I was thinking the other day about what would happen if George Washington had decided to run for a 3rd term in 1796. His relinquishing the presidency after 2 terms when in all likelihood he could have won a 3rd term set a precedent for all future presidents unbroken for almost 150 years and made a statement about democracy. For those of you more learned than myself on such things, if he hadn't set that precedent and been president for another term, how would it have affected things? How might he have handled the XYZ affair and the escalating situation with France? How would his death in 1799 changed things, being the first president to die in office, would John Adams become an acting president or assume the presidency outright? I think it's a very interesting idea and wanted to get some opinions.