Qualifications to become president of the United States:

To become president of the United States a person must be born on United States soil as required by the Constitution.

I have read and heard that Senator Ted Cruz may decide to run for president. I would question his qualifications. He was born in Canada. Parental born status has no bearing on the candidate. The Constitution clearly states the qualifications as follows:

Article II Section 1:


George Washington wanted this inserted in the Constitution because he did not want Alexander Hamilton (first secretary of the treasury) to run because he was born in the Dominican Republic.

When President Obama was running for president, a great deal was made of him possibly not being born in the United States. We know this wasn't true. Also, some may remember, that former Governor Mitt Romney's father, George Romney, who also tried to run for president, had to withdraw because he was born in Mexico, although both of his parents were born in the United States.

One of the most famous American historians, authors and experts on matters of the government and books written is Doris Kearns Goodwin. I had the pleasure to read her material and she is a foremost expert on the Constitution and, to my knowledge, she has mentioned this more than once in her teachings.

An additional matter that concerns this writer is term limits for all elected officials, especially federal. The president can serve two terms, Amendment XXII, as ratified under President Harry S. Truman on Feb. 27, 1951. I believe a president should have one six year term, thus eliminating the need to immediately look to reelection. Congressmen three terms (elected every four years for a total of twelve years) and U.S. senators two terms (elected every six years for a total of twelve years).

It should also be noted that the president should be elected by the popular vote versus the electoral college and eliminate re-districting every 10 years so the governors in power and legislatures cannot redraw maps to ensure almost certain reelection as 90 percent of the country now stands because of gerrymandering and vote manipulation.

It is this writer's opinion that very few elected officials have the welfare of their constituents as their primary function. It would be nice to see the politicians remember who they serve.

The longer they remain in office the less likely they remember we the people but self interest emerges more and more.

Alfred A. Degillio