ASPartOfMe wrote:
He might run afoul of the "natural born citizen" clause of the constitution since he was born in Canada. The clause has never been really litigated. ...
The clause is part of the U.S. Constitution.
Quote:
Article II, Section 1, Clause 5 of the Constitution sets the requirements to hold office. A president must:
... be a natural-born citizen of the United States;
... be at least thirty-five years old;
... have been a permanent resident in the United States for at least fourteen years.
A person who meets the above qualifications is still disqualified from holding the office of president under any of the following conditions:
Under the Twenty-second Amendment, no person can be elected president more than twice. The amendment also specifies that if any eligible person who serves as president or acting president for more than two years of a term for which some other eligible person was elected president, the former can only be elected president once. Scholars disagree whether anyone no longer eligible to be elected president could be elected vice president, pursuant to the qualifications set out under the Twelfth Amendment.
Under Article I, Section 3, Clause 7, upon conviction in impeachment cases, the Senate has the option of disqualifying convicted individuals from holding other federal offices, including the presidency.
Under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment, no person who swore an oath to support the Constitution, and later rebelled against the United States, can become president. However, this disqualification can be lifted by a two-thirds vote of each house of Congress.
So, while Ted Cruz may
run for President, he can not hold the office. Thus, his sole function in this election is as a 'spoiler' - one who takes votes away from more eligible candidates. With the Republican Party as fragmented as it is, Ted Cruz's campaigning will almost assure Hillary Clinton's election, if she should run.
It takes a vote of two-thirds of the States to ratify any additional amendments to the U.S. constitution, including amendments that would nullify previous amendments and articles in whole or in part.
So, if Ted Cruz wants to be elected President,
and hold the office, he had better start lobbying States' governments to ratify that amendment ... the one that has yet to even be
written!
Can you say, "Fat chance, Teddy"?
I'm sure you can!