# What if Leonard Peltier had been elected President?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [November 4, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077 "2004-11-04T23:15:26Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077/1 "2004-11-04T23:15:26Z")

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[Peltier’s homepage](http://www.peaceandfreedom2004.org/lpeltier/)

Putting aside the question of whether he was wrongfully convicted or not, the fact remains that he is currently serving time in the Leavenworth federal prison. What would have happened if he had actually won?

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077/2 "2004-11-04T23:23:43Z")

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Well, I’m sure his first act as President would have been to pardon himself.

Actually, what is your general question? Is it legal for an inmate to be elected?

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 4, 2004, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077/3 "2004-11-04T23:24:44Z")

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Eugene Debs ran for president while in prison. He did fairly well too.

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**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077/4 "2004-11-05T01:35:56Z")

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> [@ShibbOleth](#):
>
> Actually, what is your general question? Is it legal for an inmate to be elected?

Er, yeah. Pretend I said that.

Some states take away your right to vote if you are a felon, so I thought that meant that you would also be ineligible for public office.

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [November 5, 2004, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-leonard-peltier-had-been-elected-president/273077/5 "2004-11-05T03:44:27Z")

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Since the qualifiications to be president are spelled out in the Constitution and there is no restriction against a felon or inmate being elected, I would assume Peltier can be president.

Congress can’t pass a law narrowing the qualifications for President.