If he gets the nomination, should Joe Biden pledge to serve a single term in his acceptance speech?

[AdamGG]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by NancyBlueINOklahoma (a host of the General Discussion forum).

I believe the only person to have ever done this was Teddy Roosevelt when running for re-election in 1904 (his 1st elected term, since he became President when McKinley was shot). TR won re-election in a landslide.

My thought is that it could play really well if Biden did this, especially if nothing about it leaked out and it was a surprise during his convention acceptance speech. He could say that he was going to focus for 4 years on re-establishing American institutions and foreign alliances in the wake of Trump and not on political considerations of getting re-elected. It could help alleviate concerns about his age if he made clear that he was only going to serve for one 4 year term.

I realize that lame ducks often have less political leverage, so there's that, but in terms of getting elected, I think it would be a positive. The public would have a clear choice between 4 more years of Trump or a 4 year single term of Biden. If it was a surprise announcement at the convention, it would get massive coverage and give him a huge bounce.

[Ptah]

1. Is Joe Biden a candidate?

[Me.]

2. Hell No

Don't want a lame duck president and why run is you can only do a single.

[AdamGG]

7. Would you favor it if polling showed that he would win by a larger margin

and carry more downballot seats on his coattails?

[tinrobot]

13. I seriously doubt polling would show that.

Regardless, it would be a sign of weakness. Not good in an election.

[LakeArenal]

21. No. There is no scenario where he should agree to one term.

[snowybirdie]

3. Hell no!

Why tie one hand behind your back at the starting gate?

[USALiberal]

4. This belongs in primary forum! Nt

[AdamGG]

6. I said "if he gets the nomination and announces it in his acceptance speech"

I view this as a post-primary scenario. The concept is not about competition among the primary participants. It is a possible strategy against the Republicans in the general election IF the current polling leader gets the nomination.

[JHB]

10. Does not matter. This is not the first "post-primary scenario", and it will be locked like the rest.

It's a hard-barrier rule, because otherwise there's just too much blurring and bleed-through, and people start fighting about why one was allowed and not another.

[LakeArenal]

22. Exactly. It happened to me and I don't feel mine was a primary only topic

But it was determined it was.

[PJMcK]

5. What kind of question is that?

Should Senator Sanders or Senator Warren make similar pledges?

Sorry, AdamGG, but your question is simply silly.

[wryter2000]

14. In defense of the poster

I've heard this suggested elsewhere. I do agree it's a really dumb idea.

[LakeArenal]

23. And they got pushback then.

It’s not going to happen.

[Codeine]

8. Fuck that.

Literally no reason whatever for him to make such a promise.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

12. If he did... that's just another reason to not vote for him in the primary.

In either case, I'd rather go with re-electing President Sanders in 2024!!


Bernie/Elizabeth or Elizabeth/Bernie 2020!!
Either way, they're stronger together & can't be bought!!
Jump on the Bernie Bandwagon & join the revolution!!

[Codeine]

18. That isn't the point of this thread

and should be limited to the appropriate subforum.

[happy feet]

9. NO

Why even bring this up.

[dmr]

11. Hell NO!

No strings attached. This is America!

[NBachers]

15. NO

[Jirel]

16. HELL NO!

Look, if he's truly planning to be a 1-term wonder, he needs to bow out of the race now. We do not need a lame-duck candidate or a lame duck president. Announcing it is a great way to immediately shoot himself in the foot. Further, announcing at the convention would be a horror story. At that point it would cause a crisis. This would be the absolute worst debacle imaginable.

[MineralMan]

17. No. He shouldn't. nt

[bluestarone]

19. Dumb question in my mind BUT i will answer

HELL FUCKING NO!!!

[LakeArenal]

20. Hell to the NO.

[DFW]

24. Certainly not

If such a scenario should present itself, let him say so after he has had time to settle into office, and let his VP establish herself (or himself, though I bet it would be a herself).

As for your getting your knuckles rapped for bending rules, hold your head up high whether your thread gets locked or not (and I'm hoping it won't). The Primaries board has predictably devolved from a forum for discussing the different positions of the various candidates to a sniping and/or cheerleading forum, where you either get zapped for supporting the "wrong" candidate, or inundated with endless polls that say what the poster wants them to, or a calendar of some candidate speaking to a screaming crowd of dozens at an Iowa pig-and-corn roast in a suburb of Sioux City. Their positions on education, environment, defense, commerce, foreign relations, immigration, water quality, etc. remain mostly in the background if not ignored altogether. Like Stills sang over 50 years ago: "Mostly say Hooray for our side."

Even if I didn't agree with its premise, your post asked a question worthy of rational discussion, so it definitely belonged anywhere BUT the Primaries board, as far as I'm concerned.

[lpbk2713]

37. I agree with your view on the pointlessness of the Primaries Forum.

But it does serve a purpose. It keeps the other forums from being cluttered with those Junior High School food fights. I can't recall the last time I was called to a jury to vote on a post was anything other than the Primaries Forum.

[Owl]

25. No. That would be silly.

[JustAnotherGen]

26. Nope

[awesomerwb1]

27. No. He should pledge to serve three terms

[Firestorm49]

28. Why on Earth would he?

[redstatebluegirl]

29. Nope!

[SlogginThroughIt]

30. I will take No for $1000 Alex.

[getagrip_already]

31. people have talked about a const amendment to limit terms to 1 six year position

But after seeing trump, that's a really bad idea. I am even warming up to calling early elections.

But no to a single 4 year term.

[Hekate]

32. Brilliant idea! Lame Duck from Day One!!!

Jesus Christ on a Trailer Hitch.

Also, post this nonsense in the Primaries Forum

[marybourg]

33. After he's already gotten the

nomination? What would be the point of that?

[lunatica]

35. Hell no!

Ageism is raising it’s ugly head a lot these days.

[lunatica]

38. What are you talking about?

[maxsolomon]

39. Welcome to DU, Adam GG, if that is your real name.

Thanks for your suggestions.

[OKNancy]

40. Biden is a primary candidate. Locking

It doesn't matter if this is post-primary, sorry

Please refer to this post:
https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1013&pid=9260