A One-Term Pledge From McCain Is a Really Bad Idea

[babylonsister]

A One-Term Pledge From McCain Is a Really Bad Idea
By John Bicknell, CQ Staff


A recurring media meme in this campaign is the possibility of John McCain making a one-term pledge, limiting himself to four years in office.

We are told this idea makes sense, for the following reasons:

• McCain is old.

• Conservatives would be happy because he’d be gone in four years.

• Clintonites would be happy because he’d be gone in four years.

• McCain is old. Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

• It would free McCain to be a true statesman who will run a non-political administration.

Let’s break these down one at a time. And I won’t even have to point out that it makes him a lame duck from day one.

1. McCain is old.

Big deal. So was Reagan. So was William Henry Harrison. OK, that’s maybe not the best example. Andrew Jackson was 62 when 62 was pretty old, and John Adams was 61 when 61 was only a little bit younger than 62. Reagan, Jackson and Adams all fared reasonably well as president and in history (Adams was a one-termer, but not by choice).

Now, it’s true that James Buchanan, the worst president in American history, was almost 66 when he took office. But he had been a bad secretary of State a decade earlier, so we can’t really blame his age for his weakness of character and other failings.

Preceding Buchanan in the White House was Franklin Pierce, who was a perky 48, and he didn’t fare much better than Buchanan.

2. Conservatives would be happy because McCain would be gone in four years.

While many conservatives would be happy that a President McCain would have a guaranteed exit in four years, opening the door for one of their own, the offsetting problems caused by a one-term pledge outweigh and even negate that advantage.

For starters, McCain would not have to worry about making conservatives happy because he wouldn’t be seeking their votes in the next election. And this is a guy who was never unduly worried to begin with about annoying the conservative majority in his party. Unleashed, what might he try?

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002937114

[uponit7771]

1. This again makes me think they're trying to throw this election knowing shit is going to hit the fan

[babylonsister]

2. If they're trying to throw the election, I hope they're successful. nt

[Wapsie B]

3. Exactly.

Obama's going to have to deal with an awful mess left behind by the neocons.