"Therefore, the American people have wisely established a custom against allowing any man to hold that office for more than two consecutive terms. But every shred of power which a President exercises while in office vanishes absolutely when he has once left office. An ex-President stands precisely in the position of any other private citizen, and has not one particle more power to secure a nomination or election than if he had never held office at all, indeed, he probably has less because of the very fact that he has held the office." - Theodore Roosevelt
> But every shred of power which a President exercises while in office vanishes absolutely when he has once left office.
Behold the difference between Power and Influence. Of the two, Influence is the more dangerous.
"Absolute power corrupts absolutely", as Lord Acton once postulated, but Absolute Influence causes others to do one's Dirty Work without getting one's hands dirty...
Clinton-at-large is an infinitely larger threat to conservative values than Clinton-in-office ever was or ever could have been. At least while he was President he was accountable to somebody.
Compulsory retirement-into-obscurity for ex-Presidents should become another wise American custom. Come to think of it, the same should apply to ex-NZ Prime Ministers!
Cheers mate, from DownUnder (NZ)
"DieHard the Hunter"