Constitutional Amendment to the Presidency

Tom Veil

Amendment ##: No person immediately related by Blood or Marraige to a sitting or former President of the United States shall be eligible for the office of President.

Suppose this amendment is proposed in:
*The Bill of Rights
*The Reconstruction amendments
*1959
*1998

What are its chances of passing? What happens if it does?


My thoughts: I think this is a plausible inclusion in the Bill of Rights, as it would be the nail in the coffin of the theory that the Presidency could be turned into a Crown. Can't be too careful in that era. I think it's less likely to be seen as necessary or useful during the Reconstruction or 1959. In 1998, however, there are Republicans thinking, "God, is Hillary really going to run?" and Democrats thinking, "God, are G.W. and Jeb really going to run?" so they each might have their reasons to support the bill.
 
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Midgard

I think the amendment would probably define the degree of relation before anything - after all, fifth cousin of a former president, or great-great-grandson living a century later would still be disqualified if it was phrased like this. So, chances are it would only restrict close relatives and immediate descendants, but would leave the door open for more distant relatives and descendants.
 

Max Sinister

Banned
So this would exclude: John Q. Adams, Benjamin Harrison, Eleanor Roosevelt, several Kennedies, Dubya & Jeb, Liddy Dole (in an ATL...), Hillary... not sure about FDR.
 

Tom Veil

midgardmetal said:
I think the amendment would probably define the degree of relation before anything - after all, fifth cousin of a former president, or great-great-grandson living a century later would still be disqualified if it was phrased like this. So, chances are it would only restrict close relatives and immediate descendants, but would leave the door open for more distant relatives and descendants.
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OK, I added the word "immediately" to the amendment to eliminate this concern.
 

Othniel

I bet I could find blood and marriage connections between most major poltical famillies in the last 200 years.
 

David S Poepoe

Banned
Heart of Darkness said:
It might have a chance of being placed in the original constitution, but after that, unlikely.
Click to expand...

Highly doubt that. One has to keep in mind the class from which the Founding Fathers were members of. Who wants to have someone elected from the Unwashed Masses? Governance is best left to those that know how to govern. Patriarchical sure, but its a system that works. It would be fair to extend such restrictions to the Senate and House of Representatives.
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
It wouldn't be likely to become part of the Constitution at any time, but getting it as an Amendment would even be more difficult that during the initial drafting of the document.

These days it would be impossible to get 3/4's of the states to ratify this.
 

NapoleonXIV

Banned
The smallest degree of consanguinity possible is 32nd degree cousin. Think of that, you and pygmy natives of the Itruri, the inuit, hell, the Tasaday, are relatives.

Given the fairly close connections between wealthy and powerful families under any circurmstances, and then given the circumstances of America in 1787, you'd be hard put to find people who weren't as closely related as you specify.

You're really knocking out half the candidates until about 1812, all to keep Hillary from having a go in 2008:D
 

marl_d

IRC there are like 6 persident that all have the same decendent, a guy from NY, but i know, the Bush's, Lincon, Nixon, and a couple others are all direct decendents of this guy, so the amendment would have had a Huge effect on the presidency almost from the get go
 

Midgard

Of course, if the amendment only prohibits children and siblings, by blood or marriage, of a living or a former President, then it would be less of an issue - it might be extended to grandchildren, but even then, it would only stop people like John Quincy Adams and Dubya from Presidency - maybe a few that married Presidents' daughters, but probably not that many more.
 
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