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Should the president hav a term limit?

Should the president hav a term limit?

  • Yes

    Votes: 30 76.9%

  • No

    Votes: 7 17.9%

  • Maybe

    Votes: 1 2.6%

  • I don't care

    Votes: 1 2.6%
  • Total voters
    39
Helix said:
I could go either way on congressional term limits. four years is way too short, though.
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Four years is a long time. Though Im sure we'll get the usual argument about institutional knowledge, which Ill counter with thats only a problem because govt is too large.
 
Carleen said:
Why do you think it is too short?
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because it's only two short terms. it takes time in congress to get things done. with nothing but idealistic n00b rookies, the gridlock will be epic. you risk a congress full of inflexible freshmen, like the current crop of tea party Republicans.

i tend to think term limits let the voters off the hook, but then again, i see the problem with the representative for life stuff. i think the best thing we could do to fix congress is this : let a computer redraw all districts using census data, and have this happen automatically every ten years. that will do infinitely more good than limiting congressional terms to four years.
 
Absolutely there should be presidential term limits. Part of the security of the country depends on checks and balances. Its why the house is set up the way it is, why the senate is set up with 6 year terms, and why the presidency is maxed at 2 4 year terms. The only change that should be made is the congressional election cycle, which should be 4 years with the election held two years from the presidential election.
 
Helix said:
because it's only two short terms. it takes time in congress to get things done. with nothing but idealistic n00b rookies, the gridlock will be epic. you risk a congress full of inflexible freshmen, like the current crop of tea party Republicans.

i tend to think term limits let the voters off the hook, but then again, i see the problem with the representative for life stuff. i think the best thing we could do to fix congress is this : let a computer redraw all districts using census data, and have this happen automatically every ten years. that will do infinitely more good than limiting congressional terms to four years.
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I think you're getting at the crux of the issue in Congress. Term limits make no difference in today's climate, the real issue is the gerrymandered districts that are designed to make sure one party wins. Sure, you'd get rid of a Michele Bachmann (to pick a name), but the way the district is drawn a different Republican is just going to get elected. And since she keeps winning, the lesson to that guy would be "crazy wins."

It's not really a competitive district, and very few districts are. The parties are likely to nominate whoever is going to do their job and toe the line.
 
TheDemSocialist said:
As i have said before in threads before this about term limits:
"I believe they (term limits) are pointless. If people like you and you are a good leader and you are operating in free and fair elections the people can no longer vote for who they want. You also loose leaders, and experienced government officials. They are undemocratic. Plus democratic elections also are basically a sort of limit, they are a structural limitation, hense you have to win if you want to hold power.
More reasons include if you cannot run for a position because of a term limit and a new leader is elected that person who previously held the position takes all the experience and essential skills and work experience, and when a new leader comes in they will have to develop this from scratch. Also leaders who have reached a term limit are more likely to ignore the will of the people and the promises they promised on the campaign since they wont face a electorate after their last term.
They also serve little to no purpose. If you are popular amongst your people why should something such as a term limit hold your back for running again? It slows down democracy, and government."
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Sorry, but Obama can't serve another term. Too bad.
 
Living in a country where our Prime Ministers can serve unlimited terms and where no harm and perhaps significant benefit has resulted, I see no overwhelming need to limit service in such a way. If your country spent less time on primaries to determine candidates, you might actually have time to spend getting the business of the country done. Party leadership races/conventions here in Canada are fairly rare things and leaders often run in multiple elections before their party wins the election and PM spot. Why spend the better part of two years and billions of dollars vetting a Presidential candidate and then toss him/her to the curb after one election?
 
CanadaJohn said:
Living in a country where our Prime Ministers can serve unlimited terms and where no harm and perhaps significant benefit has resulted, I see no overwhelming need to limit service in such a way. If your country spent less time on primaries to determine candidates, you might actually have time to spend getting the business of the country done. Party leadership races/conventions here in Canada are fairly rare things and leaders often run in multiple elections before their party wins the election and PM spot. Why spend the better part of two years and billions of dollars vetting a Presidential candidate and then toss him/her to the curb after one election?
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But your prime minister isnt elected by the people, but rather the parliament. Youve never had one serve longer than 10ish years, and they have nowhere near the power the US president has.

The reason we favor term limits is to keep power from corrupting the President.
 
jonny5 said:
But your prime minister isnt elected by the people, but rather the parliament. Youve never had one serve longer than 10ish years, and they have nowhere near the power the US president has.

The reason we favor term limits is to keep power from corrupting the President.
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Actually, our Prime Minister is elected by the people, at least in the riding in which he/she runs for a seat in parliament. Secondly, I'd argue that our Prime Ministers have infinitely more power than US Presidents in the normal operations of government. There is nothing that gets voted on in parliament without the Prime Minister's say so, with the exception of private members bills which are generally sent off to limbo and ignored. The Prime Minister and the PMO, his/her office, set the agenda and tell government members how to vote, when to vote, when to be in the house or when they can be absent, etc. Can you imagine President Obama telling Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi everything they can and can't do and what they can and can't vote on?

The benefit, for the people of Canada, is that when people vote for a party representative, they know they are voting for the leader and when the leader is elected, they know the member of the party they voted for is 100% or close to it behind the leader and everyone in that party is working for the same agenda.

You're right though that few serve beyond 10 years, but some do, and in those 10 or so years very little of their time is spent on the business of politics and the vast majority is spent on the business of the country.
 
CanadaJohn said:
Actually, our Prime Minister is elected by the people, at least in the riding in which he/she runs for a seat in parliament. Secondly, I'd argue that our Prime Ministers have infinitely more power than US Presidents in the normal operations of government. There is nothing that gets voted on in parliament without the Prime Minister's say so, with the exception of private members bills which are generally sent off to limbo and ignored. The Prime Minister and the PMO, his/her office, set the agenda and tell government members how to vote, when to vote, when to be in the house or when they can be absent, etc. Can you imagine President Obama telling Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi everything they can and can't do and what they can and can't vote on?

The benefit, for the people of Canada, is that when people vote for a party representative, they know they are voting for the leader and when the leader is elected, they know the member of the party they voted for is 100% or close to it behind the leader and everyone in that party is working for the same agenda.

You're right though that few serve beyond 10 years, but some do, and in those 10 or so years very little of their time is spent on the business of politics and the vast majority is spent on the business of the country.
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But the point is, you dont have a person campaigning for executive power. You have a party campaigning for power, who then selects the executive, and can remove them, which has happened 5 times in the last 60 years. Our congress can not remove the President except in very extreme circumstances. With the executive power the President can wield, he can effectively use it to get relected, by using the office to campaign, and steering money to voters indirectly.
 
2010 was another banner year for Republie diversion into term limits as was 1990.
Dems stupidly played right into their hands in both census year mid-term elections by not voting.
Which is why we have such a dysfuntional House now.
2020 is the next time Dems can undo their ignorance while we see Repubes already shoring up weak seats in 2014.

rocket88 said:
Which they suddenly forgot about when in power....

Actually, there are term limits. They're called elections. Had enough of the current guy, vote for someone else. Don't look to government laws to make your job easier.
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