I don't really understand how the Presidential Pardon makes sense in our system of government.

[milestogo]

The president gets a stack of get-out-of-jail-free cards to use at will. If that person is a thoughtful, reasonable person then perhaps it makes the system a little more fair. But if that person has criminal tendencies of his own, its just going to be abused.

I'd like to do away with it, frankly.

[dewsgirl]

1. Not a snowballs chance in hell right now, but I hope Reality

Winner is on the Dem president's first things to do list, if things work out.

[onenote]

8. How would a Democratic president get rid of the pardon power

It's in the Constitution. A president could choose not to use it, but that's never going to happen, nor should it. There are instances where a pardon or clemency is warranted.

Do you object to Jimmy Carter's grant of pardons to thousands of Vietnam era draft evaders?

[dewsgirl]

10. Are you asking me?

[lapfog_1]

2. It is one of the powers left over from monarchy.

[customerserviceguy]

3. As I recall

from my poli-sci classes, it was a power designed to heal the nation. Of course, the founding fathers expected that it would be used wisely for that purpose.

[former9thward]

4. It is a check on the judicial branch.

It should be there. Opponents of every president have claimed he abused it. That goes with the territory. It was placed in the Constitution for a good reason.

[bluestarone]

5. This president will

ABUSE the hell out of this for sure!

[unblock]

6. by the time he is through, we will very much want presidential pardon power

imagine if donnie and barr and the rest of these bastards fabricate charges and fake trials and convictions for half the democrats in washington!

if there's ever a democratic president, we'll want that person to be able to undo a lot of damage!

[UTUSN]

7. One more bit of 18th Century antiquated irrelevance in the Constitution

It's a remnant of Royalism, divine right. But most of all, it is totally UNFETTERED POWER. For SHITLER, it is his wielding of unquestioned power, about the only real power he can claim is legitimate under the Constitution. The ultimate orgasm for him that nobody can challenge.

[onenote]

9. So you think Carter shouldn't have had the power to pardon Vietnam War draft evaders?

[UTUSN]

12. Come on. As in all things, equivalences can be made to be illogical. The point is one human having

total power. Without the celebrated "checks and balances" that were supposed to be an organizing principle of the Constitution. I was pretty clear that I am talking about unfettered power, anti-democratic Royal power. So since I'm saying that, it means I am against *all* Pardons done by one person's say-so. Whether there are morally protected classes for "good" vs "bad" Pardons is a separate and intricately open topic that I'm not addressing.

[Turbineguy]

11. The

Quality of Mercy.

Trump tarnishes everything.