# Presidential term limits: necessary and right, or bad for democracy?



## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

Even when they sneak an article like THIS in on a Saturday morning it still has 25 thousand posts. The Tea Party has been 100% right about this clown and this is something we all fear and have been talking about since 09 and imo would be my personal red line.

The time has come to end presidential term limits, because continuing the restrictions on how long one can serve in the country's highest office is bad for the United States, a university professor argued this week.

In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post, Jonathan Zimmerman, a history and education professor at New York University, says deciding whether a president deserves a third, fourth or more terms should be left to the American people, not the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, which placed a two-term limit on the position. As background, here's an excerpt from the amendment, ratified in 1951:
"No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once."
The amendment came into being a few years after Franklin Roosevelt was elected to the fourth of his White House terms. Known to Americans as the president during the final years of the Great Depression and most of World War II, Roosevelt, a Democrat, died in office before completing his last term. After the war, Republicans made a successful bid to install a two-term maximum for future presidents. But, according to Zimmerman, they limited not only the president's time in office, but also "democracy itself."
With President Obama's job-approval numbers down sharply, Zimmerman indicates that the nation's chief executive is perhaps being hampered by the fact that he's in his final term, giving GOP opponents and even Democrats little incentive to support him on issues that might hurt their own re-election chances.
To illustrate his point, he uses two topics in the headlines: the implemention of the new health care law and the nuclear agreement with Iran.
He writes:
"Many of Obama's fellow Democrats have distanced themselves from the reform and from the president. Even former president Bill Clinton has said that Americans should be allowed to keep the health insurance they have. Or consider the reaction to the Iran nuclear deal. Regardless of his political approval ratings, Obama could expect Republican senators such as Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and John McCain (Ariz.) to attack the agreement. But if Obama could run again, would he be facing such fervent objections from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)? Probably not. Democratic lawmakers would worry about provoking the wrath of a president who could be reelected. Thanks to term limits, though, they've got little to fear."​Zimmerman adds, "Nor does Obama have to fear the voters, which might be the scariest problem of all. If he chooses, he could simply ignore their will. And if the people wanted him to serve another term, why shouldn't they be allowed to award him one?"

On this last point, he invokes George Washington, the first president of the United States. Washington, he says, stepped down after his second term, but not because he was required by law to do so. Zimmerman says Washington didn't support enforced term limits, citing one of his letters. "I can see no propriety in precluding ourselves from the service of any man who, in some great emergency, shall be deemed universally most capable of serving the public," Washington wrote. By leaving office, however, he did establish a precedent that would be followed for more than a century
http://news.yahoo.com/presidential-...nd-right--or-bad-for-democracy-192726518.html


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## Guest (Nov 30, 2013)

Just what we need give the worst thing that has ever happened to our Country more time to screw things up far more than he already has.


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## Johnny Law (Aug 8, 2008)

I'd like to see tenure abolished too, so that limp wristed academicians can be bounced for bloviating drivel like this tripe.


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## pahapoika (Nov 5, 2006)

We came here to escape the King's rule and now these left leaning, commie pinheads want to give this fraud of a president full reign on our lives, freedom and wallets


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## Killjoy (Jun 23, 2003)

I'm actually for establishing more term limits. 4 terms for congressmen, 2 terms for senators. The longer you're neck-deep in the system, the more likely you are to be corrupted by it. Let's stop with these 30, 40, 50+ year professional politicians!


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## PBC FL Cop (Oct 22, 2003)

The fact that Obama was elected twice should re-enforce that fact that we need term limits!!


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## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

Killjoy said:


> I'm actually for establishing more term limits. 4 terms for congressmen, 2 terms for senators. The longer you're neck-deep in the system, the more likely you are to be corrupted by it. Let's stop with these 30, 40, 50+ year professional politicians!


Getting rid of their pension and other bennies they get for life after serving a single term would be a positive step as well. Pretty much every other public or private employee has to work 20-25+ years to get anything. They talk about needing to save the government money but they never look at themselves first.

Politics should be a second or third career, not a primary career. There are people that have done it for nearly their entire life (Biden, Ted Kennedy, and other dinosaurs come to mind) who obviously need SOME benefits, but keep in mind a lot of them only work six months a year.


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## HistoryHound (Aug 30, 2008)

It shouldn't be a family dynasty either. Just once I'd like to hear someone say to the son/daughter, niece/nephew, grandchild, widow of one of these lifetime politicians "Ok they were there for 40 years, how does that make you qualified?" My father, grandfather and a couple uncles were cops, does that mean I should have showed up to New Braintree this morning or that I should drop by the chief's office and ask for my badge? I really like my doctor's wife, she's a great office manager. That doesn't mean that I want her doing my next physical if he retires. It's just ridiculous. These are public service jobs not family businesses that need to be handed down from generation to generation to survive. I was about to smack someone every time I heard about JFK's grandson during that whole anniversary thing, but that's a rant all on it's own.


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

IMO this article was a "feeler" to see how the public would react, remember Bloomberg changed NYs term limits so HE could "serve" another term and I still believe the great and powerful O will NOT leave office, on his own...just my opinion.


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## wwonka (Dec 8, 2010)

corsair said:


> Just what we need give the worst thing that has ever happened to our Country more time to screw things up far more than he already has.


Yeah the thought of GWB and Cheney still in the white house would give me nightmares.

Sent from my Galaxy S3.


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## grn3charlie (Jul 18, 2005)

That socialist will never be half as good as GWB. He will be noted as the worst in history


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## Pvt. Cowboy (Jan 26, 2005)

Awwww c'mon!!! You make so much progress and then regress towards the "...but but Buuuuush!" Bullshit!! 

Yes, Bush was a dope. I'll give you that. Alright? HOWFUCKINEVER-

He never tried to dismantle everything great about this nation. Every step that O makes is towards the destruction of the USA. Comparing Bush to O is like comparing a Boy Scout to a Hells Angel.


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## wwonka (Dec 8, 2010)

Pvt. Cowboy said:


> Awwww c'mon!!! You make so much progress and then regress towards the "...but but Buuuuush!" Bullshit!!
> 
> Yes, Bush was a dope. I'll give you that. Alright?


OK good enough.

I agree with you about Obama. He's a terrible president.

Sent from my Galaxy S3.


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

Its called Bush Derangement Syndrome,no matter what Barry does they say Bush....but Bush. Im not even going to go through the lists of shit this POTUS has effed up, we all know it..Ill say a prayer for you Wonka that BDS is covered under Obamacare but im prety sure your screwed.


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## Goose (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm still waiting for the Michael Moore bombshell-dropping expose' on the Obama administration.

Guess I shouldn't hold my breath.

Sent from my flux capacitor using 1.21 jigawatts


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

frank said:


> I'm still waiting for the Michael Moore bombshell-dropping expose' on the Obama administration.
> 
> Guess I shouldn't hold my breath.
> 
> Sent from my flux capacitor using 1.21 jigawatts


They( the hwood leftists) are basically rewriting history with all the anti Bush documentaries and movies and then letting Barry get away with the same and worse. Enemy of The State with the NSA spying on everyone, wheres part2?The Departed when Baldwin said " the Patriot act Patriot Act" when they were doing the exchange for the micro processors. I think thats the only reason he took that role so he could take a shot at GW and the PA, then Barry signs the same thing after campainging AGAINST it, expands it ten fold and hes as silent as a mouse. I could give a thousand examples in movies,docs,tv shows. its their own little personal way of being political and makes them feel all warm inside and they get rewarded with shows and roles for towng the party line.


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## wwonka (Dec 8, 2010)

No apologies from me Obama is terrible. 


Term limits are there for a reason. There's no reason to change it now. 

Sent from my Galaxy S3.


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## 7costanza (Aug 29, 2006)

wwonka said:


> No apologies from me Obama is terrible.
> .


I accept your non apology.


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