Ricardo

Someone at work said an interesting thing the other day, suggesting that American law has a provision for a president to remain in office during time of war.

Do you think that there's any chance George W won't get out after his 2nd term?

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Axiom

Gendo Ikari

I'd rate the chance close to 0%.. The only US President that's served more than two terms is Franklin D. Roosevelt and that was only because of public endorsement - Ulysses S. Grant and Teddy Roosevelt were attacked mercilessly when they sought to extend their rule and George W. isn't exactly popular at the moment!

The two-term rule was an unwritten one since Washington declined to run a third time until Congress created the 22nd amendment in 1951 that ratified it (so legally it's impossible but laws haven't stopped Presidents before).

Arrogant-One

Actually Gendo,

I was told by an American claiming to be a decended of Lincoln that Roosevelt was allowed to do it because at the time the US Constitution hadn't specifically limited presidential terms to two terms. Shortly after Roosevelt got away with a third term, a constitutional change was made inserting wording that limited the practice.

I haven't looked at the wording, but it would be interesting to see if a vice president who becomes president without an election (ie. Gerald Ford) can then stand at two elections, and therefore conceivably be president for 11 to 12 years.

AO

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... for it is always the person not in the predicament who knows what ought to have been done in it, and would unquestionably have done it too . . .

~ Charles Dickens novel ~