Mega-Thread: Democratic 2020 Primaries

[Themius]

All thanks to her Superpac, she sure did a 180 on that.

She did not.

Her stance was super pacs need to disclose.

She literally asked her pac to disclose, they told her "No gurl."

How is this a mark against warren, is she now suppose to also control the pac?

[arandomuser]

The fact that biden had record turnout in south carolina, and specifically african americans, shows he can make the obama level turnout we need to win.

[Grapemask]

She did not.

Her stance was super pacs need to disclose.

She literally asked her pac to disclose, they told her "No gurl."

How is this a mark against warren, is she now suppose to also control the pac?

I'd hope not, because that would be illegal!

[Bodakane]

The fact that biden had record turnout in south carolina, and specifically african americans, shows he can make the obama level turnout we need to win.

The ONLY prayer he'd have is if he had a black VP.

[arandomuser]

The ONLY prayer he'd have is if he had a black VP.

well theres no rule obama cant be elected vice president again

[Rukh]

well theres no rule obama cant be elected vice president again

Actually there is. He can't be president again so he can't be VP again.

[arandomuser]

Actually there is. He can't be president again so he can't be VP again.

no you see he cant be ELECTED president, if hes vice president and joe died and he became prs-he wouldnt of been elected, i mean i guess obviously the supreme court would rule against him, but thats a literal interpretation of it.

[KrazyK923]

So I wonder what the DNC and/or Biden campaign promised him to drop out so suddenly.

[Teleros]

Early on I thought it'd be Pocahontas winning the nomination, but now it looks like a question of whether the DNC will screw Bernie again & give it to Biden, or whether they'll let Bernie take it. From what I've seen, Biden has more appeal to the black & Hispanic vote, but Bernie's more popular with the far left.

[Sorshen]

Pete manages to talk so much and not really say anything, I think it's kinda guaranteed he's gonna endorse Biden (in exchange for VP?) tomorrow.

[Grapemask]

no you see he cant be ELECTED president, if hes vice president and joe died and he became prs-he wouldnt of been elected, i mean i guess obviously the supreme court would rule against him, but thats a literal interpretation of it.

I remember reading this a long time ago. It's a pretty funny loophole because of how the 22nd amendment is worded. You can actually be president for as many terms as you like, but you can only be elected to two. I imagine if the US ever finds itself with a dictator trying to stay in power, they'll be using this wording to justify it.

[Endus]

no you see he cant be ELECTED president, if hes vice president and joe died and he became prs-he wouldnt of been elected, i mean i guess obviously the supreme court would rule against him, but thats a literal interpretation of it.

It's the 22nd Amendment. The operative language is the first part of Section 1 (the rest and Section 2 basically just describe who it will/will not apply to based on when/how it's ratified and established; it essentially no longer matters since that day is well past already) is as follows;

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.

There's two clauses in there;

1> No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and
2> No person who has held the office, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term someone else was elected president, shall be elected as President more than once.

Clause 1 is easy. You can't be elected more than twice.

Clause 2 adds the complication, and describes how it works if, say, a Vice President has to step into the role because the President has died. If they end up President with more than two years remaining in that term, it basically "counts" as a term for themselves, and they can't be elected more than once.

However, it clearly makes a distinction between people who have "held the office", or "acted as President", and who were "elected to the office". They're not the same thing, or we wouldn't need a second clause. And Clause 2 only prevents such individuals being elected to another term, as President.

So you're right; Obama can be elected as a VP. And then if his President has a heart attack a week after taking up the office, Obama could be President again for another nearly full term. He can't run for President for 2024, because he's already been elected twice and Clause 1 prevents that, but he could run as VP again, forever, theoretically. And keep taking up additional terms as President because the elected President dies early. That would be crazy and conspiracy theorists would run wild, but it would be legally justifiable, and there wouldn't be any grounds to oppose Obama's position as VP, or his taking over the Presidency in the aftermath of a tragic Presidential death.

SCOTUS would need grounds to oppose this, and the 22nd Amendment is really clear. You can't be elected as President again, if you've been elected twice, or once plus filling the role for more than 2 years of a term. By making that distinction in the second clause, that clearly means that's something other than being elected to the office, so such an event cannot be construed as breaching the two-term rule, which only applies to elections.

[Fabray]

It's the 22nd Amendment. The operative language is the first part of Section 1 (the rest and Section 2 basically just describe who it will/will not apply to based on when/how it's ratified and established; it essentially no longer matters since that day is well past already) is as follows;

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.

There's two clauses in there;

1> No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and
2> No person who has held the office, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term someone else was elected president, shall be elected as President more than once.

Clause 1 is easy. You can't be elected more than twice.

Clause 2 adds the complication, and describes how it works if, say, a Vice President has to step into the role because the President has died. If they end up President with more than two years remaining in that term, it basically "counts" as a term for themselves, and they can't be elected more than once.

However, it clearly makes a distinction between people who have "held the office", or "acted as President", and who were "elected to the office". They're not the same thing, or we wouldn't need a second clause. And Clause 2 only prevents such individuals being elected to another term, as President.

So you're right; Obama can be elected as a VP. And then if his President has a heart attack a week after taking up the office, Obama could be President again for another nearly full term. He can't run for President for 2024, because he's already been elected twice and Clause 1 prevents that, but he could run as VP again, forever, theoretically. And keep taking up additional terms as President because the elected President dies early. That would be crazy and conspiracy theorists would run wild, but it would be legally justifiable, and there wouldn't be any grounds to oppose Obama's position as VP, or his taking over the Presidency in the aftermath of a tragic Presidential death.

SCOTUS would need grounds to oppose this, and the 22nd Amendment is really clear. You can't be elected as President again, if you've been elected twice, or once plus filling the role for more than 2 years of a term. By making that distinction in the second clause, that clearly means that's something other than being elected to the office, so such an event cannot be construed as breaching the two-term rule, which only applies to elections.

If you were trying to create a “President for life” scenario, couldn’t whoever is elected just resign on their own after being sworn in?

[DarkTZeratul]

It's the 22nd Amendment. The operative language is the first part of Section 1 (the rest and Section 2 basically just describe who it will/will not apply to based on when/how it's ratified and established; it essentially no longer matters since that day is well past already) is as follows;

No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.

There's two clauses in there;

1> No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and
2> No person who has held the office, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term someone else was elected president, shall be elected as President more than once.

Clause 1 is easy. You can't be elected more than twice.

Clause 2 adds the complication, and describes how it works if, say, a Vice President has to step into the role because the President has died. If they end up President with more than two years remaining in that term, it basically "counts" as a term for themselves, and they can't be elected more than once.

However, it clearly makes a distinction between people who have "held the office", or "acted as President", and who were "elected to the office". They're not the same thing, or we wouldn't need a second clause. And Clause 2 only prevents such individuals being elected to another term, as President.

So you're right; Obama can be elected as a VP. And then if his President has a heart attack a week after taking up the office, Obama could be President again for another nearly full term. He can't run for President for 2024, because he's already been elected twice and Clause 1 prevents that, but he could run as VP again, forever, theoretically. And keep taking up additional terms as President because the elected President dies early. That would be crazy and conspiracy theorists would run wild, but it would be legally justifiable, and there wouldn't be any grounds to oppose Obama's position as VP, or his taking over the Presidency in the aftermath of a tragic Presidential death.

SCOTUS would need grounds to oppose this, and the 22nd Amendment is really clear. You can't be elected as President again, if you've been elected twice, or once plus filling the role for more than 2 years of a term. By making that distinction in the second clause, that clearly means that's something other than being elected to the office, so such an event cannot be construed as breaching the two-term rule, which only applies to elections.

It's actually very clear that Obama COULDN'T be elected as Vice President, because the 12th Amendment states, "...No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

[Sunseeker]

So I wonder what the DNC and/or Biden campaign promised him to drop out so suddenly.

I have the same question about Steyer, he seemed to be doing well, if not great for what was mostly his first showing, so to drop out so quick makes me wonder.

[arandomuser]

obviously i dont mean obama should literally run as VP it was just an interesting hypothetical, as for a VP pick for biden, maybe andrew gillum

[Grapemask]

It's actually very clear that Obama COULDN'T be elected as Vice President, because the 12th Amendment states, "...No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

Ah, but the wording of the 22nd is what's key. He's constitutionally ineligible to be elected president, but he's not constitutionally ineligible to be president. The 12th doesn't care about the election, just the being-president thing.

[Bodakane]

Pete manages to talk so much and not really say anything, I think it's kinda guaranteed he's gonna endorse Biden (in exchange for VP?) tomorrow.

If that happens and Biden gets nom, then Trump likely gets 4 more years.

[Theodarzna]

If that happens and Biden gets nom, then Trump likely gets 4 more years.

Likely? Pffft, I'd say its a forgone conclusion at that point.

[PACOX]

I have the same question about Steyer, he seemed to be doing well, if not great for what was mostly his first showing, so to drop out so quick makes me wonder.

Before we start getting into DNC shenanigans, Steyer and Pete were expected to drop early. Pete was expected to drop if he did bad in Iowa and NH. He thought he had a little momentum, Nevada and SC showed he didn't so he is out. It was SC for Steyer, and his deal breaker was not placing 2nd.

Now will Establishment pundits be up Pete's ass for him to give his delegates to Biden? That's a given.

if we want to go conspiracy theorists Amy is only staying in to hand off her home state to Biden.

- - - Updated - - -

It's actually very clear that Obama COULDN'T be elected as Vice President, because the 12th Amendment states, "...No person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."

No on truly knows until a two president is made a VP and the matter appears before SCOTUS.