Former Presidents' Future Political Possibilities.

Sofia, it is my understanding that former Presidents are able to run for whatever office they so choose. In fact, the law passed resulting from FDR's 3rd term merely states that presidents may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms; inference being that Wm J. Clinton, for example, could in fact run for President in 2004 since that would obviously not qualify as consecutive. What a fine kettle of fish that would be !

I tried to google on this, but got nowhere.

We need a legal ruling here, lawyer-types...

The prohibition is, as far as I remember, not limited to consecutive terms. Clinton can't be president again.

Section I, Amendment XXII:

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 President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Clinton cannot run again. Ten years or two terms, that's it. As for other office, John Quincy Adams served in the House of Representatives after having been President, and William Howard Taft sat on the Supreme Court. They can run for dog catcher if they want, just not president again.

Re: Former Presidents' Future Political Possibilities.


Nope. JQ Adams was Speaker of the House after the Presidency, and in fact had a stroke in the chamber and died a coupla days later. Federal Justice is another good second career for a Prez - William Howard Taft was the Chief Justice after being Prez.

Setanta, I thought that was no more than two consecutive terms. I do think that Clinton could run again should he so choose.

No, it's not an issue of consecutive terms. No third term, period. The law says nothing about consecutiveness (if there is such a word). It just says, no more than 2 terms.

Geeze, girls, read . . . i've posted the text of Article I of the 22nd Amendment--the "FDR" amendment.

Hmmm - we have no such law for Prime Ministers...

But Clinton may, of course, be First Gentleman....

Yes, and there would be the added delightful feature that if Hillary is elected, conservatives all over the nation will fill their pants.

Well, my Gawd, Setanta and Jes, You are absolutely and 100% correct. All this time I had thought it was "consecutive"...Just found out that Bill Clinton wanted to amend the Constitution so that the 22nd amendment read two consecutive terms.

Apologies--apologies--apologies

If all the conservatives in the USA feel the need to wash their pants all at once, the planet's water table will drop disastrously, and Australia will perish...

It probably means something really bad for the whales too...

P.S. but Clinton could hold the office of Vice President and then become president through the line of succession.

Someone would have to die first!

or - be very naughty.

Nope, he'd be passed over and the job would go to the Speaker of the House, if he were VP and the Prez. passed away or became incapacitated.

It was Doonesbury, was it not, that used to feature a looming, post-Watergate Nixon, eternally faithful that, one day, they would call him back...

jespah
.



Than I wonder why allow him to be vice president since the main purpose of the vice presidency is to serve in the event of the president being incapacitated or in the event of his demise. Could it have been an oversight?

Jes, the line of succession begins with the Vice President of the U.S. Let's say, for example, that Hillary is president and Bill is Veep. Then let's hypothesize that Hillary is killed in an accident. The VP would then become president. I had a link all ready to post, but somehow it didn't work properly. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Jespah, i believe the Secretary of State trumps the Speaker of the House. I'll go look, later . . .