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Washington Post Op-Ed Urges Letting Obama Run for a Third Term so Senate Will “Fear Him”
Frontpage Mag ^ | 11/29/2013 | Daniel Greenfield

Posted on 11/29/2013 12:54:29 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Four more years. 10 trillion more dollars in debt. And by the end of it, we’ll have a nuclear war in the Middle East and mandates forcing you to buy everything from electric cars to Michelle Obama’s trademark Soy and Asphalt pie.

The motives behind the Washington Post op-ed argument are… revealing.

I watch President Obama, whose approval rating has dipped to 37 percent in CBS News polling — the lowest ever for him — during the troubled rollout of his health-care reform. Many of Obama’s fellow Democrats have distanced themselves from the reform and from the president. Even former president Bill Clinton has said that Americans should be allowed to keep the health insurance they have.

Or consider the reaction to the Iran nuclear deal. Regardless of his political approval ratings, Obama could expect Republican senators such as Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and John McCain (Ariz.) to attack the agreement. But if Obama could run again, would he be facing such fervent objections from Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Robert Menendez (D-N.J.)?

Probably not. 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.

So Zimmerman’s argument is for lifting term limits so that Obama can intimidate Senate Democrats with a third term?

Nor does Obama have to fear the voters, which might be the scariest problem of all. If he chooses, he 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?

Zimmerman confuses the people with the billionaire donors who stuffed Obama’s pockets full of money twice. I’m sure they will be happy to do it a third time. And Obama will pay them back with more taxpayer money.

We don’t have some sort of pure democracy where voters choose from a blank slate. We have a political establishment which chooses the prospective winner and the people who work for a living don’t always get their way against the special interests who bring their own people like Obama to power.

That was the argument of our first president, who is often held up as the father of term limits. In fact, George Washington opposed them. “I can see no propriety in precluding ourselves from the service of any man who, in some great emergency, shall be deemed universally most capable of serving the public,” Washington wrote in a much-quoted letter to the Marquis de Lafayette.

That would be selectively quoted in the term limits debate. Let’s try quoting the whole paragraph instead.

As for instance, on the ineligibility of the same person for President, after he should have served a certain course of years. Guarded so effectually as the proposed Constitution is, in respect to the prevention of bribery and undue influence in the choice of President: I confess, I differ widely myself from Mr. Jefferson and you, as to the necessity or expediency of rotation in that appointment.

The matter was fairly discussed in the Convention, and to my full convictions; though I cannot have time or room to sum up the argument in this letter. There cannot, in my judgment, be the least danger that the President will by any practicable intrigue ever be able to continue himself one moment in office, much less perpetuate himself in it; but in the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity: and even then there is as much danger that any other species of domination would prevail.

Though, when a people shall have become incapable of governing themselves and fit for a master, it is of little consequence from what quarter he comes. Under an extended view of this part of the subject, I can see no propriety in precluding ourselves from the services of any man, who on some great emergency shall be deemed universally, most capable of serving the Public.

Elections worked differently in George Washington’s time so he was talking about a somewhat different process. Not one that could lead to an Obama. Though it did nearly lead to Aaron Burr.

Washington was not anticipating direct popular elections of the president. That is why he speaks of bribery and undue influence.

Each State shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors, equal to the whole Number of Senators and Representatives to which the State may be entitled in the Congress: but no Senator or Representative, or Person holding an Office of Trust or Profit under the United States, shall be appointed an Elector.

This is the kind of thing they were worried about. Not that a corrupt political hack would give away and accept bribes like crazy to sections of the common people and to wealthy men.

There’s little doubt that George Washington would have considered the current state of affairs in the capital named after him to be the last stage of corrupted morals and political depravity where factions raise millions and hand out bribes from taxpayer monies in the trillions to win political office.

Washington’s final point is that if the country has gone so badly downhill that the people just want a ruler, rather than self-rule, term limits won’t make much of a difference.

It’s not much of an endorsement of a third term for Obama.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 113th; bho44; elections; enoughalready; obama; senate
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1 posted on 11/29/2013 12:54:29 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I guess they have no idea what kind of civil unrest they would cause by trying to install 0 for a third term.


2 posted on 11/29/2013 12:57:26 PM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Hillary wouldn’t like that as it would interfere with her 8-year reign set to begin in 2016.


3 posted on 11/29/2013 12:58:13 PM PST by headstamp 2 (What would Scooby do?)
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To: mountainlion

RE: I guess they have no idea what kind of civil unrest they would cause by trying to install 0 for a third term.

Well, with FDR can do it...


4 posted on 11/29/2013 12:58:46 PM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: mountainlion
I guess they have no idea what kind of civil unrest they would cause by trying to install 0 for a third term.

Why do you think they bought enough ammo to put a half-dozen bullets into every man, woman and child in the America?

5 posted on 11/29/2013 12:58:57 PM PST by Steely Tom (If the Constitution can be a living document, I guess a corporation can be a person.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Tom Hanks has already declared he’s voting for hussein in ‘16.


6 posted on 11/29/2013 1:00:27 PM PST by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: SeekAndFind
Barry does not equal FDR. They couldn't get a third term for Clinton which really was a president next to Obama.
7 posted on 11/29/2013 1:00:54 PM PST by mountainlion (Live well for those that did not make it back.)
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To: SeekAndFind

Hey WaPo, how’s your Headquarters doing?


8 posted on 11/29/2013 1:02:26 PM PST by 98ZJ USMC
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To: Steely Tom; mountainlion

Don’t forget they are in charge of the voting software. He’s learned from his muzzy brothers how to guarantee 99-100% of the votes.


9 posted on 11/29/2013 1:03:51 PM PST by bgill (This reply was mined before it was posted.)
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To: All

oh God, please don’t let this be the lefts new refrain. their playbook is keep repeating something until in becomes part of the normal discourse.

soon, you could have the welfare crowd outside of gop reps homes chanting “four more years”.

there are people who have claimed Obama would declare martial law and stay in office. I don’t really believe that because people will revolt. some Marxist I became up with this idea as a legal means to do it.
I have a bad feeling about this.


10 posted on 11/29/2013 1:03:59 PM PST by willywill
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To: mountainlion

And there was no way Zero was going to get reelected last year. There is little that would surprise me these days.


11 posted on 11/29/2013 1:04:46 PM PST by Antihero101607
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To: SeekAndFind

“Well, with FDR can do it...”

If memory serves FDR’s the reason we have term limits.


12 posted on 11/29/2013 1:06:18 PM PST by CelesteChristi
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To: SeekAndFind
Well, with FDR can do it...

When FDR did it, it was legal. No amendment existed to stop it at that time. I am a firm believer voter fraud played a big part in getting FDR re-elected for 4 terms, the first 3 anyway. No one in their right mind would vote for an idiot that kept the country in depression for at least 10 years. The last one people didn't want a new man when they were at war.

13 posted on 11/29/2013 1:08:23 PM PST by calex59
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To: willywill

I am not sure people would revolt. They might write a letter to the editor and think they did their part


14 posted on 11/29/2013 1:10:24 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: bgill

Tom Hanks has already declared he’s voting for hussein in ‘16.

Tom Hanks proving that the character he portrayed in Bosom Buddies was NOT acting.


15 posted on 11/29/2013 1:10:55 PM PST by Mastador1 (I'll take a bad dog over a good politician any day!)
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To: SeekAndFind
"...And if the people wanted him to serve another term, why shouldn’t they be allowed to award him one..."

One only has to listen to liberals to understand them completely. That is why liberals are enemies of this republic.

According to fools like this, if they thought Obama should have unlimited powers (and they DO) they feel he should have them.

Bottom line, they don't want a republic, they want mob rule. What they forget is that when it isn't YOUR mob ruling, it isn't going to be any fun, and history has shown what a formula for failure, murder and despair that is.

16 posted on 11/29/2013 1:12:01 PM PST by rlmorel ("A nation, despicable by its weakness, forfeits even the privilege of being neutral." A. Hamilton)
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To: SeekAndFind

They want Pre. for Life next.


17 posted on 11/29/2013 1:22:38 PM PST by SandRat (Duty - Honor - Country! What else needs said?)
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To: SeekAndFind

They did this with Bill Clinton. It should be obvious by now that Democrats are trying for total takeover.


18 posted on 11/29/2013 1:35:54 PM PST by HarleyD (...one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.)
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To: SandRat

Should all know and be aware that should Ø be “in office” one minute longer than prescribed by law, it will be stretched to a lifetime. It’s how it would have been for all his buddies, starting with O’Dinga, then Zelaya, and so on, thru Morsi.


19 posted on 11/29/2013 1:36:51 PM PST by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: SeekAndFind

NO!


20 posted on 11/29/2013 1:36:53 PM PST by savedbygrace (But God!)
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