The 22nd Amendment

In 1944, Thomas Dewey, the Republican nominee for President, has this to say about a multi-term President:

“Four terms, or sixteen years, is the most dangerous threat to our freedom ever proposed.” (1)

Dewey was referring to Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt’s bid for a fourth term for President.  FDR ended up winning in ’44, but he died early in the first year of that term.  The support that Dewey and others gave to term limiting the President did not go unnoticed.  Limiting the President to two terms passed both houses of Congress in 1947.  In 1951, the 22nd Amendment was ratified by enough states for its official passage.  Since FDR, no President (with the exception of Harry Truman who was exempt from the Amendment) has been able to serve for more than two terms.

What do you think?  Should there be term limits on a President?  

— (1) For more information about the Election of 1944, you can find it here.

It’s a Presidents’ Day Celebration

In honor of Presidents’ Day, I’m displaying a list of the top 10 greatest Presidents as determined by the Siena College Research Institute Presidential Ranking Survey.  Results from that 2010 poll can be found here.

In their survey, the top rated President was Franklin D. Roosevelt, followed by Teddy Roosevelt, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson in the Top 5.  My list is in alphabetical order.

Who do you consider to be the country’s greatest President and why?  Take the poll and explain your answer.