- #1
wasteofo2
- 477
- 2
Just curious, anyone know the legalities of this?
Can a former president be appointed to a cabinet position?
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Discussion Overview
The discussion revolves around the legalities and implications of a former president being appointed to a cabinet position. Participants explore various aspects, including political motivations, historical precedents, and the potential impact on a former president's image and legacy.
Discussion Character
- Debate/contested
- Exploratory
- Historical
Main Points Raised
- Some participants assert that a former president can indeed be appointed to a cabinet position, provided they have not committed felonies while in office.
- There is speculation about why former presidents do not often pursue lower political positions, with some suggesting it may be due to a desire to maintain their stature or ego.
- Others propose that former presidents might prefer lucrative opportunities such as writing books or giving speeches instead of returning to politics.
- A participant raises a question about the succession order and whether a former president who served two terms would be skipped over in the event of a crisis.
- Historical references are made to past presidents who returned to political roles, with some participants noting that this was more common before the two-term limit was established.
- Concerns are expressed about the potential anticlimactic nature of a former president taking a cabinet position, especially in light of how they wish to be remembered in history.
- Several participants reflect on the aging effects of the presidency, suggesting that the stress of the role may deter former presidents from seeking further political office.
- Specific examples of recent presidencies are discussed, highlighting the political dynamics and circumstances that may have influenced former presidents' career paths post-office.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants do not reach a consensus on the motivations behind former presidents not seeking cabinet positions, with multiple competing views presented regarding personal ambition, political strategy, and public perception.
Contextual Notes
The discussion includes various assumptions about the motivations of former presidents and the implications of their choices, but these are not universally agreed upon and remain speculative.
- #2
BobG
Science Advisor
- 352
- 87
Of course he can.
He can run for Senate. Run for House of Representatives. Run for City Council.
Well, at least he can provided he didn't commit any felonies in office.
He can run for Senate. Run for House of Representatives. Run for City Council.
Well, at least he can provided he didn't commit any felonies in office.
- #3
wasteofo2
- 477
- 2
BobG said:
Why the hell hasn't this been taken advantage of more often? Has every single president just been so sick of politics by the time they were done with office that they decided that the future of their country/state/city/town wasn't worth fighting for?
- #4
Janitor
Science Advisor
- 1,107
- 1
Would such a person, if he had served two terms, be skipped over in the scheme for successorship to the presidency in case both the president and the vice president... and so on, were disabled or killed?
- #5
Gokul43201
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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I think it's more about ego. To move into a lowly position makes you "lose stature". You want to reach the pinnacle, and go out with a bang - it's all about style, baby ! 
- #6
BobG
Science Advisor
- 352
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wasteofo2 said:
Why the hell hasn't this been taken advantage of more often? Has every single president just been so sick of politics by the time they were done with office that they decided that the future of their country/state/city/town wasn't worth fighting for?
A long time ago, before the US was a world power, this was taken advantage of occasionally (yeah, it's before the 2 term limit became official, but it was a tradition so strong that no one would have ever dreamed of breaking it before Roosevelt).
Nowadays, it would be a very anticlimatic ending for someone who was looking at how they would be remembered in history.
- #7
Janitor
Science Advisor
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BobG said:
No doubt. If I remember my schoolboy history, Andrew Jackson went back to being a Senator after he had been president.
- #8
Gokul43201
Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
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BobG said:
An ending in strong opposition to the weather ? Hey, just pulling your leg !
I know you meant 'anticlimactic'.
- #9
wasteofo2
- 477
- 2
Wow, so most of you think it would just be bad for the persons image to try it? I know if I were a politician who actually cared about changing stuff, and I was president for 2 terms, I'd become a Senator or Governor or something so I could keep changing things for the better. Guess most politicians don't care as much as I thought.
- #10
Robert Zaleski
It's more lucrative for them to write a book and run around the world making speeches. Here's one example: http://money.cnn.com/2004/06/09/news/bubbasbucks/wasteofo2 said:
Why the hell hasn't this been taken advantage of more often? Has every single president just been so sick of politics by the time they were done with office that they decided that the future of their country/state/city/town wasn't worth fighting for?
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- #11
DarkAnt
- 195
- 0
"It's more lucrative for them to write a book and run around the world making speeches. Here's one example"
exactly.
and after being president for 4 years you might want to take a break from real politics
exactly.
and after being president for 4 years you might want to take a break from real politics
- #12
BobG
Science Advisor
- 352
- 87
DarkAnt said:
Good point. Reagan and Clinton seemed to really enjoy being president, but that might be because Reagan fell asleep a lot and Clinton ...
Every other president has seemed to age very quickly during their time in office.
- #13
JohnDubYa
- 468
- 1
Just look at recent presidencies, example by example.
Hoover. Succeeded by a Democrat.
FDR. Died in office.
Truman. Succeeded by a Republican. Too old by the time JFK came to power.
JFK. Died in office.
LBJ. Succeeded by a Republican. Died before Carter came to power.
Nixon. Not likely to get a cabinet position after being pardoned.
Ford. Succeeded by a Democrat. Too old by the time Reagan came to power.
Carter. Succeded by a Republican. Too old by the time Clinton came to power.
Reagan. Too old.
Bush. Succeeded by a Democrat. A cabinet position would have been blatant nepotism.
Clinton. Succeeded by a Republican. (May end up with a cabinet position if Kerry wins).
Hoover. Succeeded by a Democrat.
FDR. Died in office.
Truman. Succeeded by a Republican. Too old by the time JFK came to power.
JFK. Died in office.
LBJ. Succeeded by a Republican. Died before Carter came to power.
Nixon. Not likely to get a cabinet position after being pardoned.
Ford. Succeeded by a Democrat. Too old by the time Reagan came to power.
Carter. Succeded by a Republican. Too old by the time Clinton came to power.
Reagan. Too old.
Bush. Succeeded by a Democrat. A cabinet position would have been blatant nepotism.
Clinton. Succeeded by a Republican. (May end up with a cabinet position if Kerry wins).