I’ll have to say, this presidential campaign is truly historic — and I don’t mean because it might be the first time we have a woman or African American for president. I mean that, of the many presidential campaigns I’ve lived through (the first I remember was 1952), this one has had a record number of asinine or BONEHEADED distractions.
In the past, we’ve had sudden revelations about candidates’ financial dealings, even their sex lives, which caused a flutter and even ended a few candidates’ campaigns. But this race — wow. We’ve had candidate’s spouses slinging accusations and being rebuked (the Clintons), we’ve had blusters and flurries over a candidate’s ex-pastor’s remarks (Obama), and we’ve had hints at a possible sexual flirtation or fling with a candidate’s campaign worker (McCain).
But, ladies and gentlemen, I would present as my choice as winner for the most boneheaded presidential campaign distraction of the season (and a contender for all time). Here it is. Drum roll, please:
Some idiots have filed lawsuits challenging Sen. John McCain’s citizenship qualifications for the presidency based on his birth at a U.S. military base in Panama instead of on bona fide U.S. soil.
Absolutely astounding. The challenge rests on this wording in the Constitution, Article 2, Section 1, which says:
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.
Of course, the problem is this: No where did the Founding Fathers explain what they meant by “natural born Citizen.” Throughout history, various presidential candidates have been attacked or doubt raised over this. I seem to recall reading in a biography of Andrew Jackson (I THINK it was Jackson) that one of his foes challenged his citizenship, claiming that his mother gave birth to him on board a ship from Ireland before it actually arrived in the U.S.
In any case, how dumb can you get: John McCain was born at a U.S. military base in the Panama Canal Zone while his parents were stationed there, his father being a U.S. Naval officer.
Does anyone in their right mind believe this is NOT covered by whatever the Founding Fathers meant by “natural born”??
Incredible, the way people try to distract presidential campaigns from important issues. I’m far more interested in McCain’s real attitude about the war in Iraq, tax cuts, government spending, torture as a means of interrogation, etc., than in whether a U.S. military base is considered U.S. territory. My gosh, get serious.
Technorati Tags: presidential campaign distractions, presidential campaign issues, presidential qualifications, just a guy who reads the papers