Why can't Obama produce a birth certificate?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought that, even if Obama was born abroad, he would be an American citizen because his mother is an American citizen. Aren't children of American citizens automatically American citizens?

The issue is that not all citizens can be President. There is a specific and not precisely defined term that applies to President: "Natural born citizen".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that, even if Obama was born abroad, he would be an American citizen because his mother is an American citizen. Aren't children of American citizens automatically American citizens?

The issue is that not all citizens can be President. There is a specific and not precisely defined term that applies to President: "Natural born citizen".

First off, Hawaii has published what they consider to be the birth certificate, and it is, according to the Constitution, a state responsibility to determine such things.

Second, even if he had been born in Kenya, the US Code, § 1401, includes the following condition for citizenship at birth:
(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years. Since the Constitution says "natural born" rather than "native born", I don't think there is any case law to say that one who is a citizen by birth is not "natural born" just because the birth occurred elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I thought that, even if Obama was born abroad, he would be an American citizen because his mother is an American citizen. Aren't children of American citizens automatically American citizens?

The issue is that not all citizens can be President. There is a specific and not precisely defined term that applies to President: "Natural born citizen".

First off, Hawaii has published what they consider to be the birth certificate, and it is, according to the Constitution, a state responsibility to determine such things.

Second, even if he had been born in Kenya, the US Code, § 1401, includes the following condition for citizenship at birth:
(g) a person born outside the geographical limits of the United States and its outlying possessions of parents one of whom is an alien, and the other a citizen of the United States who, prior to the birth of such person, was physically present in the United States or its outlying possessions for a period or periods totaling not less than five years, at least two of which were after attaining the age of fourteen years. Since the Constitution says "natural born" rather than "native born", I don't think there is any case law to say that one who is a citizen by birth is not "natural born" just because the birth occurred elsewhere.

I think this whole thing is crazy because Obama was born in Hawaii.

But if he had been born in Kenya, the legal status would be much less clear . There is more history to the term than you are suggesting. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Born_Citizen_Clause#Lower_court_cases_addressing_natural_born_citizenship

[Anonymous]

I should have posted the whole link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_Born_Citizen_Clause

[Anonymous]

Of course, John McCain was born abroad. But, that also doesn't matter since his parents also were American citizens and so he is "natural born".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Whatever. My parents lost my original birth certificate, so I only have a certified copy that was printed later. It's good enough for any identification purposes.

There are some times when you need an original Birth Certificate and I wrote to the Dept. of Vital Statistics of the state where I was born, sent whatever it cost, and had an original in less than a week. Nonsense, that he can't get an original.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Whatever. My parents lost my original birth certificate, so I only have a certified copy that was printed later. It's good enough for any identification purposes.

There are some times when you need an original Birth Certificate and I wrote to the Dept. of Vital Statistics of the state where I was born, sent whatever it cost, and had an original in less than a week. Nonsense, that he can't get an original.

My husband's father was born in Nazi occupied Poland. He fled after his home and several buildings in his village were burned to the ground. One of the buildings was the town hall. His birth certificate burned with it. There are circumstances where due to extreme tropical moisture, flooding or fire, birth records are lost. Is your experience so limited that you cannot imagine this scenario? Hawaii was a remote tropical island with virtually no air conditioning in municipal buildings. Buildings were built in an open air design insects eat paper.

Extreme humidity destroys paper records. Why is this so beyond your comprehension?

[Anonymous]

No. Not natural born citizens. This is why I feel Obama must avoid showing the lack of his original certificate. As a supporter, I call everyone a racist to allow Obama to remain secretive and non transparent on this. It's very important to do whatever it takes to keep obama's history secret as it would probably lead to his defeat.

[Anonymous]

Of course, John McCain was born abroad. But, that also doesn't matter since his parents also were American citizens and so he is "natural born".

I have not seen a long form birth certificate for John McCain's parents. So....etc etc

[Anonymous]

You do not need to be a citizen to be in the us military. John mccain parents must prove citizenship- a long form birth certificate. Otherwise, two non us citizens having a baby outside the u.s. = non citizen

[Anonymous]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/20/stephanopoulos-bachmann-obama-birth-certificate_n_851529.html?ref=fb&src=sp

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course, John McCain was born abroad. But, that also doesn't matter since his parents also were American citizens and so he is "natural born".
I have not seen a long form birth certificate for John McCain's parents. So....etc etc

EXACTLY! I've actually done a fair amount of research on this b/c one of my kids was born abroad. But he has never been anything but a U.S. citizen. I can't believe the number of people in this country who think that the only way you can be a natural born citizen is by being born in the U.S. That just simply is not the case.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Mc cain was born outside US. but since parent was military, it is treated as natural born. Obama must keep issues surrounding his birth, education financing, education records and work product, legal work, secret as it is quite embarrassing and probably disqualifying.

That is what the "birthers" are feeding you to make you think that *that* is the legal distinction between McCain and Obama. But again - that simply is not accurate. It has nothing to do with the fact that McCain's father was in the military. It has everything to do with the fact that McCain's parents were U.S. citizens.

[Anonymous]

I understand the psychology of thinking the worst of someone you don't like, but I don't understand the logic of spending time on such tenuous issues as his birth or his odor, when it should be easy to get people to vote against him because he is, in your view, such a terrible president.

[Anonymous]

I really do hope that they discover he was actually born abroad. B/c I want the law changed and I think this would get the job done. My first child was born abroad, the child of 2 US citizens. We lived abroad for less than a year after she was born. She has lived here for the 12 years since. There is no logical reason why the child of 2 US citizens born abroad but raised in the US should not be able to be President.