Would you support a constitutional amendment limiting presidents to one term?

[A18]

Yes. Lame duck presidents tend to be less effective, so making every president a lame duck from day one would be great for liberty.

[WalterMitty]

no (r)

in fact, i do not believe in term limits.  the two term limit should be abolished.

[Alcon]

I think people should have the right to vote for whomever it is they want to vote for.  I oppose any term limits.

[A18]

I think people should have the right to vote for whomever it is they want to vote for.  I oppose any term limits.

Why?

[Alcon]

I think people should have the right to vote for whomever it is they want to vote for.  I oppose any term limits.

Why?

Because I do not think that obstructing government is the way to reduce government.  It seems backhanded.

[nini2287]

No (R), what I'd like to see is the President elected for a four-year term and then can for re-election to one two-year term.

[A18]

I think people should have the right to vote for whomever it is they want to vote for.  I oppose any term limits.

Why?

Because I do not think that obstructing government is the way to reduce government.  It seems backhanded.

What do you think the separation of powers is for?

[Alcon]

I think people should have the right to vote for whomever it is they want to vote for.  I oppose any term limits.

Why?

Because I do not think that obstructing government is the way to reduce government.  It seems backhanded.

What do you think the separation of powers is for?

I'll say that your knowledge in this area kicks the crap out of my knowledge, but I would assume the primary justification for seperation of powers is to prevent corruption.  On the other hand, not everyone agrees that government size should be reduced.

Feel free to call me an idiot, since I really should know more about this stuff.

[??????????]

I do not believe in any form of a "term limit".

[© tweed]

I do not believe in any form of a "term limit".

in fact, i do not believe in term limits.  the two term limit should be abolished.

[Bono]

Yup, it's a great idea.

[Speed of Sound]

I don't support the amendment that limits to two terms, let alone one term!

[Nym90]

No, term limits should be abolished.

It seems a bit odd to say that restricting the freedom to vote for whomever you want to is a pro-liberty position.

[A18]

It seems a bit odd to say that restricting the freedom to vote for whomever you want to is a pro-liberty position.

Is restricting the 'freedom' to vote for sedition laws not a pro-liberty position?

Government is not the exercise of liberty. It is the exercise of force.

[Defarge]

No.

[A18]

Yes. Lame duck presidents tend to be less effective, so making every president a lame duck from day one would be great for liberty.

What? You just said lame duck Presidents are not effective so wouldn't making them all lame ducks from day one be making all Presidencies less effective?

Yes. That's why it's such a great idea.

[Jacobtm]

Come to think of it, yes.

Second terms don't tend to work out well anyway.

[nlm]

yes, generally speaking, I favor getting folks out of public office quickly. It keeps the ideas fresh, it keeps our politicians more in touch, it keeps them from inacting too many large scale changes, it stops them (to a degree) from becoming corrupted by the system, and keeps their eye on the peoples business.

[MODU]

I can see the pro's and con's.  In VA, a one-term governor is focused more on doing his job, and less on being re-elected.  On the flip side, whatever the governor doesn't start  at the beginning of his term will most likely not be completed by the end of his term, and if there is a change in party with the new governor, all the time and money spent on incomplete projects will most likely be wasted when the policy changes.  The same would hold true on the national level.

With that being the case, a single four-year term would be too short for the President.  I would recommend a 6-year term if he is to be limited to just one term.

[Jacobtm]

There should be no term limits.  I want to be able to vote for who I want to vote for.

At the same time, I don't want people entrenched in power being able to manipulate the vote count ever-so-slightly to get themselves re-elected.

I know people can cheat to get elected in the first place (JFK, GWB), but it's better to just have 1 term of a sneaky cheater who isn't fully exposed.

[WMS]

I do not believe in any form of a "term limit".

Yep - if Congress has no term limits, and the judiciary has no term limits, then why should the Presidency?

[ag]

There should be no term limits.  I want to be able to vote for who I want to vote for.

At the same time, I don't want people entrenched in power being able to manipulate the vote count ever-so-slightly to get themselves re-elected.

I know people can cheat to get elected in the first place (JFK, GWB), but it's better to just have 1 term of a sneaky cheater who isn't fully exposed.

It is incredibly difficult to "cheat" and win in an election, and highly unlikely that any one candidate can do so once let alone more than once.  Oh, and neither JFK nor GWB cheated to get elected.

The problem is not that incumbents cheat - it is that incumbents have too many advantages, that though legal, ethical and otherwise unimpeachable, would tend to make an electoral loss quite unlikely, short of extreme circumstances. Given the nature of US presidency, I would conjecture that if somebody were ever to get to his fourth term, he'd have an excelect chance of being continuously reelected until he is Strom Thurmondish or dead.

[ag]

A two-term limit seems adequate for Presidents (and Governors). Single 4-year term is too short - you are out before you learn anyting. Single 6-, or 8- year term prevents an early purge of screw-ups. More than 8 years - you'd only have them ever lose long past they stopped being effective.

On the other hand, I am opposed to legislative and mayoral term limits. Good experienced legislators and mayors can be invaluable assets. Of course, regular independent redistricting is essential for this to work.

[A18]

Single 4-year term is too short - you are out before you learn anyting.

What modern president had a second term better than his first?

[ag]

Single 4-year term is too short - you are out before you learn anyting.

What modern president had a second term better than his first?

You are basing your statement on the theory, that the problem with the second term is that it is second. I would propose an alternative theory, that the the problem is that it is last. If my theory is correct, you would get the worst of both worlds: inexperienced lame duck from day 1.