Inauguration Day IV-Talmudic Question on Presidential Eligibility
Yesterday our son offered up a Talmudic-like question on the constitutional requirement that the president be a “natural born Citizen.” What if President Obama had been born in Hawaii before it became a state in 1959? From this Wikipedia article and here it seems that the question was asked by some during Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign. Goldwater was born in what was then the Arizona Territory, a few years before it became a state. Apparently no court ever had to rule on the question.
January 20th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
The same question would have arisen with McCain, who was born in the Panama Canal Zone (when it was under U.S. jurisdiction.
The Wolf
January 20th, 2009 at 1:29 pm
The question of McCain’s eligibility is related and was addressed during the campaign. See here.
January 20th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
So we don’t have to amend the Constitution to allow California’s governor to run for president; we just have to admit Austria into the Union.