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“Abolish presidential term limits”
-- Jonathan Zimmerman for The Christian Science Monitor
On another Blah-ish, what-is-the-point-of-waking-up morning, this headline gave Monk the giggles. I would have thought this would be the last suggestion anyone would make at this point in our history, as more people may be more inclined to tighten restrictions and limit the president to one term if anything. However, Mr. Zimmeran is suggesting that it would make Bush more responsive to what the people want, as in wanting to get out of Iraq now rather than digging in deeper, if Bush had to face another election in the teeth of the voters' disapproval. And he uses President Eisenhower to poignantly make the point:
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“Abolish presidential term limits”
-- Jonathan Zimmerman for The Christian Science Monitor
On another Blah-ish, what-is-the-point-of-waking-up morning, this headline gave Monk the giggles. I would have thought this would be the last suggestion anyone would make at this point in our history, as more people may be more inclined to tighten restrictions and limit the president to one term if anything. However, Mr. Zimmeran is suggesting that it would make Bush more responsive to what the people want, as in wanting to get out of Iraq now rather than digging in deeper, if Bush had to face another election in the teeth of the voters' disapproval. And he uses President Eisenhower to poignantly make the point:
Indeed, as Eisenhower sensed, term limits reflect a loss of faith in democracy itself. If we believe in a government for and by the people, we should allow everyone - including Bush - to run for America's highest office. That would make the presidency less imperial, not more so, because presidents who were eligible for reelection would be more likely to heed the people who chose them.I disagree with Mr. Zimmerman's reading of Bush. I do not think he would be responsive, but would only stand taller in his self-righteous belief that he knows best against the wishes of the mob. And I would not go so far as to say that term limits represent a loss of faith in democracy, but after the controversial 2000 elections, we are a little more worldly and skeptical, and faith is not enough by itself. We are talking about the most powerful office in the world, and some safeguards may be wise.
