Cruz is different, how?

Soon, the tea party will decide between a deeply held belief and a deep desire — Canadian-born Sen. Ted Cruz for president.

Tea partiers will say that Cruz was born in Canada to an American mother and is, therefore, eligible to run for president. Tea partiers have said erroneously that President Obama was born in Kenya to an American mother and, therefore, was not eligible to be the president.

Although Sen. Cruz renounced his Canadian citizenship, he still was born there. If Obama had renounced his Kenyan citizenship, would the partiers have said that was enough to make him eligible?

How will the far right tie itself in knots to explain these two contradictory beliefs? While I think the answer is as simple as black and white, I am anxious to hear the tea party explain its conundrum.

STEVE SHEPARD

ROANOKE

Editor’s note: President Obama, who was born in Hawaii, held dual citizenship as a child, but automatically lost his Kenyan citizenship at age 23. Kenya’s Constitution prohibits dual citizenship for adults.

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