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[Pitkin]

i voted for obama. if it weren't for the fact that FDR (aka the greatest president ever) had sealed the office time limit to 2 terms, i'd vote for him again. 

I don't know if that's what you meant, but FDR himself did not propose or drive any amendment to the constitution that would've imposed the term limits. I seem to remember that at least Jefferson had spoken about the importance of not electing the same person to be the head-of-state several times to avoid the country turning into a monarchy/oligarchy. This memory is of course not a personal one, as I was very young still when Tommy and George were active. :p

Towards the end of the 19th century though, the full-second-termers started one after another to seek re-election without ever succeeding in it...

... before FDR, New Deal, and the end to prohibition. He was popular enough, and when the war started, he was re-elected twice more, lastly in 1944, in order have someone already experienced in the office. Unfortunately, his health was a complete disaster towards the end of the war and he died some three months into his fourth term. If I'm not mistaken, it was only after his death that people remembered to think about the term limits, except of course for his political opponents who had - I'd venture a guess - surely deeply wished for a term limit since the end of the 1930s. One could say that the constitutional amendment is a legacy of his (death), but not something he himself drove forward. Did you possibly mean this interpretation, Choco?

edit: I should perhaps also state that I may be mistaken about FDR's role. I just don't remember reading about any initiative.

While I believe FDR had many characteristics of truly great presidents, I'm equally happy about the term limit that took place after him. I appreciate deeply the notion that a democratic country gets a bit of change and fresh air every now and then.

[stewartsage]

It is a direct result of Roosevelt's Presidency and a dislike of Harry Truman, though people didn't need to worry about him having more then one term. 

Personally, the two term limit is something I like, even if it did start as a simple custom to not exceed Washington's terms in the office.  Another personal opinion is that the Presidency is naturally predisposed to change more often then the houses of Congress do, which is where we really need term limits and have for more then two centuries.

[Simonorged]

I think it should be changed to 3, under the cercomstances that the third term must be bought with 85% of Citizen votes and 80% of the popular vote.

[Chocofreak13]

i like that system that simon proposed. if we had another term of clinton the country might be in better shape by now.

the limit in general is a good thing, though, since americans don't seem to like change very much. they claim they do, but considering we've fallen into a rough pattern of democrat -> republican -> democrat -> republican and we typically elect the president for 2 terms, it says to me that we as a country are uncomfortable with the notion of changing. that's why races get so heated when the old prez is kicked out for good. :\

@pit: yes, that's what i meant, thanks for clearing that up.

[alfonso_rd_30]

trust me on this one... having a refreshed congress doesn't mean better legislation...

[Chocofreak13]

true dat. i still consider obama a better leader than bush, but he has no backbone. >>;

[SleepyD]

It's funny if you try and place Romney and Obama on an objective political spectrum, their views are rather close relative to the whole scheme of things.
http://politicalcompass.org/uselection2012

This is a US election that defies logic and brings the nation closer towards a one-party state masquerading as a two-party state.

Incidentally, I seem to be aligned more with the likes of Nelson Mandela and the Dalai Lama.
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=-2.75&soc=-4.46

[Pitkin]

I'm very happy you brought up the lovely political compass, SleepyD!

http://ostan-collections.net/forum/index.php/topic,1446.msg96221.html

Erm... I'm in the same quarter too.

[SleepyD]

I remember taking it back in high school with an awesome world history teacher. I'm still in the same quadrant, but have drifted to be more libertarian since then, it seems like. I remember being a lot closer to like, -2,-2 before.

[NejinOniwa]

Seems I've drifted further out left, and slightly upward.

[Nichi]

I was thinking that whole compass thing looked familiar. I think I'll finally try it, since I must admit I ignored it the first time around (Since I was only just getting comfortable talking about my personal life on the internet)

[Pitkin]

Nejin, you extremist. x) I've obviously grown old, having moved (a neglectible bit) towards the centre in both scales.

[alfonso_rd_30]

mine's on the topic 'bout it

[Chocofreak13]

meeeeee
http://politicalcompass.org/printablegraph?ec=-6.75&soc=-4.87

[Simonorged]

Tatoos or no tatoos