2016 elections - because it's never too early

[garbon]

But...how could they have been a resident for 14 years when the country didn't even exist that long?

English sentences can be hard to parse.

[The Minsky Moment]

The Cruz thing is being driven by three factors:
Number 1 are law academics and activists who oppose an constitutional interpretive theory called organalism that has some cachet in conservative circles, and is perhaps most notably (notoriously?) associated with Justice Scalia.  The case against Cruz's eligibility is based on a variant of originalism.  Thus, some left-leaning academics have picked up the narrative as a gotcha, hoisted-on-your-own petard story.  (Cruz apparently has supported originalist theories).
Number 2 is Trump who is doing this to troll Cruz and knock him down in their shared competition for the GOP "low information voter" vote.
Number 3 are Cruz's colleagues and other associated conservatives who are happy to see him twist in the wind.

It's not an edifying spectacle.  True, in light of the many stupid politician tricks that Cruz has pulled in the campaign, there is temptation to Schadenfreude.  But bad medicine is bad medicine - no one should be forced to taste it even if is their own.

[DGuller]

It's idiotic.  And seriously, even if you have a legitimately questionable case, how pathetic is it try to bump someone off from the ticket on an irrelevant technicality?

[MadImmortalMan]

It's idiotic.  And seriously, even if you have a legitimately questionable case, how pathetic is it try to bump someone off from the ticket on an irrelevant technicality?

Well, it shows that you're more afraid of them than you are of looking like an idiot. So I guess in political terms it's sort of a complement.

[Malthus]

It's idiotic.  And seriously, even if you have a legitimately questionable case, how pathetic is it try to bump someone off from the ticket on an irrelevant technicality?

Well, it shows that you're more afraid of them than you are of looking like an idiot. So I guess in political terms it's sort of a complement.

When it comes to saying stuff that makes him look like an idiot, Trump is absolutely fearless. 

[Admiral Yi]

Is there a document somewhere that clarifies what "natural born" means?

I had always understood it to mean born in the US.  Else why did they have that rigamarole about McCain being born on a military base, considered US territory?

[Valmy]

Is there a document somewhere that clarifies what "natural born" means?

I had always understood it to mean born in the US.  Else why did they have that rigamarole about McCain being born on a military base, considered US territory?

I just figured it meant 'born a US citizen' as opposed to being naturalized. I think there is some case history here, we went over it during the Obama thing but I don't recall exactly.

[lustindarkness]

Not fair! I was born a US citizen, and I would like to have access to the red button!  :nuke:

Nothing else about the job I would care for. 

[Eddie Teach]

Nothing else about the job I would care for. 

Pretty cool plane.

[Tonitrus]

Not fair! I was born a US citizen, and I would like to have access to the red button!  :nuke:

Nothing else about the job I would care for. 

What about the interns? 

[The Minsky Moment]

Is there a document somewhere that clarifies what "natural born" means?

No

I had always understood it to mean born in the US.  Else why did they have that rigamarole about McCain being born on a military base, considered US territory?

The Tribe/Olson memo cited the sovereign status of the Canal Zone as a second, independent basis for McCain' eligibility.  However, the first basis they cited was the same as for Cruz; i.e. birth overseas to a US citizen parent as per Section 1401.

[Eddie Teach]

Is Cruz afraid of the dark?

[Grinning_Colossus]

Is there a document somewhere that clarifies what "natural born" means?

I had always understood it to mean born in the US.  Else why did they have that rigamarole about McCain being born on a military base, considered US territory?

The Congressional Research Service thinks it includes everyone eligible for American citizenship at birth:

From historical material and case law, it appears that the common understanding of the
term "natural born" in England and in the American colonies in the 1700s may have included
both the strict common law meaning as born in the territory (jus soli), as well as the statutory
laws adopted in England since at least 1350, which included children born abroad to British
fathers (jus sanguinis, the law of descent).
The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term "natural born" citizen would
mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship "by birth" or "at birth," either by being born
"in" the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born
abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for
U.S. citizenship "at birth." Such term, however, would not include a person who was not a U.S.
citizen by birth or at birth, and who was thus born an "alien" required to go through the legal
process of "naturalization" to become a U.S. citizen.

https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42097.pdf

[lustindarkness]

Pretty cool plane.

What about the interns? 

Now if we could combine these two things. And we know that the secret service likes to party.

[garbon]

On a slightly unrelated matter, I really liked much of what Nikki Haley had to say.