2016 elections - because it's never too early

[crazy canuck]

Not enough time to pass an amendment allowing Brits to be eligible, sorry.

How did the first American presidents overcome that problem?

Bump.

Was the requirement of being born an American added at some later date?

Washington and the early presidents were born in places that later became the USA.

And they give Obama grief!

[Maximus]

I thought they were dead.

[The Minsky Moment]

I can't say I know much of Ted Cruz, despite having seen his name a lot. Can somebody give me a rundown on where he stands in the Republican landscape?

He's your run-of-the-mill Cuban-Canadian Harvard Law types from Texas.  He likes Star Wars and Dr. Seuss books, and in his spare time he likes to shut down the United States government.

[Caliga]

Donald Trump is calling him out about not being born in America now.

[crazy canuck]

I thought they were dead.

Pining

[Admiral Yi]

Donald Trump is calling him out about not being born in America now.

Someone needs to give this poor man some more attention.

[Ed Anger]

Ugh. Rand's hair is sexier.

[dps]

Not enough time to pass an amendment allowing Brits to be eligible, sorry.

How did the first American presidents overcome that problem?

Bump.

Was the requirement of being born an American added at some later date?

Here's the relevant language from the Constitution:

"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."

Basically, they got grandfathered in.  Note that people who weren't born in areas that became part of the US, but who were US citizens at the time the Constitution was adopted, would have been eligible.  Someone like Alexander Hamilton, who was born in Bermuda IIRC (or was it the Bahamas?  Anyway, somewhere on some British-controlled island) could have become President.

[The Minsky Moment]

The point was to prevent a foreign potentate or adventurer from becoming a Presidential candidate.  Keep in mind that the first naturalization law in the US required only 2 years residence.

The rule is long past its purpose but still in the Constitution so can't get rid of it.

[Eddie Teach]

It works to keep us from electing another Republican actor/governor of California. 

[Berkut]

I can't say I know much of Ted Cruz, despite having seen his name a lot. Can somebody give me a rundown on where he stands in the Republican landscape?

He's a talking head not a politician. He fills that uniquely American niche for conservative politics as performance art. He won't win. He'll probably do quite badly. Despite this he will still be pointed to as an example of how crazy Republicans are.

The fact that he has significant support from the Republicans (even to the extent that his group is responsible for driving legislation in Congress, including stuff like the recent disaster with sex trafficking legislation as a fine example) means that it is perfectly reasonable to point to him as an example of how crazy Republicans are...despite your attempt to spin it as if he isn't representative...

[jimmy olsen]

I can't say I know much of Ted Cruz, despite having seen his name a lot. Can somebody give me a rundown on where he stands in the Republican landscape?

Valmy voted for him and is thus to blame for every thing he does! 

[Valmy]

I can't say I know much of Ted Cruz, despite having seen his name a lot. Can somebody give me a rundown on where he stands in the Republican landscape?

Valmy voted for him and is thus to blame for every thing he does! 

I did it as a rejection of the corrupt Perry Clique. I was not aware how much I would soon miss the corrupt Perry Clique. I mean sure they were incompetent pandering idiots who strutted around like their shit didn't stink, but they weren't ideological nutjobs.

[derspiess]

My Latina wife thinks we should support Ted Cruz in the primary.  Walker's my guy at the moment but officially I have to support Cruz because he's the only major candidate who has declared.

[Valmy]

Pity all this Latino unity breaks down as soon as they leave the US or Latin America might be a much better place.