AboutMax Kimball Expertise I'll be glad to answer any question related to US politics, regarding domestic or international issues.
Experience I've studied US history and politics for nearly 20 years. I'm currently also volunteering in the American, European, and Medieval history categories.
Expert: Max Kimball Date: 6/7/2008 Subject: us president
Question My question is is it possible for someone to become the president of th United States if he/she was born in a U.S military base overseas (such as in Germany)?
Answer Hi Brian,
I'll be glad to help with your question.
The consensus is that, yes, someone born on an overseas US military base is able to serve as president. However, there are some strong legal arguments opposed to that position. The issue is that the Constitution requires that a president must be "natural born," and no one really knows what that means. More accurately, there isn't universal agreement about what that means.
The reason your question is particularly pertinent, as you may be aware, is that John McCain was born on a military base in Panama. The question of his eligibility to serve as president has been raised in some quarters. However, given that he is to be the Republican nominee for president, the idea that he may not be Constitutionally eligible to serve has clearly not gotten a lot of traction.
