what's the general rule on that? Cause I might be breaking it. Oops this is kinda pointless, I think... But on the bright side, I'm checking in again. It appears that Massassi keeps moving on without me. I've been pretty busy.

So, to make this ok, let's discuss politics... Should people not born in the US be allowed to run for president? Personally, I don't see any problem with it... It seems kinda discriminatory to prevent someone from being president of our nation just because they were born outside of it. It's not like they had any choice on that. Hopefully you guys can see past my drunken stupor, and when I look at this tomorrow there will be an exciting topic to discuss.

Cheers.

Jon

Nope.

eh, should have expected as much... :p What's new, Free?

Sarn, I completely agree with you. I was born in Poland and moved to the United States with my parents when I was three. Three short years out of the twenty I have lived I've spent in another country, and if the current law stands I'll never be able to become president (unless I'm in a high politcal office and a very unlikely string of assassin.......heart attacks happens).

I can't be president because I couldn't control where I was born. Does that seem right to you?

No sir, it doesn't. I originally had this conversation with a friend regarding Mr. Arnald Schwartzenneger (however his name is spelled) and while I wouldn't vote for him, I at least think he deserves a chance... That law is outdated in my opinion, and ought to be changed. I would impose regulations that would say you'd have had to be a citizen for a certain amount of years ([robably 30 or so) but nothing that said you had to be born there...

I think it's a fair law. People who have just become citizens shouldn't be able to run for president so where do you make the cutoff?

Actually, there's a possibility that President Andrew Jackson was born at sea on the way to the US and falsified his birth records.

The general rule is that unless you're Zully, Jim7, SiliconC, or myself people are going to think you're faking it.

Well, he should clearly be president in spite of his nationality... as long as he doesn't interfere with my plans for world domination...

Don't tell anyone about that though, ok?

If you're a US citizen born outside of the US, you can run for president, just for clarification.

Since when, Vengy? I was under the impression that Arhnold was trying to get the law changed so that he could try and run for pres...

He means if you area US citizen (your parent(s) are American) you can of course run for prez regardless of where you were born.

I think he was referring to being born on a U.S. military base or in an embassy etc.

whoops

what's going on with the forums.. .I keep being put ahead ofposts that were already there.. I'm confuised.

wth.

Let me get this straight... you're drunk and decided to post something about politics. Bah! You should be passed out on the side of a road in the middle of nowhere with an obscene picture drawn on your face and your eyebrows shaved off.

I know... life sucks, eh?

Actually, I have to work in the morning, so I'm trying to work this off before I go to bed, so I won't puke.

Nobody cares about him.

Rob, what about SuperS51?

(ooh posting in the future)

I"m also a little tipsy, and think that it doesn't particularly matter if someone not born in the U.S., but who has lived here all his life, is allowed to run for president.

I reserve the right to change my mind in the morning.

Apparently tonight is tipsy/drunken night for I, too, have had my fair amount of wine.

Anyway, I'm coherent enough to respond. The idea behind the "natural born" clause is that we were afraid of foreigners becoming U.S. citizens, scaling the political ladder, becoming president, then foresaking their U.S. citizenship and claiming the U.S. in the name of <insert nation here>. Tenuous times those were in the Founding Days. Modern times, do we really have much to concern ourselves with some bloke from Latvia getting up to the presidency proclaming "I PROCLAIM ZIS NATION IN ZEE NAME OFF MOTHER COUNTRY!" probably not. If Ahnold decides to run in 2008/12, I'm sure some momentum will be gained to amend the constitution.