I haven't seen the series because I don't want to subscribe to HBO, but I've been thinking about buying it from Amazon in June.
Posted on 04/19/2008 6:50:30 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
George Washington (David Morse) so quickly tired of the infighting among his Cabinet and vagaries of public opinion that he stepped down from the presidency after a single term. "I know now what it is like to be disliked," he says to Adams, his perpetually disliked vice president.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Forget it, the LA Slimes is on a roll...
From Wikipedia:
The Electoral College elected Washington unanimously in 1789, and again in the 1792 election; he remains the only president to receive 100% of electoral votes.
Washington reluctantly served a second term as president. He refused to run for a third, establishing the customary policy of a maximum of two terms for a president which later became law by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution.[32]
Correct.
It was that he refused to take the third term they offered him that folks couldn’t understand. They wanted to make him President for life, a king, in effect, but he refused.
Yes. Washington stepped down after two terms.
Of course, the constitutional two-term limit was only added on after FDR seemingly decided to be president forever.
But two terms was plenty for most president.
Oh, well, let’s not a few minor facts get in the way of a TV series!
Yeah, HBO is dead, let’s move on.
(snicker) -they sure know their history. RME
I don't know if the HBO series got it wrong... looks to me that just the LA Slimes blundered.
Well wasn't Washington afraid that if he ran for a third term he would die in office and establish a precedent of presidents holding office for life? He did in fact die during Adams term. Also, the office is very demanding and tends to wear down its occupants. I think it is good that we have presidents who stay in office just 8 years then leave it usually for a younger president. The act of running for president requires quite a bit of vigor and tends to ensure that the new president is healthy and energetic. Compare to the Soviet Union. Towards the end the CPSU kept replacing its party chairman with old men, because they didn't trust the next generation. A system in which there is a president for life ends up causing stagnation while the whole country waits for the president to die so someone new can take over.
Barry Bostwick did a better job playing George Washington!
You are correct. So, who screwed it up? HBO(which I don’t watch) or the LA Slimes(which I don’t read).
Yeah, the mainstream media learned me about history, like the time the Vietnamese bombed Pearl Bailey in 1503.
Like most of the Democrat Senators and Congressmembers.
all in all the series is excellent. The latest episode with Adams just leaving the White House alone when Jefferson was elected is superb. This should be required viewing for all.
I love this miniseries and intend on giving the DVD set as gifts next Christmas. You’re right..an absolute MUST viewing, especially for students.
Yes, it’s often been noted that being president wears people out—at least if they’re any good. It’s certainly a demanding job.
The Barry Bostwick miniseries had a lovely flirtacious scene between Bostwick and Jaclyn Smith where she teaches him secret fan signals.
I haven't seen the series because I don't want to subscribe to HBO, but I've been thinking about buying it from Amazon in June.
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