George Washington was among our most famous Americans and served as our first president. One of the lasting benefits he conferred upon America was to set an example and only serve for two terms. He knew full well that he could win a third term, and perhaps even more, had he lived long enough.
Washington’s Vision for Our Future
Washington realized that if America was to become the nation that he and the Founding Fathers believed it could be, an effective representative republic, he had to voluntarily step down after a second term. Otherwise, he ran the risk of emulating the monarchs and rulers from Europe, the type of governance that the American colonists had so fervently fought to escape.
Washington’s self-imposed limit was not a matter of law, but presidential candidates and presidents themselves paid homage to his gesture, until Franklin Roosevelt arrived on the scene.
Roosevelt felt that he alone was the man to lead America through troubled times and felt that it was his calling to run for a third term. In his third term, was he the best man to guide us through World War II? Regardless, by winning he smashed a 154 year-old tradition. Then, in 1944, even though he was well aware of his serious decline in health and still ran for a fourth term, all but guaranteeing that the nation would be mourning a president, long before the end of the term.
Limits in Place
In the years following Roosevelt, the presidential limit was set at two terms via the 22nd Amendment, plus no more than two years of a predecessor’s term. Lyndon Johnson constitutionally could have served longer than eight years. Johnson served out the rest of John Kennedy’s term, 14 months. Then he won the election in 1964 and could have run in 1968, but declined as the protest over the Vietnam War and political events of the day overwhelmed him.
Today, we face the prospect of two-term presidents returning to the White House, not as the elected president, but as the spouse of an elected president. This almost happened when Hillary Clinton ran against Donald Trump in 2016. Had she won, Bill Clinton would have returned to the White House, presumably for four years, if not another four after that.
As a former president returning to the White House as a presidential spouse for four or eight years, Bill Clinton’s influence on the nation would be monumental.
Barack Obama served two terms as president and as the Democrats plotted to oust Joe Biden, rumors were circulating that beyond Kamala Harris, among others, Gavin Newsom or Michelle Obama might replace Biden. The overlords decided on Harris, but it could have been Michelle Obama. If she had been selected and proved to be victorious in November, Barack Obama would return to the White House. He currently is serving a ‘third term’ a Biden puppet master. As a presidential spouse, Obama would be serving for a fourth term, and possibly a fifth term. This is untenable.
A Crucial Amendment
Democrat President Eleanor Roosevelt. President Hillary Clinton. President Michelle Obama. Are you feeling sick yet? We need a constitutional amendment which bars the spouses of ex-presidents from running for president. One can argue that such a move denies constitutional rights to the spouses. However, a larger issue is at play.
The two-term limit for presidents as written in the 22nd Amendment was done so for good reasons. We can hark back to George Washington’s view. More than two terms confers too much power and influence, and simply anathema to our form of government.
In 1996 when Robert Dole was running for president against Bill Clinton, the Doles might have gained enduring influence over America. If Dole had won and then won again, his younger, highly popular wife, Elizabeth Dole, might have followed. She had served in various government posts with distinction. It’s conceivable that a Dole could have been in office for 16 straight years.
And Now Consider 2028
After Donald Trump wins in November, suppose the Michelle Obama runs for president in 2028. Yikes!!
Suppose that Melania decided to run for president. She cannot because she wasn’t born here, but suppose Trump had had an American-born wife. How would Democrats feel about that spouse winning the presidency for one term or possibly two terms? We all know the answer.
Suppose J.D. Vance wins in 2028 and maybe 2032, and then Usha Vance, born in San Diego to U.S. citizens, decides to succeed him? It doesn’t matter which party’s ex-presidential spouse decides to run for office. It is unadvisable and should be stopped.
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