Cokie Roberts? What About John McCain Being Born In Panama? Is That Foreign or Exotic?

[Median Democrat]

In yet another example of Big Media's anti-Democratic bias, Cokie Roberts twice refers to Obama's birthplace of Hawaii as "foreign" and "exotic." Yet, if Hawaii is foreign and exotic, what about John McCain being born in Panama, which is neither a State nor a territory. Indeed, if the RW makes an issue of Obama being born in Hawaii, shouldn't that create a bigger issue for John McCain?

The Constitution provides:

"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."

Yet, all we hear is whether Obama's birthplace is foreign? Since when was Panama admitted into the union?

[book_worm]

1. I see your point, but if McCain is born on an American base it's considered American soil.

[Median Democrat]

4. Well, if Obama was born in a State, its American soil

The Hawaii issue is bullshit, but if they are going to call Hawaii, a freakin state, foreign, what the heck is Panama?

[provis99]

15. uh, you're wrong there. The Panama base is rented Panamanian land

It ISN'T American territory. Technically, according to the Constitution, McCain isn't eligible to run. But no one has given a damn about the Constitution these last eight years anyways.

[Puzzler]

2. The REAL reason is because ...

... Obama is black and McCain is white.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Obama is half black, mccain is all asshole

both reasons for right lunatics to detract one and praise the other.

[PeacePuppy]

3. obamascrapbook.com

That's exactly why I created http://obamascrapbook.com, to combat that kind of thinking. Please use it to show people what a mainstream American Obama is.

[proud patriot]

16. Hi Welcome PeacePuppy

the scrap book is really cool. I went to it
via google because your link didn't work for me .

:hi: proud patriot

[BOSSHOG]

5. Anyone jump in here and correct me

but children of military personnel serving abroad have at least duel citizenship and are American citizens.

Arguing that McCain is not an American born citizen is not valid, BUT

comparing being born in Hawaii and being born in Panama in presidential politics is just plain COOKIE!!

[Median Democrat]

8. Exactly - If You Are Going To Characterize Hawaii as Foreign

With respect to Obama's birthplace, then shouldn't you ask if John McCain's birthplace is similarly or more foreign? I don't think Cokie was actually making a legal argument that Obama cannot be President. Rather, she was characterizing his birthplace as "foreign" and "exotic." It should all be irrelevent, but if you are going to talk about Obama, what about John McCain?

Its like the John Edwards affair. The comprison Big Media's loves to draw is Bill Clinton, but isn't the more direct comparison John McCain?

[sarge43]

10. Cookie is just code wording (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Nasty little bigot.

[BOSSHOG]

12. I've been outed

I do have a great deal of respect for Cokie's Mom, Lindy Boggs who was a Congressperson, former ambassador to the Vatican and last I heard had a nice home down in the French Quarter.

[benddem]

14. I don't know about all countries

but children born to military in Germany are NOT American citizens. They have to apply for citizenship.
You should see the scramble when a preemie needs to be evacuated to the US cause of problems. You have to get that infant citizenship papers and a passport before they can go.

[sarge43]

17. Then, what is overriding Title 8, US Code, Section 1401?

http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/8/1401.html

[benddem]

18. all I know is what I experienced

and what they announce VERY frequently on the radio. I was there for almost 8 years and worked in administration at 2 of the biggest hospitals.

[Bluzmann57]

7. Last time anyone checked, Austria isn't a US state either

And yet the governor of California was born there. Hawaii is an actual state, Panama isn't, although a U.S. military base is sovereign soil, but Austria isn't even close. So if the RW media wants to say that Obama isn't "American" enough or some crap like that, let's point out that the Republicans had no trouble whatsoever installing, er, electing a true foreigner to an important post.
Yes, I realize that state laws are not always the same as federal laws, but I still think the fact that the republican Governor of a major state was backed by neocon money and they brought him into political power.

[Kutjara]

9. Has anyone compiled a list of which...

...American states are "foreign and exotic" and which are "normal"? What is the criteria? Are the contiguous 48 states "regular" and Alaska and Hawaii "foreign"? Or does Alaska get a pass because it's connected to the same continent as the lower 48? If so, does that make Canada and Mexico "honorary states," and therefore not "foreign?"

What about states like Florida, the denizens of which behave in ways so bizarre that "exotic" is the mildest word that can be used to describe them?

What about "city states" like New York or San Francisco, that have so little in common with the rest of the country they may easily be called "foreign"?

I get really confused when I think about some of the Southern states, which seem to think they ARE part of a foreign country, complete with it's own flag, religion, and quaint racial customs.

I really need a handy guide to which US states are "foreign", and therefore OK to hate, and which are full of folks just like me. Can someone please fill me in before I make a huge faux pas at my next dinner party, by calling people from Utah "funny undies folks" or something?

[rebel with a cause]

11. City states......

:rofl: Reminds me of the talk I had one time with a recent immigrant who argued me that if I was not from Illinois I had to be from Chicago. I could not understand his reasoning and he could not understand my explanation until I caught on that he thought Chicago was the state and Illinois was just a part of it. It seems some foreigners think that about city states.

[niyad]

13. when did cokie roberts become such an idiot? I seem to remember a time (long ago, apparently)

when she was almost intelligent.