# Senate President Pro Tem should not become US President

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-president-pro-tem-should-not-become-us-president/258280>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [August 4, 2004, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-president-pro-tem-should-not-become-us-president/258280 "2004-08-04T13:47:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\
**Post date:** [August 5, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/senate-president-pro-tem-should-not-become-us-president/258280/21 "2004-08-05T12:33:56Z")

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> [@MEBuckner](#):
>
> Including the leaders of Congress (Speaker and President Pro Tem) in the Presidential line of succession seems a little odd to me anyway, given that we have a presidential separation-of-powers system and not a parliamentary system with the executive responsible to the legislature.  
> .

I’m not sure why. As soon as he would become president, the speaker wouldn’t be a congressman anymore. Would you prevent Kerry for running for presidency because he’s a senator? One day senator, the next day president. What’s the difference with the speaker becoming president?

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