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Clinton-Clinton: the Dem's strongest ticket?

By Lawson English - May 24, 2008, 7:06PM

She could always nominate her husband if she won. Can't beat THAT name recognition....

Comments (13)

Actually, the former President is constitutionally prohibited from running again.

But... these people being "Clintons" ... would just claim that the Constitution of the United States doesn't apply to them. And that the first two Clinton terms don't count.

Posted by Jade7243
May 24, 2008 7:20 PM | Reply | Permalink

Of course they don't count, that was a different millennium, you silly!

Posted by codegen86
May 24, 2008 7:23 PM | Reply | Permalink

You are so right... That happen back in years starting with 19--. Now that we're in years starting with 20-- what happened then does not apply to now. How could I have forgotten that...

Posted by Jade7243
May 24, 2008 7:37 PM | Reply | Permalink

you said, "Actually, the former President is constitutionally prohibited from running again."

In fact, experts interviewed by the Washington Post believe Clinton is eligible to run for vice-president.

"Three former White House lawyers consulted by The Washington Post (two who served President Bush and one who served Clinton) agreed that the amendment would not bar Clinton from the vice presidency. A federal judge, who noted that he has "no views on the matter," said the plain language of the amendment would seem to allow Clinton to "become president through succession."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/19/AR2006101901572.html

Posted by truthseeker77
May 24, 2008 8:10 PM | Reply | Permalink

TS77 - Thanks for the link.

It seems to me that anyone serving as President for more than two terms (except for the caveats mentioned in the Amendment) is clearly contrary to the intent of the Amendment.

AMENDMENT XXII
Passed by Congress March 21, 1947. Ratified February 27, 1951.

Section 1.
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. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this Article was proposed by Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

Section 2.
This article shall be inoperative unless it shall have been ratified as an amendment to the Constitution by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years from the date of its submission to the States by the Congress.

If one wants to argue the law, one can always find people willing to argue either side. I find Posner's arguments more compelling, myself.

With all of that said, we all know it's not going to happen so it's an academic exercise. ;-)

Posted by metamorphicH2O
May 24, 2008 9:15 PM | Reply | Permalink

That is a possibility. There is no clear answer as to whether Clinton can run for the vice-presidency or not.

Posted by truthseeker77
May 24, 2008 7:24 PM | Reply | Permalink

If you can't serve as President, you can't serve as Vice-President. Bill can't serve.

Posted by metamorphicH2O
May 24, 2008 7:32 PM | Reply | Permalink

There doesn't seem to be anything in the constitution that requires that a vice president be eligible to be president. It appears a vice president could not become president, according to Article 2, unless he/she is 35, a natural citizen, and a resident for 14 years, but these restrictions do not apply to being elected vice president. If someone meets these 3 requirements, there seem to be no other restrictions - Bill could run for vice president, and he could succeed a president who leaves office during the elected term.

Posted by Will*M
May 24, 2008 9:16 PM | Reply | Permalink

I believe it would be constitutional... The 22nd amendment only limits being "elected" to the office of the President. I don't see how the wording of that could prohibit someone from being VP.

Posted by Trailerville
May 24, 2008 7:54 PM | Reply | Permalink

No matter how you slice the legalese, the idea puts a chill in the spine.

Posted by out of the loop
May 24, 2008 11:08 PM | Reply | Permalink

Asking Bill Clinton to be your Vice President would be like Jennifer Aniston asking Angelina Jolie to be her maid of honor.

Posted by Wade Hussein Blazingame34
May 24, 2008 11:19 PM | Reply | Permalink

The 22nd Amendment would not prohibit Bill Clinton from running for Vice President. But it does make him "constitutionally ineligible" to run for President. And the 12th Amendment provides that "no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President." Therefore he is not eligible to be Vice-President either.

If she had become the nominee, this would actually have been a shame. Some other poor schmuck would have to run for and hold the title, which would be ALL he would get, I'm sure.

I rarely quote (or even think about) Mitt Romney, but still have to applaud - and frequently repeat - his comment from one of the debates: "I can't imagine anything worse than the idea of Bill Clinton running around the White House with nothing to do!" Shudder!

Posted by Elizabeth2
May 25, 2008 2:41 AM | Reply | Permalink

Elizabeth2: I remember that line well... What a scandalous and sleazy thing for the prudish Mitt to say!

Posted by Wade Hussein Blazingame34
May 25, 2008 3:55 AM | Reply | Permalink

Coming Soon	Nov. 30-Dec. 4
January 12-16

Clinton-Clinton: the Dem's strongest ticket?

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