# Heard a new one about Obama and the Constitution **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [November 13, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855 "2012-11-13T03:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/21 "2012-11-13T06:19:20Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Well, the conspiracy theorists must be getting bored with their old material. I just heard, in all seriousness, this one: “Obama wants to change the Constitution so he can be President for more than two terms.” I recall people talking on various right wing forums right after the election about how Obama is going to make himself “President for Life”. It’s a combination of paranoia and psychological projection I think; they’d have eliminated democracy and made Reagan or Bush into outright dictators if they could have, so they attribute the same disdain for democracy to the opposition. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/22 "2012-11-13T07:05:40Z")
> [@Chimera](#): > > No President of any political persuasion would be allowed to get away with this. Before they finished the speech (or within a couple of hours at maximum) there would be an announcement that “the President is a little tired and will be temporarily stepping aside while seeking medical treatement”. With or without his/her consent. > > No fucking way the rest of the government goes along with anything of the sort. > > EVER. Like I said, I’m glad that in hindsight I can say my concerns were foolish. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/23 "2012-11-13T07:24:16Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > I recall people talking on various right wing forums right after the election about how Obama is going to make himself “President for Life”. I was going to make a joke about “President for Life” in my post, but I decided it would be too stupid. Satire isn’t just dead: it’s been leapfrogged. And you are correct about projection. We understand others via a process of empathy. So a lot of loony accusations that conservatives make about liberals basically involve their guess of what they would do if they were in the other’s shoes. That and a belief that assertions are valid _per se_ while cites and substantiation are unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/24 "2012-11-13T07:47:51Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > I seem to remember hearing the same thing just about any time a president was elected to a second term. I for sure remember hearing it in 2004 when George Bush won his second term. > > Zev Steinhardt Does it never occur to anyone that the president does not have the authority to change the Constitution? Or are they thinking of a coup? (I know they were in W’s case.) ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/25 "2012-11-13T08:41:15Z")
What I always wonder is why these conspiracy theories always assume the president will wait until his _second_ term to abolish democracy and make himself Emperor of Americastan. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/26 "2012-11-13T08:49:31Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > If anyone has access to an English \<-\> Freaking Loon dictionary, please let me know how to tell these folks, “Get a grip!” Just remind them that Hillary is waiting in the wings for her turn as President and she’ll kill Obama if he tries to take an extra four years. This is the kind of argument that will make sense to them. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/27 "2012-11-13T09:30:13Z")
I don’t see what’s the big deal with term limits anyway. If they’re doing well and the public approves of them, let them stay. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/28 "2012-11-13T10:54:21Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Does it never occur to anyone that the president does not have the authority to change the Constitution? Or are they thinking of a coup? (I know they were in W’s case.) Near as I can tell, they seem to think that Obama is going to sneak into the Library of Congress late one night with a pen and some white-out and change the Twenty-Second Amendment to read “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice **except for Barack Obama because he’s awesome and can run as often as he likes LOL** ”. Then when he says he’s going to run again everyone will be like “No way, dude, you totally can’t do that” and he’ll be like “Yes way, dude - see, it says so right in the Constitution” and everyone will be like “Whoa, it so totally does.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/29 "2012-11-13T11:28:57Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Well, the conspiracy theorists must be getting bored with their old material. I just heard, in all seriousness, this one: “Obama wants to change the Constitution so he can be President for more than two terms.” > > If anyone has access to an English \<-\> Freaking Loon dictionary, please let me know how to tell these folks, “Get a grip!” If you take that statement at face value, it’s perfectly believable. I wouldn’t be surprised if he “wants” such a change. I would be surprised if he is acting to make it a reality. If you want to know how to talk to these guys, just do some searching of old threads here where folks were claiming that Bush was going to cancel elections or whatever to keep hold of the presidency past his 2nd term. It’s the same sort of mindset. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/30 "2012-11-13T11:31:04Z")
It’s quite likely in my opinion that if and when such an amendment were to pass, the person who is president at time of passage would be excluded, just as Harry Truman was excluded when the two limit term was imposed in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/31 "2012-11-13T12:18:09Z")
If there were to be a change in the Constitution regarding the Presidency, I hope it’ll be removing the requirement for natural-born citizens only and I hope that would be adopted quickly. Of course the same people who told me that bit I mentioned in the OP believe Obama wasn’t born in Hawaii. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![ads95](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5daacb/32.png) [@ads95](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ads95)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/32 "2012-11-13T12:56:49Z")
I recall this from 2004/5 as well. My thought at the time was “sounds good…I can’t wait to see Bill Clinton wipe the floor with George W. Bush in the 2008 Presidential debates”. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/33 "2012-11-13T18:52:34Z")
> [@ads95](#): > > I recall this from 2004/5 as well. My thought at the time was “sounds good…I can’t wait to see Bill Clinton wipe the floor with George W. Bush in the 2008 Presidential debates”. Well, if the people Monty knows are correct, you might still get a chance to see that in 2016. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/34 "2012-11-13T19:14:13Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > True. My concern at the time was more that the administration would go “Whoopsie! Look at that, a Red Alert! Impending terrorist attack! For everyone’s safety we will be postponing the election until further notice.” Even if the President could call off the elections, he has no authority to declare the 20th Amendment null and void, and his term would end on January 20, (year of election + 5). However, I’m pretty sure the President can’t call off the election, as (a) he has no say over how the states select their electors, and (b) the electors have a constitutional mandate to vote. Of course, if the Democrats really wanted Obama to serve a third term, [some of us believe there are other ways…](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=652566) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/35 "2012-11-13T19:14:59Z")
It’s predictable quadrennial nonsense. There’s no need to take it seriously. [Here’s another variant on the election-canceling conspiracy theory:](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=670247) > [@Frankenstorm hits on election day--what happens?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frankenstorm-hits-on-election-day-what-happens/639114/17): > > I predict there will be some states (the very heavily Dem ones) who will refuse to hold their elections the scheduled day, then sue on the basis of lack of equal protection (since their state’s votes wouldn’t count once the electoral process determined the winner without them). Not surprisingly, I expect 1 of these to be NY (with maybe 1 or 2 others to do so out of solidarity). I don’t think **benbo1** has acknowledged that he was absolutely wrong. But without missing a beat he’s alleging [“obvious election fraud”](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=672152) with [“120%” of eligible voters participating in some cities.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=15692365#post15692365) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/36 "2012-11-13T19:43:29Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > If there were to be a change in the Constitution regarding the Presidency, I hope it’ll be removing the requirement for natural-born citizens only and I hope that would be adopted quickly. **Ahnold in 2016!** 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/37 "2012-11-13T19:54:10Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Well, the conspiracy theorists must be getting bored with their old material. I just heard, in all seriousness, this one: “Obama wants to change the Constitution so he can be President for more than two terms.” Wait… **so what’s wrong with this?** Maybe he does want to change the Constitution to allow for a third term. In fact, I think it seems like a reasonable thing for him to want. He is still a relatively young man for a President - when elected he was the fourth youngest person to ever hold the office - and will be just 55 when his second term ends, which is younger than about half of the Presidents have been when they first took office. He’s energetic, ambitious, and seems to genuinely believe he can serve his nation well. So why would he not want to serve a third term? If in fact he could get the 22nd Amendment repealed, well, good for him. There’s not a chance in hell it will happen, but if he earns that kind of political capital in the next few years he’ll have earned that third term. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/38 "2012-11-13T20:07:36Z")
Isn’t it funny that a week and a half ago, one of the right wing talking points was, “Obama looks like he doesn’t even want a second term.” And now, apparently, he wants the job for life. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/39 "2012-11-13T20:09:06Z")
To expand on **RickJay** ’s point, presidents play no formal role in the Constitutional amendment process. Obama could barnstorm and advocate for an amendment all the livelong day, which might or might not work, but the actual approval or rejection of the amendment rests entirely with Congress and the states. So if the Constitution were amended that would suggest that a lot of people support the idea even if they didn’t want Obama to serve a second term, let alone a third. Of course people who think this way probably don’t expect a Constitutional amendment. They think Obama will either “suspend the Constitution” or declare martial law and remain president through some process they can’t quite explain because it doesn’t exist. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2012, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855/40 "2012-11-13T20:09:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Wait… **so what’s wrong with this?** Joe Biden would be president, 'cause Michelle would kill Barack? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heard-a-new-one-about-obama-and-the-constitution/640855.md?page=3)