Is McCain Eligible?

[hjmick]

Is John Sidney McCain III eligible to hold the office of the Prsident? This is the question the New York Times is pondering. It seems that McCain was born at the Coco Solo Air Base in the then-American-controlled Panama Canal Zone. Does this make him ineligible?

[No1tovote4]

Of course he is, and the Times isn't wondering.

He is a natural born citizen as any other person born to active duty military personnel on a base.

What are you, the "yesterday's news" bot?

[hjmick]

Of course he is, and the Times isn't wondering.

He is a natural born citizen as any other person born to active duty military personnel on a base.

What are you, the "yesterday's news" bot?

No, I just happened across the subject on a blog I was cruising through. Thought it would make for an entertaining topic.

[No1tovote4]

No, I just happened across the subject on a blog I was cruising through. Thought it would make for an entertaining topic.

Sorry. I was trying to be funny and may have actually been too personally hurtful. It's not my usual way to go insulting people...

No, it is pretty old news. There is no way he would be certified by the FEC as one of the major party candidates if his eligibility was in question.

[hjmick]

Sorry. I was trying to be funny and may have actually been too personally hurtful. It's not my usual way to go insulting people...

No, it is pretty old news. There is no way he would be certified by the FEC as one of the major party candidates if his eligibility was in question.

No worries, I was neither hurt nor insulted.

I was aware that being born on base anywhere was not an issue, but found it amusing that the NYT would bother with it. Having not heard that anyone thought this would be an issue, I thought it would make for some fun.

McCain’s Canal Zone Birth Prompts Queries About Whether That Rules Him Out (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/politics/28mccain.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin)

In tomorrow's paper no less.

No harm no foul, N1tv4.

[hjmick]

It seems as if the NYT may be reading blogs for the story ideas. from what I've been able to track down, this is the origin of the most recent spate of questions:

Does the Constitution Ban a McCain Presidency? (http://www.dailycolonial.com/go.dc?p=3&s=4925)

[Yurt]

oh......but they endorsed him....

wonder how many negative questions they ask about the loob cans

[JohnDoe]

of course he is eligible....and not just children born overseas to military parents but any children born over seas to even one American parent has American citizenship....


Through birth abroad to two United States citizens
See also: jus sanguinis
In most cases, one is a U.S. citizen if both of the following are true:

Both parents were U.S. citizens at the time of the child's birth
At least one parent lived in the United States prior to the child's birth.
A person's record of birth abroad, if registered with a U.S. consulate or embassy, is proof of his or her citizenship. He or she may also apply for a passport or a Certificate of Citizenship to have his or her citizenship recognized.


[edit] Through birth abroad to one United States citizen
In most cases, a person is a U.S. citizen if all of the following are true:

One of his or her parents was a U.S. citizen at the time of the person in question's birth;
The citizen parent lived at least 5 years in the United States before his or her child's birth; and
At least 2 of these 5 years in the United States were after the citizen parent's 14th birthday (see note below).
A person's record of birth abroad, if registered with a U.S. consulate or embassy, is proof of his or her citizenship. Such a person may also apply for a passport or a Certificate of Citizenship to have his or her citizenship recognized.

Note: If born before November 14, 1986, a person is a citizen if his or her U.S. citizen parent lived in the U.S. for at least 10 years and 5 of those years in the U.S. were after the citizen parent's 14th birthday. The newer law does not apply retroactively.

Different rules apply for those born before December 24, 1952.


and a tidbit of history regarding presidents....


[edit] Presidential Candidates born outside of the United States
Three major candidates have sought the Presidency who were born outside the United States: Barry Goldwater, George Romney and John McCain.

Barry Goldwater, who ran in 1964, was born in Arizona while it was still a U.S. territory. Although Arizona was not a state, it was a fully organized and incorporated territory of the United States, making it debatable whether or not he was born "outside" the United States. [9]

George Romney, who ran in 1968, was born in Mexico to U.S. parents. Romney’s grandfather emigrated to Mexico in 1886 with his three wives and children after Utah outlawed polygamy. Romney's parents retained their U.S. citizenship and returned to the United States in 1912. Romney was 32 years old when he arrived in Michigan. William Loeb, the late publisher of the Manchester Union Leader dismissed him as "Chihuahua George." [9]

John McCain, who ran in 2000 and is running in 2008, was born at the US military base Coco Solo in the Panama Canal Zone to U.S. parents. The Panama Canal Zone was under United States sovereignty between 1903 and 1979 but was unincorporated.[10]


wikipedia.com on both quotes

[nevadamedic]

Is John Sidney McCain III eligible to hold the office of the Prsident? This is the question the New York Times is pondering. It seems that McCain was born at the Coco Solo Air Base in the then-American-controlled Panama Canal Zone. Does this make him ineligible?

It is considered US Soil.

[JohnDoe]

It is considered US Soil. it was unincorporated at the time....

He is a usa citizen because he was born to usa citizens. read the tidbits i posted above...

jd

[PostmodernProphet]

In tomorrow's paper no less.

only the Times would try to distract people from the issue of their publishing stupid things about McCain by publishing more stupid things about McCain.......

[WRL]

Is John Sidney McCain III eligible to hold the office of the Prsident? This is the question the New York Times is pondering. It seems that McCain was born at the Coco Solo Air Base in the then-American-controlled Panama Canal Zone. Does this make him ineligible?

Do you really think a person born to a US service member serving overseas isn't a US citizen? I seen some ridiculous smears so far, but this is the lowest... Not attacking you personally just the times for printing it... Boy they are going the rout of Rathergate quick this year, might as well be the DNC Times...

[Kathianne]

As noted above, this was attempted against Goldwater and McCain in 2000, it failed. The Naturalization Act of 1790 seems to cover it:

http://ocp.hul.harvard.edu/immigration/outsidelink.html/http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HLS.LIBR:981715