British sense of humour.

Of course the latest British royal family are from the Battenburgs, changed to Mountbatten (as in Lord) to anglicise it around the time that the UK was doing its own freedom fry thing - i.e. WWI, no more German Shepherds, only Alsatians, etc. Perhaps we can trade them in for a new BMW?

edwords

My mother was German and loved telling everyone about the royal family's lineage. She also shared a birthday with Prince Charles.

Ptarmigan

This is a common misconception. Even today it is not neccesary to be actually born in the United States to be President.

Rockgurl

This means it's perfectly feasible for Arnold Schwarzenegger to become president!

Patrick

Yes laws are often misconceived aren't they, you must be us born to be president

"If you're going to be involved in government in the United States, citizenship is a must. To be a Senator or Representative, you must be a citizen of the United States. To be President, not only must you be a citizen, but you must also be natural-born. Aside from participation in government, citizenship is an honor bestowed upon people by the citizenry of the United States when a non-citizen passes the required tests and submits to an oath. "

They are looking to amend it so that you have to have been natarlised 20 years and lived in the country for at least 14 years. This amendment is to pave the way for Arnold to become President.

Patrick

extract taken from the US Constitution online

Ptarmigan

"No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty five years, and been fourteen Years a resident within the United States. "

The US constitution itself states that you have to be a natural born citizen of the United States, which is somewhat different from being born here. Roughly translated into normal people speak it means that you were a citizen at birth. The birth may have taken place in Timbuktoo , but if both parents were Americans you would be a natural born citizen of the US.

Ptarmigan

Nope, he would be a natural born citizen of Austria and a naturalised citizen of the US

Patrick

OK, so we know that you can still be considered naturally born even if you are born outside the US. That was never up for debate. See below

Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in those gaps. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are "citizens of the United States at birth:"

Anyone born inside the United States
Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.
Anyone falling into these categories is considered natural-born, and is eligible to run for President or Vice President. These provisions allow the children of military families to be considered natural-born, for example.

Whats your point Ptarmi, why did you interject when your point was mute. I beleive your first point was in error and you are now back tracking. Either that or you a very, very pedantic person, even more so than me and I find that an impossibility

Patrick

Ptarmigan

No, I am a very pedantic person and probably more so than you, splitting hairs is not so much a hobby but an art form.

Ptarmigan

My first point was quite correct, you do not have to be born in the United States to be the President, just a natural born citizen, Shit sometimes I wonder if Bush was born on this planet.

Patrick

It has always been the way since the first president. Washington, Adams etc etc (up to van buren) where all born in America but where british citizens (due to the fact America was not a (true independant) country but a colony of Britain). But the law of the American born president was enforced so that the king of england couldn't send someone over and become president and be a puppet of the crown.

Patrick

Lion in Winter

Your suspicion is correct. Wasn't he born in Texas?

Patrick

President Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut, and he grew up in Midland and Houston, Texas

He is considered by all to be a texan. A Bush has never won in Maine or Connecticut, surprising as they have houses in both states, the New Englanders consider them to be Texans (the New Englanders aren't taking any of the blame for that family).

At least we only have to suffer Jeb's presidential try next and not Neil - not know he has been caught with Phillipino Hookers in his hotel room (although he says they let themselfs in uninvited - a bit like his brother and the whitehouse then)

Patrick