Foreign-born US President

[Erc]

Wasn't Jefferson over in Paris when they were writing the Constitution?  Or was that the Bill of Rights...

Anyway, back to the topic at hand...

Although I can certainly understand Philip's point of view here (and shared it at one point in time), I do have to disagree.

Naturalized citizens weren't born in the United States by lot of fate.  They chose to come here because they wanted to, because they liked something about the United States, whether it be its political freedoms or its good economy.

Just like converts to a religion, 'converts' to a nationality are often (although not always, if they grow disenchanted) much more patriotic Americans than the locals are--because they chose to be American, and they know what makes America great...because they've seen other countries that don't have the liberties that America takes for granted.  And, in many ways, that makes them more American than many of us.  And I don't see how we can deprive them of the ultimate right of any American citizen--to run for the office of the Presidency of the United States.