WI no 22 amendment?

I'll agree that Reagan and Clinton are the most likely for a third term... but only if you can butterfly away Contragate and Monicagate... both of these scandals, plus the general exhaustion that entails being the President, would have prompted both men to decline going after a third term...
 
During his second term, Bill Clinton's approval ratings averaged 61%, and from 1999 until the end of 2000 (what would be the re-election season), they never dropped below the mid-fifties. His standing with the American people was, of course, helped by the Gingrich-led Congress.

So: without the 22nd amendment, Clinton is re-elected in 2000 at least as easily as in '96.

Would the running for a third term hamper some of his approval? He'd be the first person to do it since FDR and that's sure to bring up a lot of talk.
 

Gaius Julius Magnus

Gone Fishin'
Would the running for a third term hamper some of his approval? He'd be the first person to do it since FDR and that's sure to bring up a lot of talk.
Be kind of ironic. The first president to win a third term since FDR, also a Democrat, and would also see a major disastor in the beginning of the third term with 9/11 like Pearl Harbor for FDR
 
Just for the record, Richard Nixon had five terms in Watchmen, but only because Watergate never became pulic knowledge, and only because Dr. Manhattan won in Vietnam.
 
I think Eisenhower could totally have won another term, health problems aside. He did live till 1969 IOTL, after all.
 
Imagine if this goes back even further. What if FDR was the SECOND president name Roosevelt to run for more then two terms?
 

CalBear

Moderator
Donor
Monthly Donor
Reagan would have been President as long as he could form a full sentence. The guy was simply unbeatable. I never voted for him, but I have to respect his political savvy. He was able to simply shed any sort of negative event (hence his nickname of the Teflon President)

Assuming the Reagan Era didn't butterfly it away (which is likely) Bill Clinton would STILL be President. He would have filleted GW in any election (Gore's biggest screw up was pushing Clinton away), and the rest of the Republicans who have trotted out since would have barely qualified as speed bumps. Like Reagan, he was able to survive anything.
 

Kaptin Kurk

Banned
Ronald Reagan could probably have won a third term, judging by the fact that Bush I was able to win, although I don't know if RR's health would have allowed it. I don't think "Monicagate" would have kept Clinton from winning a third term either. It kept Gore from using Clinton in his campaign, but I tend to think that Gore, no matter the cirmcustances, underperforms Clinton, and while it may have been close, I think Clinton on the ticket would have swung several thousand votes in 2000, nullifying Bush.

The problem is, no one can even begin to truthfully imagine what a 3rd term for these presidents would have resembled, so history gets butterflied away.
 
Just for the record, Richard Nixon had five terms in Watchmen, but only because Watergate never became public knowledge, and only because Dr. Manhattan won in Vietnam.

Five terms would kill anyone. Four terms would kill most anyone. At least, those who are already of an age to be elected as reasonable candidates.
 
Five terms would kill anyone. Four terms would kill most anyone. At least, those who are already of an age to be elected as reasonable candidates.

A 42 year old could easily survive 20 years in office. It depends on a guy's previous medical history. Bill Clinton could probably not survive 4 terms, JFK probably couldn't either. But even Mitt Romney could survive at least three and Obama could survive 4 maybe 5. Just because the office makes a guy look older, and it does, it doesn't mean they'r going to drop dead. Obama looks like he's aged terribly, but there hasn't been any evidence of an actual health problem developing.
 

Gaius Julius Magnus

Gone Fishin'
A 42 year old could easily survive 20 years in office. It depends on a guy's previous medical history. Bill Clinton could probably not survive 4 terms, JFK probably couldn't either. But even Mitt Romney could survive at least three and Obama could survive 4 maybe 5. Just because the office makes a guy look older, and it does, it doesn't mean they'r going to drop dead. Obama looks like he's aged terribly, but there hasn't been any evidence of an actual health problem developing.
Well it all depends on what kind of issues and crisises you face during a 4 term presidency. Just look what 4 years have done to Obama
 
Well it all depends on what kind of issues and crisises you face during a 4 term presidency. Just look what 4 years have done to Obama

I'm going to reiterate what I said: . Just because the office makes a guy look older, and it does, it doesn't mean they'r going to drop dead. Obama looks like he's aged terribly, but there hasn't been any evidence of an actual health problem developing.
 
A 42 year old could easily survive 20 years in office. It depends on a guy's previous medical history. Bill Clinton could probably not survive 4 terms, JFK probably couldn't either. But even Mitt Romney could survive at least three and Obama could survive 4 maybe 5. Just because the office makes a guy look older, and it does, it doesn't mean they'r going to drop dead. Obama looks like he's aged terribly, but there hasn't been any evidence of an actual health problem developing.


The presidency has too much travel, stress, poor sleeping timetables for someone to survive such a long window in it.

Bill Clinton would have collapsed during a third campaign for major heart surgery and prolonged bedrest if he was lucky or dropped dead if he wasnt... the dude had 4 arteries blocked

Obama surviving 4 or 5 is not that bloody likely either; his mother died at 52, and he has smoked much of his adult life and also had horrendous eating habits; the only thing he has going for him is that he doesn't keep the horribly long hours and poor sleeping habits of Nixon and Clinton; he does actually take time off and call it a day at the end of the day
 
Top