Posted on 11/30/2013 7:35:40 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
An op-ed in the Washington Post went viral this week as it drew controversy advocating for an end to presidential term limits.
In the piece, bluntly titled “End presidential term limits,” New York University history professor Jonathan Zimmerman suggests that the 22nd Amendment limiting presidents to two terms of office should be repealed as a way to assuring a more effective presidency and protecting democracy from a leader without fear of voters’ wrath.
Citing the treatment of President Obama in the wake of his troubled Affordable Care Act rollout and a nuclear deal with Iran, Zimmerman argued that if Obama could run again, he might not be facing such “fervent objections” on the former from Democratic leaders like Bill Clinton; and, on the latter, from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ).
“Democratic lawmakers would worry about provoking the wrath of a president who could be reelected. Thanks to term limits, though, they’ve got little to fear,” Zimmerman wrote, adding that a term-limited president does not “have to fear the voters, which might be the scariest problem of all.”
“If he chooses,” the professor continued, “[a term-limited president] could simply ignore their will. And if the people wanted him to serve another term, why shouldn’t they be allowed to award him one?”
Ultimately, Zimmerman concluded:
It’s time to put that power back where it belongs. When Ronald Reagan was serving his second term, some Republicans briefly floated the idea of removing term limits so he could run again. The effort went nowhere, but it was right on principle. Barack Obama should be allowed to stand for re election just as citizens should be allowed to vote for — or against — him. Anything less diminishes our leaders and ourselves.
What do you think? Should the 22nd Amendment be repealed and presidential term limits be overturned? Take our poll below:
Repeal Presidential Term Limits?
Yes
No
I’m more surprised there is so LITTLE of this kind of talk.
Zimmerman is the poster boy for what’s wrong with the so-called “education system”.
I think presidents ought to have one six-year term.
Leaders who do not have fear of voters are normally termed dictators. But whatever.
Yes 20.97%
No 79.03%
The reason that the referenced WAPO article went viral is probably because low-information voters don’t understand that the federal government has no constitutional Article V authority to ratify proposed amendments to the Constitution, the states uniquely having such power.
And enthusiasm for repealing 22nd Amendement will probably die down, like it has before, because corrupt feds likely don’t want voters to understand the following. They don’t want voters to catch on to the idea that, since only the states can ratify proposed amendments, the states have absolute control over the feds, not vice versa as many low-info voters undoubtedly think. After all, if such knowledge became widespread then it would likely throw a monkey wrench into the Progressive Movement agenda to unconstitutionally centralize government power in DC.
FDR is the single best reason to keep the limit at two terms. Obozo is the best reason to limit it to one.
“,,
OBAMA VICTORY FUND 2012
02/20/2012 35800.00 “
WOW!!
Obama is the best reason to allow for recall of a president. Or configure it up like Europe so the government can “collapse” when it loses public support.
I had this fight with a liberal friend earlier today. I told him it sounded great. Then I dropped the bomb.
Instead of statewide vote counts, we count votes by county. Each winning county gets one vote and the most votes wins the state. I said to avoid voter fraud and a potential situation where there is rampant cheating, by counting votes by county, if Philly (where he is from) wants to vote at 125%, they can. It still only counts for one vote.
For some odd reason, he didn’t like that.
“and protecting democracy”
There is the problem. The guy is a History Proff and does not even understand that America is not a Democracy. So of course his idea is stupid..........
his position is obviously WAY overpaid...
Nobama has plans to create turmoil so he can institute martial law.He would then declare himself president emeritus...
Nobama has plans to create turmoil so he can institute martial law.He would then declare himself president emeritus...
Agree...and appointeds. All the way down to dog catcher.
1 for the Senate and 2 for the House.
BUMP!
From SCOTUS on down.
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