I'm convinced that if Obama had been 100% white and not had a Muslim-sounding name, there would have been no birther controversy.
John McCain was born in the Panama Canal Zone, not the country of Panama. It was under U.S. control then, so there were no issues as to his eligibility in 2008.
I myself thought that Jennifer Granholm, then governor of Michigan, would have made a great VP or even Presidential candidate, but she was born in British Columbia, Canada and her parents had no ties to the U.S.
Perhaps it's time, given the changing "faces" of Americans, to change the rules.
And Ocean, I know what you meant by choosing "Born in the U.S.A.", but it's hardly a patriotic song
.