Lois & Clark Forums Forums Fan Fiction Fanfic Related FFQ: Presidency

Hey guys,

as far as I know everyone who wants to become President of the United States has to be born in the US. Is that true? Does that mean that someone who is born outside the US can't run for President even if his or her ancestors came on the Mayflower or were Native Americans? Just an example.


Thank you!

Yup! Constitutionally, you must be a born US citizen and at least 30 years old.

Edit: Whoops, that should be 35, sorry.

Us Constitution Article2:

Edited again: You know, this was one of the great ironies of the John Byrne reboot in Superman comics: his version of the story had Clark's rocket be a gestation pod, and the timing of his landing meant that the Kents were able to pass him off as their natural born son; so he could have run if he wanted to. However, this was also the first version of Superman to declare himself an international figure who did not belong to the USA. Just a tangent there, but it tickles my brain sometimes.

Some candidates for president were born outside the United States, but still qualified because their parents were U.S. citizens. (If one or both parents is a U.S. citizen, so is the child, regardless of where they were born.) Examples include Ted Cruz (born in Canada), John McCain (born in the Panama Canal Zone), and George Romney (who vied for the Republican nomination against Nixon in 1968; Romney was born in Mexico to U.S. citizen parents--and yes, George Romney was the father of Mitt Romney, though Mitt was born in the United States).

Thank you for your reply. The presidential candidates who were not born in the US, do they have to be acknowledged as rightful candidates by some committee?

Bakasi asked:


The answer is that there is no such committee. If a candidate (Kamala Harris is an example) was born within the United States - or, as has been stated - was born to American parents who were outside the U.S. borders and have not renounced their citizenship - that man or woman is eligible to run for either President or Vice-President. In modern practice, though, no candidate has the financial resources or campaign infrastructure to be elected without the support of one of the major political parties. There's just too much to do and too much to pay for, like advertising, travel and accommodations, campaign materials, staff (Joe Biden didn't book his own TV time), medical and security personnel, and much more.

Political processes are different from one country to the next. I've no idea how candidates for Prime Minister in France, for example (assuming that's actually the top spot), are selected or how they campaign.

It's also worth pointing out the gap between Running and Being Elected. If your opponent is able to paint you as being "insufficiently American", it can hurt the campaign. Voters are probably more effective Gate Keepers over American politics than the actual law, in that sense.

The most powerful position in France has the President. I think he can decide who will be Prime Minister, but I'm not entirely sure about that. I don't think Emmanuel Macron has the financial resources of say the Bush family.

In Germany the most powerful position has the chancellor, but we don't vote for a certain person but only for a party. The party announces before the vote who is their candidate for becoming chancellor. Since the parties all get financial support through our taxes. There are donations, too.

After seeing the tv spots before an election in Nevada, I think I can safely say that those commercials are most likely a lot cheaper here in Germany. Besides, the parties here give you pens, Easter Eggs in the spring and ballons for the kids. No baseball caps and such, like I've seen on tv.

There is an exception to the parent being a American citizen. If they were born overseas and never went back to the US their children are not citizens.

There is also a law that a foundling where no one challenged where they were born before 18 or 21 (not sure) counts as native born. So Clark would count.