Arizona Tea Party Conducts “natural born Citizen” Presidential Straw Poll

PHOENIX — The Deer Valley Tea Party held its monthly Town Hall-style meeting before taking a summer break, concluding the meeting with a surprise — and surprising — Presidential Straw Poll.

Before the ballots were passed out, some people present raised the issue of constitutional eligibility of some of the candidates to hold the office of President (the President also serving as Commander in Chief of the U.S. Armed Forces). The question arose because one announced candidate, Ted Cruz, freely admits to being born on foreign soil to a foreign father and only recently renounced his dual citizenship. Although his mother was a citizen of the U.S., his father was a Cuban national and Cuba was — still is — a communist dictatorship. This raised eyebrows, prompted questions, and rumblings erupted throughout the room.

The Town Hall’s guest speaker, author Alan Korwin, emceed as the assembly considered the original meaning and intent of the phrase “natural born Citizen,” one of the constitutional requirements for a person to become President. The office of President is the only one to require a “natural born Citizen.”  For prospective House and Senate officeholders, the requirement is “Citizen,” only.

The newly-formed nation’s Founders and Framers mandated an “All-American” chief executive whose loyalties were to America first — always, and in all ways. Divided loyalty, divided allegiance, or any foreign entanglements whatsoever were strictly prohibited. The strongest possible safeguard prescribing maximum loyalty and allegiance to the nation was a person born on U.S. soil (“jus soli”) to two U.S.-citizen parents (“jus sanguinis”).

For an interactive, graphic model showing the “All-American”-born citizen makes a “natural born Citizen,” click the image:

LINK TO (INTERACTIVE FORM): http://bit.ly/1SUSDm4

The trick question, “How foreign is too foreign?” [for a person to be eligible for the presidency], proved to be a “wake-up call” for some, as if being snapped out of a deep, hypnotic trance, followed by prolonged and passionate debate, the group ultimately choosing a “natural born Citizen” ballot, provided by precinct committeeman Tristan Manos (R-LD24), omitting four candidates whose credentials to hold the office were in serious question, due to foreign entanglements (i.e., one or both parents foreigners, or born on foreign soil).

Candidates with U.S.C. Article II Section I Clause V foreign entanglements:

Ted Cruz, b. 1970, in Calgary, Canada, to a Cuban father and an American mother.

Bobby Jindal, b. 1971, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, U.S.A., to two Indian citizens with green cards.

Marco Rubio, b. 1971, in Miami, Florida, U.S.A., to two Cuban parents.

Rick Santorum, b. 1958, in Winchester, Virginia, U.S.A., to an American mother and Italian father whose U.S. citizenship was “perfected” later, in 1961, but possibly in place in 1930, when his father was naturalized.

All other announced candidates, Republican and Democrat, were included in the poll, which allowed for first-, second-, and third-favorite candidate choices.

Presidential Straw Poll Results:

1. Dr. Benjamin Carson – 39 Points

2. (Tie) Donald Trump – 34 Points

2. (Tie) Scott Walker – 34 Points

3. Rand Paul – 25 Points

4. Carly Fiorina – 15 Points

5. Rick Perry – 9 Points

6. Mike Huckabee – 8 Points

7. John Kasich – 2 Points

The remaining candidates scored 0 Points.