AH Challenge: Felon for president

HueyLong

Banned
Technically, there is no qualification against it in the Constitution, and I was reading about one felon's candidacy.

So, somehow get a convicted felon into the White House, with a POD no earlier than say, 1800.

Bonus points for post-1900.
 
It borders on ASB, but with a bit of forcing of something along the lines of a revolution, Eugene Debs might have been elected in 1920, and there you have it: imprisoned by Wilson for sedition, he would have gone from the federal penitentiary in Atlanta to the White House.
 
It borders on ASB, but with a bit of forcing of something along the lines of a revolution, Eugene Debs might have been elected in 1920, and there you have it: imprisoned by Wilson for sedition, he would have gone from the federal penitentiary in Atlanta to the White House.

Wouldn't he have to pardon himself first?
 
How does he pardon himself without being president? Even so, aside from public relations, why would he have to be pardoned?

1) It might be argued that "high crimes and misdemeanors" as a qualification for impeachment allows Congress to instantenously impeach a felon who becomes President. In this case though the election is still valid and succession flows to the Vice-President. I doubt the guy could be elected and then impeached, but Congress could make the threat.

2) In the case of Debs being elected from prison, he's still a felon when he becomes President. However, Presidents have usually frowned on pardoning themselves, but nothing prevenets them from doing so. He needs to pardoned so that it's not a crime for him to leave prison and live in the White House.

3) The one catch is that Presidents must be citizens of the US. For much of the 19th century and early 20th, felons were sometimes not considered as citizens (IIRC). Hence, I think Rutherford B. Hayes once addressed a crowd of prisoners at a pentitentiary as "my fellow citizens"; it was considered a gaffe at the time, since the prisoners weren't citizens. Thus, a felon could under certain circumstances be considered to be disqualified on these grounds. Especially before the 14th Amendment.
 
Technically, there is no qualification against it in the Constitution, and I was reading about one felon's candidacy.

So, somehow get a convicted felon into the White House, with a POD no earlier than say, 1800.

Bonus points for post-1900.

Borderline ASB. remember, the US is one of the few (I think the only, but am not sure) nation(s) which disenfranchises voters after convictions for most felonies, something with both direct and indirect political repercussions. Direct in that, considering the vast number of Americans in jail at present, a number of elections could be decided by their votes (2000 in Florida springs to mind). Indirect in that this seems to indicate an American culture hostile to allowing criminals any say or power in the decision making process. Which definatly makes this challenge tougher. Will need some time to think on it.
 
Depends on the public opinion of that particular crime.

Let´s say it was in the name of some cause which the public sympathized with.

F.x. imagine someone that got convicted for helping slaves escaping could very possibly become president in a post-civilwar USA.
 
I think its already been Done: Try Andrew Jackson.

Man killed dozens of people in duels. Simply argue that his actions were illegal, and then, Voila!, US president is a felon.
 
Um, I hope I don't start a flame war, but maybe a family has many powerful political connections, one of the kids is in college, does drugs and other stuff, and gets a degree despite his poor grades, fades into obscurity for a while, and in the meantime is father becomes very prominent and powerful, and rich businessmen with the same political leanings take control of the media, and the son runs for president, and the media downplay anything bad the son might have been doing decades earlier...:rolleyes::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
:rolleyes:

I'm not referring to anybody in particular of course, this is all just hypothetical... :D:p:rolleyes::p:p:D:p:eek::eek::):cool::D
 
It borders on ASB, but with a bit of forcing of something along the lines of a revolution, Eugene Debs might have been elected in 1920, and there you have it: imprisoned by Wilson for sedition, he would have gone from the federal penitentiary in Atlanta to the White House.

I still can't quite grasp what made him think he could win. Imagine him taking the oath of office through a plate glass window, unable to raise only his right hand without raising his left as well......

".......of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend, the constitution thereof."

"Let's go, Mr. President. Visiting hours are over."
 

HueyLong

Banned
I still can't quite grasp what made him think he could win. Imagine him taking the oath of office through a plate glass window, unable to raise only his right hand without raising his left as well......

".......of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend, the constitution thereof."

"Let's go, Mr. President. Visiting hours are over."

He didn't think he was going to win..... He really didn't. His elections were mere shows.

The dueling president doesn't count- because he was never convicted (and they were never convicted, and only in the case of death was it really a felony)

I think the freed-slaves thing is actually a good idea and one I hadn't thought of. But there are other options (the felon candidate was Lyndon LaRouche, in for mail fraud) Maybe a civil rights era martyr? (white would probably be a necessity, but still)
 
Aren't they all felons anyway?

I suppose TR could be captured by Spain in the charge up Santiago Hill. Then he returns to America after a few months.

Or McCain wins the Republican nomination in 2000; and Al Gore, to make it less ASB, goes crazy about Global Warming earlier.
 

HueyLong

Banned
Aren't they all felons anyway?

I suppose TR could be captured by Spain in the charge up Santiago Hill. Then he returns to America after a few months.

Or McCain wins the Republican nomination in 2000; and Al Gore, to make it less ASB, goes crazy about Global Warming earlier.

None of this gets a felon into office........ McCain is a POW. TR would be a POW. Not a felon (at least under US law)
 
I have one similar to that, but not quite. Have Benedict Arnold captured, on the grounds that he was planning to commit treason. Is he still a POW, or a felon?
 

HueyLong

Banned
After being caught for treason (which is a whole 'nother ballpark) I think it would be impossible for him to be elected president. He'd probably be executed as a spy, anyways.
 
Well, you have to get him elected president, too, which may require a POD in early childhood.
I've read the Americans didn't like him much, the British didn't like him much either, he wasn't all that helpful to them. :rolleyes:
 
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