Presidential Term Limits?

[elperromagico]

The more I see Bush on the campaign trail this year (and especially next year), the more I think that the two-term limit doesn't work. I don't want a President spending my money in order to give "policy talks" for a bunch of people stupid enough to pay him/her $2,000 a head.

When else are people exposed to this President? He won't give press conferences, his interviews are clearly scripted, and he'll only appear in public if you pay him. And is he doing the work of the American people while he's out whoring himself? No. Doesn't this man take enough paid vacations?

I'm starting to think more and more that Presidential terms ought to be limited to a single four or six year term. At that point, the President must step down, though he/she can run again after a single term has passed. That way, the President can devote his/her full time to the work of the American people.

I know some might resist such an idea, but I'd like to find out how others feel.

[benddem]

1. Personally

I couldn't stand 3 more years of bushit, much less 5. We just need to get him out of there.
:puke:

[elperromagico]

2. Yes, that's a major objection

The idea of putting up with a President you despise for six years rather than four is a major objection. Another is that the President would not be answerable to the American people at the polls, and would therefore not feel obligated to answer to their will.

Ehh... I don't know. I just am sick of Bush going out on his little campaign jaunts while jobs are being lost by the millions and the economy's in the toilet.

[leftyandproud]

3. the president should have a single 5 year term...no re-election

and I think senators should be limited to one six year term...congressional reps should have two, 2-year terms. We need to make them live in the world they create...not be insulated by their power forever.

[sharkbait2]

4. House and Senate term limits are an absolute must

I think a lot of the cronyism and corruption in the system today is a direct result of the lack of term limits in the legislative branch.

[Yupster]

6. I agree with you shark

I'd like to see legislative term limits too.

[Yupster]

5. You ain't just whistlin' Dixie

Interestingly, when the Confederate Constitutional Convention met in Montgomery Alabama to write their founding Constitution, they ended up making very few changes to the existing Constitution.

One major change they did make though was just your suggestion. The president could be elected just once and for six years. I think there's a reasonable point to that.

[dofus]

7. The real problem with any kind of presidential

term limits is that a president who can't run for re-election is very much seen as a lame-duck president, especially in the latter part of his term. Supposedly that makes it much harder for him to get anything done, especially is House and or Senate are controlled by the opposition party.

Maybe a better idea would be to not allow consecutive terms, but no other term limits. That way, a president could always hypothetically run again, but we'd be guaranteed of someone else every four years, or whatever length of term was set.

Term limits are in effect in some state legislatures, and what's being discovered is that there's a real learning curve, and a real loss of institutional memory.

But what's really unfortunate is how an entrenched Representative or Senator can wind up running unopposed. It happened in 02 here in Kansas, and will probably happen again here in 04. How sad. No matter how Republican (or elsewhere, Democratic) a state, not having any kind of opponent in the election isn't good.