The Non-American Presidential Race?

No, I am not talking about that the fact that the rest of the world is watching this race with more interest than ever before, nor the fact that there are screaming legions of Obama supporters across most of Europe, nor the fact that three Brazilian senators just petitioned to change their names to Barak Obama, or the fact that the election will set US policy at a vital time, I am talking about the fact that neither of the candidates were born in the US.

Well, Obama might have, but there is doubt (and a lawsuit, see post), but McCain was distinctly born in Panama, in the then US controlled canal zone. Some have claimed that because of this, he is not a "natural born citizen" and thus not eligible to be the head honcho.

 

Seems as though most experts are pretty clear they see someone being born of two US citizens, the father stationed abroad on orders of the US govt. (Navy), is a "natural born citizen." The reason it is interesting is that the case has never been tested, though some interesting historical precedents crop up (from the NYT):

 

It also surfaced in the 1968 candidacy of George Romney, who was born in Mexico, but again was not tested. The former Connecticut politician Lowell P. Weicker Jr., born in Paris, sought a legal analysis when considering the presidency, an aide said, and was assured he was eligible. Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. was once viewed as a potential successor to his father, but was seen by some as ineligible since he had been born on Campobello Island in Canada. The 21st president, Chester A. Arthur, whose birthplace is Vermont, was rumored to have actually been born in Canada, prompting some to question his eligibility.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/politics/28mccain.html

 

Interesting that the two main candidates both face legal challenges (though unlikely) to their presidency. Which means...

 

Libertarians have a chance!! 

 

Ok, not so much, but look below at the table of election results in 2004.. with no Ralph Nader... Libertarians are in third! Which means when Obama and McCain are barred from the Presidency, we'll be there to swoop in.

 

Right.

Grand total

Presidential Candidate	Party	Home State	Popular Vote		Electoral Vote	Running Mate	Running Mate's Home State	RM's Electoral Vote
			Count	Pct
George W. Bush	Republican	Texas	62,040,610	50.73%	286	Dick Cheney	Wyoming	286
John F. Kerry	Democratic	Massachusetts	59,028,444	48.27%	251	John Edwards	North Carolina	251
John Edwards (a)	—	North Carolina	—	—	1	John Edwards (a)	North Carolina	1
Ralph Nader	Independent	Connecticut	465,650	0.38%	0	Peter Camejo	California	0
Michael Badnarik	Libertarian	Texas	397,265	0.32%	0	Richard Campagna	Iowa	0
Michael Peroutka	Constitution	Maryland	143,630	0.12%	0	Chuck Baldwin	Florida	0
David Cobb	Green	Texas	119,859	0.10%	0	Pat LaMarche	Maine	0
Leonard Peltier	Peace and Freedom	Pennsylvania	27,607	0.02%	0	Janice Jordan	California	0
Walt Brown	Socialist	Oregon	10,837	0.01%	0	Mary Alice Herbert	Vermont	0
Róger Calero (b)	Socialist Workers	New York	10,800	0.01%	0	Arrin Hawkins (b)	Minnesota	0
Total			122,267,553	100 %	538			538
Needed to win					270			270

Source (Electoral and Popular Vote): Federal Elections Commission Electoral and Popular Vote Summary