Bobby Jindal Rising as Romneys VP Choice

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by getreadyalready
I don't know if Jindal's parents were citizens or not, but that is a key aspect of his eligibility.

They weren't. Jundal's parents moved to the US when his mother was 3 months pregnant with him. He was born 6 months later. At that time, a 5-year residency was a qualification for citizenship. So, there is NO WAY either of his parents were citizens at the time of his birth. Bobby Jindal is an "anchor baby".

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If Obama isn't a natural born citizen, then Piyush (Bobby) Jindal definitely is not.

(It is my opinion that both are NBCs)

Great info!!

So, Rubio not eligible, Jindal not eligible, Obama questionable even if he was born in Hawaii, McCain was born outside the country, Romney's family hops back and forth to Mexico when times get hard.......

Why are so many of our prominent politicians not Natural Born Citizens? Does our system favor immigrants over natural citizens? Is there an organized effort to cater to people with foreign allegiances? Is our education system so terrible that US families can't compete with foreign families? Are American parents setting standards so low that our kids don't excel to the top?

Could this be the core of the problem with our government?

Yes, Jindal is qualified, but the source I spoke with says the bottom line on Jindal not being chosen is that he provides little help in the way of winning swing states.

He will do better campaigning for Romney, not as his VP. Plus he's a mediocre speaker, not inspirational, and didn't poll well in focus groups.

My source told me the choice has already been made, and it's Rubio.

Why Romney wants Marco Rubio for VP

Originally posted by UltimateSkeptic1
Yes, Jindal is qualified, but the source I spoke with says the bottom line on Jindal not being chosen is that he provides little help in the way of winning swing states.

He will do better campaigning for Romney, not as his VP. Plus he's a mediocre speaker, not inspirational, and didn't poll well in focus groups.

My source told me the choice has already been made, and it's Rubio.

Why Romney wants Marco Rubio for VP

Rubio is definitely NOT eligible. I'm thinking he is the likely VP choice, and of course Obama is not going to raise eligibility questions for obvious reasons, but this is a sad state of affairs.

Rubio is a great guy, a great politician, he has a model wife, and he can bring the Hispanic vote. He is a perfect choice, except he isn't eligible.

reply to post by getreadyalready

Originally posted by getreadyalready
So, Rubio not eligible, Jindal not eligible, Obama questionable even if he was born in Hawaii, McCain was born outside the country, Romney's family hops back and forth to Mexico when times get hard.......

I don't agree that Rubio and Jindal are not eligible. They were not born of ANY citizen parents. All four parents were foreign-born. But they were born on US soil, making them natural-born citizens.

Obama was born of a US citizen on US soil. There is no question whatsoever that he is a natural born citizen, except in the imagination of a small but vocal fringe group.

McCain and Romney are both natural born citizens as well. They were both born to US citizens.

Why are so many of our prominent politicians not Natural Born Citizens?

It's not a requirement of most political offices...

Does our system favor immigrants over natural citizens? Is there an organized effort to cater to people with foreign allegiances? Is our education system so terrible that US families can't compete with foreign families? Are American parents setting standards so low that our kids don't excel to the top?

These are all interesting conspiracy angles, and I will definitely agree that our educational system is producing worthless results these days and American parents' expectations have reached an all-time low, but until I see some indication that it's tied in with an increase in foreign-born politicians, then I'm not going to get too worried.

Could this be the core of the problem with our government?

I doubt it. The core problems with our government are a direct result of the human condition and the FACT that there are some people who will do anything to gain wealth and power. This country is in a downward spiral, driven by SuperPacs, a population out of control and the inherent greed of the human being. That's my theory, anyway.

This country was founded on WONDERFUL principles and values. But over the years, they have been obscured by people "gaming" the system to get them what they want... mostly wealth and power.

In any given population, there are going to be a few "bad seeds". Even in the Old West, there were outlaws, driven by greed and vengeance and they saw themselves as entitled. The larger the population, the more of these "bad seeds" we have. Many of these "criminal minds" have made it into the political world, seeing it as a way to advance. And now, many of them occupy prominent positions in our government.

However we complain about our modern day system, we (human beings and specifically US citizens) are the ones who made it that way.

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Originally posted by getreadyalready
So, Rubio not eligible, Jindal not eligible, Obama questionable even if he was born in Hawaii, McCain was born outside the country, Romney's family hops back and forth to Mexico when times get hard.......

1 - Rubio was born on US soil. He's eligible.
2 - Jindal was born on US soil. He's eligible.
3 - Obama born in Hawaii - US soil. He's eligible (unless it's proven he was born elsewhere)
4 - McCain was born in the Panama Canal which is considered US soil at the time. He's eligible.
5 - Romney's family trips are irrelevant. He's eligible.

The parents citizenship doesn't matter.
Unless proven otherwise - these people were born on US soil.
They are eligible.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Bobby Jindal is an "anchor baby".

His parents were here legally. Anchor babies are babies born here to illegals.
Jindal isn't one .... HOWEVER ... Romney may be an anchor baby.
From what I've been reading - his parents entry into the USA is very questionable.

reply to post by FlyersFan

"Anchor baby" is a pejorative term for a child born in the United States to immigrant parents, who, as an American citizen, supposedly can later facilitate immigration for relatives.

Source

I know the term is used a lot when talking about illegal immigrants, but the legality of the parents' immigration is irrelevant. It's a baby born to immigrants on US soil, that provides an "anchor" for future immigrant family members.

Don't get me wrong. I don't use the term with pejorative intent. It's just a shortcut phrase for the above. I agree with you that they are all Natural-born US citizens and eligible. I'm just wondering how the birther crowd will work their way around this, if Jindal or Rubio should be the VP pick. And Jindal supported the Louisiana "birther bill". Lot's of twists and turns there.

As far as Jindal being the VP, I don't see anyone in the recent GOP leadership that I would like to see anywhere close to the presidency. Maybe Michael Steele. They're all so freaking extreme!

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

I've always been told that it's for illegal immigrants and not just 'immigrants'.
Immigrants here legally don't need an anchor .. but illegals do.
Okay ... which ever. Either way ... .Romney looks to probably be an achor baby.

reply to post by FlyersFan


Romney's parents were US citizens at the time of his birth here in the US. He's not an anchor baby.

As I understand it, his grandfather (a US citizen) fled the US to Mexico with his wife to escape persecution for polygamy. He never became a Mexican citizen, nor did he renounce his US citizenship. Romney's father was born in an American colony in Mexico, so he was a US citizen, born to 2 US citizen parents while in Mexico. At 4 years old, they moved back to the states and later, Willard was born here. I don't think the citizenship line was broken.

I could be wrong, but that's how I understand the story.

Originally posted by FlyersFan

Originally posted by getreadyalready
So, Rubio not eligible, Jindal not eligible, Obama questionable even if he was born in Hawaii, McCain was born outside the country, Romney's family hops back and forth to Mexico when times get hard.......

1 - Rubio was born on US soil. He's eligible.
2 - Jindal was born on US soil. He's eligible.
3 - Obama born in Hawaii - US soil. He's eligible (unless it's proven he was born elsewhere)
4 - McCain was born in the Panama Canal which is considered US soil at the time. He's eligible.
5 - Romney's family trips are irrelevant. He's eligible.

The parents citizenship doesn't matter.
Unless proven otherwise - these people were born on US soil.
They are eligible.

We have a winner. Per the current definition of "Natural Born citizen" anyway:

The weight of legal and historical authority indicates that the term “natural born” citizen would mean a person who is entitled to U.S. citizenship “by birth” or “at birth,” either by being born “in” the United States and under its jurisdiction, even those born to alien parents; by being born abroad to U.S. citizen-parents; or by being born in other situations meeting legal requirements for U.S. citizenship “at birth.” Such term, however, would not include a person who was not a U.S. citizen by birth or at birth, and who was thus born an “alien” required to go through the legal process of “naturalization” to become a U.S. citizen.

This has been established by Congress. It is not defined in the Constitution itself. The Supreme Court has never ruled explicitly on the definition, but has "touched" on it tangentially, generally indicating that the above definition is true.
Anyone who claims someone born on US soil is not a citizen bc their parents aren't citizens are just thinking wishfully. The subject may be up for debate, but until someone successfully challenges the current definition in federal court, it means anyone who is born on US soil. I'm sure there are exceptions for people whose parents work in a foreign embassy on US soil. But that would not apply to Rubio, Jindal, Obama, etc anyway.

For the record, this came up when Chester A Arthur became President. His mother was an Irish citizen. The last I've heard, he still gets Presidential status.