One of the most successful (in the opinion of many people here) Presidents of Lithuania was Valdas Adamkus, who held the office from 1998 to 2003 and again from 2004 to 2009. He is also unique in that before running for President in 1998, he was a naturalized citizen of the United States and involved in the US government - he had been a notable and awarded civil servant, as well as the regional administrator of the EPA in the Midwest for 16 years. In addition, he participated in official delegations to the Soviet Union and was involved with the Lithuanian-American community, helping draw the attention of the UN and the US to the human rights abuses in the Soviet Union.
Because of his long-term service for the US government, he was considered ineligible by many to run for President of Lithuania, and there was a serious possibility that he could be barred from running for President in 1998.
It got me thinking: could Adamkus have instead been somehow elected as President of the United States?
Now, the main problem arises immediately - Adamkus was not born on US soil, thus it's easy to assume that he would just be barred from running. Hm, well, I am definitely not an expert on the US legal system, but I found a few lines in this wiki page on that clause:
What do you think? Is it possible to get a Lithuanian president of the United States, or even a candidate?
Because of his long-term service for the US government, he was considered ineligible by many to run for President of Lithuania, and there was a serious possibility that he could be barred from running for President in 1998.
It got me thinking: could Adamkus have instead been somehow elected as President of the United States?
Now, the main problem arises immediately - Adamkus was not born on US soil, thus it's easy to assume that he would just be barred from running. Hm, well, I am definitely not an expert on the US legal system, but I found a few lines in this wiki page on that clause:
The U.S. Constitution uses but does not define the phrase "natural born Citizen", and various opinions have been offered over time regarding its precise meaning.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was reported as considering challenging the prevailing interpretation of the clause. In 2003, Senator Orrin Hatch unsuccessfully put forth the Equal Opportunity to Govern Amendment, intending to allow eligibility for Arnold Schwarzenegger.[38] In October 2013, the New York Post reported that Schwarzenegger—who is originally from Austria and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1983, also retaining Austrian citizenship—was exploring a future run for the American presidency. He reportedly lobbied legislators about a possible constitutional change, or filing a legal challenge to the provision. Cornell University law professor Michael C. Dorf observed that Schwarzenegger's possible lawsuit could ultimately win him the right to run for the office, noting, "The law is very clear, but it’s not 100 percent clear that the courts would enforce that law rather than leave it to the political process".
What do you think? Is it possible to get a Lithuanian president of the United States, or even a candidate?