Originally posted by PowerSlave
Actually after searching around it seems this has not really been decided. Since there has been no official legally binding decision. It is not
something that can be stated as fact for either case. Depending on the political affiliation. The laws are vague enough that they can be skewed to fit
either side.
I'm not sure to what exactly you are referring to of not being an "officially binding decision".
Anyway, here's the definition of naturalization:
c. Naturalization is “the conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth, by any means whatsoever” (Section 101(a)(23)
INA)
From the
Foreign Affairs Manual 7 FAM 1100 1111.2.
And as I mentioned in my previous post,
here's the law
that governs John McCain's situation, 8 U.S.C. 1403:
Any person born in the Canal Zone on or after February 26, 1904, and whether before or after the effective date of this chapter, whose father or
mother or both at the time of the birth of such person was or is a citizen of the United States, is declared to be a citizen of the United
States.
John McCain's nationality was declared, or by other words, he was "conferred the nationality of a state". He was naturalized US citizen.
If one has doubts about the actual meaning of "declaring" a nationality, then you could also have compared it to the the law governing Hawaii's
situation, which was also in my previous post:
Immigration and Nationality
Act of 1952 Section 305:
A person born in Hawaii on or after August 12, 1898, and before April 30, 1900, is declared to be a citizen of the United States as of
April 30, 1900. A person born in Hawaii on or after April 30, 1900, is a citizen of the United States at birth. A person who was a citizen of
the Republic of Hawaii on August 12, 1898, is declared to be a citizen of the United States as of April 30, 1900.
What does this mean? People who were born on or after 1898 (when Hawaii was annexed to the US) and before 1900 (when it became a territory), were
naturalized US citizens, as they were
declared as such.
People who were born after 1900, are
citizens of the United States at birth, or in other words,
natural born citizens.
If Obama was born in Hawaii he is a natural born citizen. McCain simply is not a natural born citizen, he is a naturalized US citizen.