Chelsea Clinton to Report for NBC...

[hippifried]

• Only native-born U.S. citizens (or those born abroad, but only to parents who were both citizens of the U.S.) may be president of the United States, though from time to time that requirement is called into question, most recently after Arnold Schwarzenegger, born in Austria, was elected governor of California, in 2003. The Constitution originally provided a small loophole to this provision: One needn't have been born in the United States but had to be a citizen at the time the Constitution was adopted. But, since that occurred in 1789, that ship has sailed.
• One must also be at least 35 years of age to be president. John F. Kennedy was the youngest person to be elected president; he was 43 years old when he was inaugurated in 1961. There is no maximum age limit set forth in the Constitution. Ronald Reagan was the oldest president; at the end of his term in 1988, he was nearly 77.
• Finally, one must live in the United States for at least 14 years to be president, in addition to being a natural-born citizen. The Constitution is vague on this point. For example, it does not make clear whether those 14 years need to be consecutive or what the precise definition of residency is. So far, however, this requirement has not been challenged.

These are the only explicit criteria in the Constitution.

I'm going to make some corrections, additions, & comments on this.

US citizenship is not hereditary. There are circumstances of your birth that can allow you to claim natural born citizenship, but parentage isn't a factor for the most part. Parentage plays a major role in the determination when one or both paretns are in service to the US &stationed out of the country, in either the military or diplomatic core. You'd have a tough time making the claim with parents who were just living somewhere else. I can think of 2 instances where someone needed a ruling from the SCOTUS on their eligibility to take the office. Barry Goldwater (Arizona Territory prior to Statehood) & John McCain (US Canal Zone under lease from Panama, & US terrutory as such) both got an OK & both lost their elections. Mitt's daddy George Romney (Mexico) dropped out of the '64 race, making the issue moot, before the SCOTUS could rule on his eligibility. As far as I know, the POTUS & VicePOTUS are the only offices with this requirement. Arnold the barbarian was never an issue because he didn't express any aspirations past Governor of CA. There was some noise when Henry Kissenger was Secretary of State (4th in line),. but nobody was willing to amend the Constitution over it.

35 is the age because that was the average American lifespan at the end of the 18th century. If you were over 35, you were an elder. Likely a grandparent, since most folks were married by mid to late teens back then. JFK was the youngest elected, but Theodore Roosevelt was the youngest to hold the office. He was 42 when he ascended to the office after McKinley was killed.

Here's the text:

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

I don't know much about Chelsea, but i like her butt. since she seems to have that bug to get in front of the cameras, I imagine we'll find out more fairly soon. If she desides not to go into politics, maybe she'll do a spread for Hef.

[Stavros]

Thanks for the clarification Hippifried, we tend to make assumptions about the rights people have to enter public office -but I am surprised either that no attempt has been made to change the 35-yr rule or make it, I assume Americans are comfortable with the idea. Kissinger makes an intriguing case -quite apart from the nationality issue I am still puzzled after all these years why this single intellectual acquired such a colossal reputation, judged by his publications I considered him a standard realist whose contributions to international relations was less than, for example, EH Carr or Henry Morgengthau, if one must read Realists, as the like to call themselves.

I think a lot depends on whether Chelsea likes taking the stage, given the amount of theatre involved in politics these days, and if there is any 'support/pressure from mum and dad and husband. And whether or not the daughter will achieve what her mother did not, even though we are always told Americans don't like dynasty's which also don't have a good reputation.

So, nobody thinks a basketball ace or Brad Pitt can make it to the White House...?

I could add that there are a lot of arcane rules about who can succeed to the Throne in the UK (eg you can't be Jewish or Muslim or Roman Catholic) but that is another thread, and probably not one that would generate much interest...

[Ben]

Chelsea Clinton fails Journalism 101 again on NBC's Rock Center':

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/201...-public-school

[Ben]

NBC Paid Chelsea Clinton INSANE Amount For Being A Clinton:

[flabbybody]

If we're talking presidential daughters I totally prefer Jenna Bush. comes across a hundred times more honest and down to earth

[Ben in LA]

No Person except a natural born Citizen, or a Citizen of the United States, at the time of the Adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

Since our current president met all of the criteria, I wonder why the birther movement came about. Hmm...