Incumbency Quotes
Attributed. The earliest close match located by QI appeared in a column by Dick Nolan in “The San Francisco Examiner” of California in 1966. The comedian Robin Williams, 1951-2014, was also very successful with this line a century later.
The members of the Irish Parliament at that time were an almost permanent group. Their constituents, were uneducated, ignorant, and often dependent on the member and in fear of retribution if he were not elected. Like any legislative body of members or almost certain reelection, many of the members were corrupt and unaccountable.
Jefferson and a number of other Founding Fathers were so against aristocracy and monarchy that the assumed that the only way to prevent it was to have all government officials subjected to annual elections. Jefferson was not at the constitutional convention, while annual elections were considered, the compromise that became the Constitution required 2 year elections for the House and 6 years for the Senate with 4 years for the Presidency.
Ronald Reagan who had always preached “never attack a fellow Republican” challenged Ford, a sitting President.
Barstow the Democratic Governor who had no serious opposition in 1853 found himself challenged for reelection by Coles Bashford of the new Republican Party. The Board of Canvassers reported that Governor Barstow had won reelection but by less than 200 votes in the whole state. The Republicans charged that there had been fraud in some of the rural districts and petitioned the Wisconsin Supreme Court which ruled that nonexistent precincts had indeed voted for the Governor. The Barstow however refused to recognize the decisions of the court claiming that the court had no jurisdiction over the Board of Canvassers who were part of the executive branch. The Republicans held their own inauguration and two men claimed to be Governor. But the Governor claimed that the state constitution did not give the court any authority to deal with the crisis, He even called out the State Militia to maintain his office and intimidate the Supreme Court and keep the “other governor” from the state house. Nonetheless the court ruled that even the Governor had to obey the law and the Supreme Court would determine what the law was. Barstow finally “resigned.” See {587917} & {587914}.
The President’s party in Congress stands election every two years, so the president only has a little more than a year to get tough things done. The mayor, in contrast, had a four term and because he was a bipartisan independent representing both parties, didn’t need to campaign for his party members on the City Council. Therefore, he thought, that it was easier for him to take a controversial position and spend the time to persuade the people and build support for the position.
Term limits were one of the items on the Contract with America which most Republicans soon repudiated—especially when their term limits were impending.
When he became president himself, he not only served 10 years but changed the constitution so that he could serve forever and was still President over 20 years later. See {636079} for a similar view of term limits
“Rotation” was the word for “term limits.” The Constitution was amended to limit the President to 2 terms, but there is not yet a limit on senators. What is interesting is that Jefferson did not include members of the House of Representatives in his call for term limits. Yet today, they are the ones who are the most entrenched.
