Opinion Should a President be able to stay in office for more than 2 terms?

vengeful said:
There shouldn't be any term limits. If the people want the same person elected, let them keep being elected.
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The ultimate popularity contest that leads us to bended knee, just like the Founding Fathers wanted
 
Overpressure said:
The ultimate popularity contest that leads us to bended knee, just like the Founding Fathers wanted
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The founding fathers didn't place term limits on Presidents. Presidents don't have the power to make someone bend the knee to them, they still have to contend with Congress and face repercussions from the Judicial branch of the government if they get out of line.
 
I'd like to see us go to a single 6 year term for president, congress and the senate--provided we make it easier to recall/impeach.

Once in office a politicians job should be to govern not worry about getting reelected.
 
Shoemaker said:
I’d make exceptions if we are in a war that’s been declared by Congress. Or maybe leave it up to the senate? Consistent leadership is important during a crisis so I’m more open to it there.
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We might end up giving politicians incentive to get in a war.
I'd rather allow it for Presidents who manage to stay out of a war.
 
panamaican said:
I don't think there should be any limits. It abridges the will of the people and I think it makes Presidents less effective. Everyone knows that their second term is their last term so they're rendered toothless from a leverage perspective. Hence the appellation "lame duck".
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I disagree. Someone can be elected numerous times, but use their time to gain more power. It's happened before. I liked Washington's decision to stop at two, as it sets the stage for limited power. Checks and balances are nice, but not when someone could eventually override them.

I don't think the President should have *that* much power. Incumbents are more likely to win. And it's always nice to know that America has a cyclical political system, in that no one person, party or ideology stays in power forever. It's healthier for ideologies to switch back and forth every now and then, imo.
 
The Diplomat said:
I disagree. Someone can be elected numerous times, but use their time to gain more power. It's happened before. I liked Washington's decision to stop at two, as it sets the stage for limited power. Checks and balances are nice, but not when someone could eventually override them.

I don't think the President should have *that* much power. Incumbents are more likely to win. And it's always nice to know that America has a cyclical political system, in that no one person, party or ideology stays in power forever. It's healthier for ideologies to switch back and forth every now and then, imo.
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It's only happened once before. And a large part of the psychology you're addressing is specifically because it's only 2 terms. Under a limited 2 term position, the party will continue to back the incumbent because there's no incentive to challenge him. He's only getting one more shot at this, so it's easy to wait him out. If the incumbent could run multiple times, ambitious up and comers would be less congenial to the incumbent at the primary level.

Additionally, Congress might be more willing to check the President and less willing to hand him power. Right now, the term limit acts as the ultimate check so Congress opts for just stymieing progress and waiting out the President's term. Additionally, they're far more willing to grant the President more power because they say to themselves "It's just for 2 terms at most."

With the real threat of multiple continuous terms, Congress would be more assertive in limiting Presidential power to prevent an imbalance. Right now, we just have passive aggressive limitations but we're still getting power creep.
 
Hungry Joe said:
We might end up giving politicians incentive to get in a war.
I'd rather allow it for Presidents who manage to stay out of a war.
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Presidents can't declare war.
 
Fluffernutter said:
Has anyone done a statistical study regarding how a president acts different between hia first term and his lame duck term?

During the first term, POTUS has to listen to the people.

During lame duck term, POTUS could say "f the people, I'm doing what I please. I don't have to listen to them anymore."
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There probably isn't enough data to get meaningful statistics.
In general, presidents have less public and congressional support in their second terms than they do in their first. Most modern presidents have about their first year to really make serious policy changes, and then the rest of the term is coasting on momentum, fundraising for their party, and occasional firefighting.
 
Shoemaker said:
Presidents can't declare war.
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Actually, the president can wage war for 48 hours before notifying congress. The military can stay an additional 60 days without congressional approval, plus a 30 withdrawal period.
 
The Diplomat said:
Actually, the president can wage war for 48 hours before notifying congress. The military can stay an additional 60 days without congressional approval, plus a 30 withdrawal period.
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That's not relevant to this line of conversation:

Shoemaker said:
I’d make exceptions if we are in a war that’s been declared by Congress. Or maybe leave it up to the senate? Consistent leadership is important during a crisis so I’m more open to it there.
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Only if the president never wins the popular vote and always wins by getting less votes than his/her opponent.

The loser should stay in office forever
 
BForrester said:
lmao. Trump is terrific at self-promotion and not much else. How many business has he run into the ground? Why do US financial institutions refuse to loan him or his businesses money?
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So you agree with me about Obama, then?
 
Bargey said:
So you agree with me about Obama, then?
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Not at all. He came from nothing and became President.

Trump came from a multi-millionaire, is a laughing-stock on the global stage, and is about to become only the 3rd US President to be impeached.
 
BForrester said:
Not at all. He came from nothing and became President.

Trump came from a multi-millionaire, is a laughing-stock on the global stage, and is about to become only the 3rd US President to be impeached.
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Obama was universally known as the teleprompter king who could not get out a sentence without a teleprompter.
As for Trump:
1) Yes he came from a millionaire, became a billionaire, then became the president. Want to know how many other Americans went from millionaire to billionaire? Few Want to know how many went from billionaire to president? Even fewer. Holding someone’s privileged upbringing against them is as unfair as holding someone’s less privileged upbringing against them. What I like to observe is how much did a person improve compared to where they started. In Obama’s case - very little up until he was suddenly catapulted into prominence after 2004.

2). laughing stock? Lol. He’s the laughing stock of two politicians who they themselves are the laughing stock of the entire world. Is there anyone who respects Justin Trudeau? As for Trump, you see what SG Stoltenberg has to say about him and his strength of leadership. But of course Trudeau mocked him so the world must feel the same.

3) Impeachment at this stage is hardly a negative for Trump and says far worse about the current state of the DNC and their supporters. Chuck Schumer said about Trump nearly 3 years ago: “If you cross the Intel community, they have six ways from Sunday of getting back at you” This whole clown show is just a fruition of the process that Trump started of holding all people in office - both elected and unelected, accountable. The intel community and their partners in the DNC have thrown their best shots with loaded gloves but have barely caused a mark, let alone a bruise. Now their failed efforts are coming back to haunt them.
 
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