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Journal Writing Prompts High School

Olga Said:

Why can't Governor Arnold SCHWARZENEGGER of California run for President of the United States?

We Answered:

arnold was born in austria or where ever, he is a naturalized citizen. if california doesn't have laws about natural born citizens only being govenor thats their thing. the constitution clearly states only natural-born citizens can become president of the united states.

mccain on the other hand was born to a navy family stationed on a us military post in the panama canal zone. his citizen status was looked into for the 2000 presidential race and was cleared as a valid, natural-born citizen, fully able to run for and become president.

that's right, thumb down the truth you don't want to hear. shameful

Erika Said:

Why can't Governor Arnold SCHWARZENEGGER of California run for President of the United States?

We Answered:

Article 2, Section 1, Clause 5 of the United States Constitution states,

"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."

Governor Schwarzenegger does not qualify because although he has become a citizen, he was not a "natural born citizen". McCain; however, although born outside the United States was a citizen upon birth because his parents were citizens and they were living at a U.S. Military installation at the time.

The reason for this requirement is that the framers of the Constitution wanted to ensure that foreigners (particularly wealthy British) couldn't come to the brand-new and still somewhat weak country, run for President and essentially turn the country back to the British.

This clause is also the reason Alexander Hamilton (born in the West Indies) never ran for president.

It is probably time to change the provision, but it will take a constitutional amendment to make it happen.

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