2nd termers

[skybridge]

As George W. Bush begins his second term, one may want to look at history in hope of finding parallels. Upon examining the last three 2-term presidents, we find they are Clinton, Reagan and Nixon. While they were all fairly succesful at pushing their political agendas in their first terms, their second terms were each marked by scandal: Clinton--the 2nd president in history--faced impeachment charges and was nearly removed out of office, in spite of an impressive record. Reagan's popularity never quite left him, though the Iran-Contra scandal largely defined his second term. Nixon, after having won one of the largest landslides ever, was forced to resign shortly after over the Watergate scandal.

Now, with someone with as much potential for scandal as George W. Bush, do you think history will repeat itself?

[skybridge]

Overhyped, underhyped. The point is that something scandalous dogged most contemporary second termers. Nixon resigned, whether it was overhyped or not. Conspiracy aside, Iran-Contra was BAD. Underhyped or not, Clinton was the second president to be impeached (or the first in 130 years)! And all this happened during these presidents' SECOND term, although they quite successfully lead the country down their path in their first terms. So, given Dubya's potential, is history likely to repeat itself?

For the record: Clinton's affair wasn't any more immoral than the exploitation of his private life. Of course you wouldn't be happy if it happened in your family, but you'd want the rest of the world to stay out of it, wouldn't you?

[skybridge]

Both Iran-Contra and Watergate was overhyped by the liberal press.

And they under-hyped Clinton's Impeachment?

He lied under oath.  BAD.

and the laws that Iran-Contra and Watergate violated weren't bad? I think lying and breaking laws that involve national security or severe political corruption are much worse than lying about a blowjob.

They're going to say something like, it's really a constitutional matter since the president should be subject to same laws and jurisdiction as all citizens, or that he lied under oath, or something contradictory in defense of the other two. However, I think you're right.

[skybridge]

Could you please answer the original question? I just brought up the Nixon/Reagan/Clinton factors to heighten the probability. This was actually supposed to be about W. Bush.

[skybridge]

Sigh...
If you open a remotely reliable history book about Nixon's presidency, somewhere the term Watergate SCANDAL should come up. If you read a remotely reliable history book about Reagan's presidency, somewhere the words Iran-Contra SCANDAL should come up. If you pick up a remotely reliable history book about Clinton, somewhere you should find Monical Lewinsky SCANDAL. So, all the most recently re-elected presidents faced some scandal in their second term. Now, we have yet another re-elected president. Will history repeat itself and will Bush's 2nd term be complicated by scandal?