The second-term curse
It is almost a truism that second terms are less successful than first terms, especially domestically. Franklin Delano Roosevelt lost his hold on Congress with his 1937 plan to pack the Supreme Court. Ronald Reagan faced the 1986 Iran-contra scandal. Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998. Richard Nixon resigned to avoid that fate in 1974. …
One is that presidents try to push their best ideas when they first take office, often leaving them, he said, without “a whole new set of ideas” for the second.
Presidents also select the best members of the White House staff or cabinet when they first take office. When the pressure cooker of Washington or better jobs lead those first choices away, their successors are often not their equals. …
Second-term presidents are also lame ducks, parrying ambitious would-be successors in the opposition and in their own party. Dwight Eisenhower often complained of the recently enacted 22nd Amendment, limiting presidents to two terms. But earlier presidents faced the same problem, because tradition back to George Washington had established the same term limit, until Roosevelt ran for his third term.
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Own it.
-Wasteland Man.
WastelandMan on November 9, 2012 at 10:34 AM
FIFY
Glenn Jericho on November 9, 2012 at 10:35 AM
2012 pretty much defeated the CW. Barry won despite the economy being in the hole, governing like a moron for four years, and being just a very, very unpleasant person.
Who knows what other horrors will befall the republic now that the messiah has more time to play golf on our dime.
I’m starting to wonder, with all of these GOTV problems, if Romney wasn’t internally sabotaged. The incompetence of it all was truly breathtaking, and we all know the Bush’s want to claw their way back to the White House:
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20121109/DA2E8UH83.html
I’ll go fetch my tinfoil hat.
Punchenko on November 9, 2012 at 10:36 AM
Well, since the first term was such a rip roaring success, I can’t wait to see what the 2nd brings. We’ll probably see unemployment over 9% by this time next year, at least.
changer1701 on November 9, 2012 at 10:36 AM
oh, poor barry is going to have a hard time in a 2nd term… just makes me soo sad
gatorboy on November 9, 2012 at 10:38 AM
I don’t really believe Romney was outright sabotaged, but I’m sure the Jeb 2016 people (and the Christie 2016 people) were hoping he would lose.
Doomberg on November 9, 2012 at 10:39 AM
I know that I’m going to be cursing through this second term.
Left Coast Right Mind on November 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM
It’ll be over 9% next month…even using their fake freaking numbers it’ll be over 9%…
Tim Zank on November 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM
Already making excuses for Dear Leader. You wanted it NYT..you own it.
HumpBot Salvation on November 9, 2012 at 10:41 AM
The curse on America started about 4 years ago and will continue another 4….at least.
albill on November 9, 2012 at 10:42 AM
If that’s the case with Bark then we are more screwed than we thought. How do you possibly do worse than Van Jones, Turbo Tax Tim, and Sebelius?
Bishop on November 9, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Yeah,
The US is cursed with a second term of this SCoaMF as President.
ProfShadow on November 9, 2012 at 10:44 AM
Yep. It doesn’t matter what happens in Obama’s 2nd term. Most people will never hear about it and if they do won’t care about it. Turn out the lights.
Kataklysmic on November 9, 2012 at 10:45 AM
Already tempering expectations.
Try as they might, voters will expect a big turnaround, and soon.
You guys think Bush’s approval rating got bad in his second term?
Heh.
blatantblue on November 9, 2012 at 10:46 AM
Roosevelt lost Congress in 1938 because the economy tanked, again! Get ready folks, it’s all starting to look very similar.
Harpoon on November 9, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Yep, gonna get bad for sure. If we don’t nominate RINOs and foot-in-mouth artists for Senate in 2014, we start by taking that body back.
22044 on November 9, 2012 at 10:55 AM
It will be blamed on the Republican obstructionism in the house and the mouth breathers will believe it. A majority of the electorate still blames Bush for the economy.
Kataklysmic on November 9, 2012 at 11:02 AM
Yup , burn them down.
the_nile on November 9, 2012 at 11:06 AM
Its the only way. Pain.
the_nile on November 9, 2012 at 11:07 AM
There will be screaming for a while. It’s part of the journey to rock bottom. We will have to endure it to the end.
22044 on November 9, 2012 at 11:12 AM
I’m on to my personal “Plan B.” I plan to deprive these jacks of any tax money I can. Since I am currently paying $500 per month in car payment, gas and insurance just to drive to work, I will be looking close to home and to accept an income drop of $500 per month AT LEAST. I’m the 50K employee. What is there for me to improve on? At least I won’t have to buy a new car every couple of years if I stop driving so far to earn a living.
I also plan on taking my SS (if there is such a thing LOL) at 62 now rather than 65 or 67.
I haven’t completed all the details in my head yet, but I am planning a total life change because of this. Gas is just going to get more expensive and so is food and everything else. Time to downsize.
NJ Red on November 9, 2012 at 11:14 AM
We need to turn Texas into Galt’s Gulch. Everyone in Austin will have 30 days to vacate.
/Only half joking.
Kataklysmic on November 9, 2012 at 11:15 AM
Nah, these low-info voters forget everything. Look how fast they forgot how Obamacare was shoved down our throats. They voted the throat-shover right back into office and they are HAPPY about it.
I say refuse to agree to anything right now while there are two years out there that the morons will forget. There is going to be so much outrage that “obstructionism” won’t even matter when the sh!t hits the fan.
NJ Red on November 9, 2012 at 11:17 AM
It is almost a truism that America would never elect a racist dog eating communist.
But Barky outperforms expectations.
If you want your fiscale collapse you can have your fiscal collapse. That’s change you can believe in.
I think he’s going to exceed expectations by doing something truly historic like nuking Utah.
CorporatePiggy on November 9, 2012 at 11:20 AM
You bought it, you own it. Considering how swimmingly his first term went, this one ought to be a dream ride, right?
/jerks
Ward Cleaver on November 9, 2012 at 11:22 AM
When did The Onion buy the NYT?
What, they’re serious?
Kraken on November 9, 2012 at 11:45 AM
Part of the “curse” this time might be that now that the MSM has done it’s job twice to get him elected, they now might start having a little fun actually reporting on some scandals. Like how they protected Clinton until a nice, juicy sex scandal was good for business.
Obama’s safe, even if he’s impeached, so what, he’ll still serve out his term and get all the perks and paid speeches after the fact.
And that’s if our House has the guts to even whisper impeachement, which they obviously don’t.
The press gets to attempt to get back some of its “objectivity” for doing some more reporting since they already placed the child king beyond danger of accepting consequenses for his actions.
Hey, I know there’s no possible way, but I already have a sore back from the football being yanked out of the way at the last second again, a guy can dream can’t he?
DrAllecon on November 9, 2012 at 12:29 PM
You are incredibly optimistic. I’m thinking it will hit 10% no later than the end of February 2013, once 0bamacare kicks in and the Bush tax rates expire.
UltimateBob on November 9, 2012 at 12:29 PM
I’m with Rush. The GOP in Congress should give Obama every single thing he wants without opposition. Just announce it. Literally every single thing he or the Democrats in Congress ask for, Republicans will either support or not block. For the next two years at least.
I’m dead serious.
Let the American people see and feel the results of Obama’s policies and the fact that Republican “obstructionism” was the only thing keeping us from totally drowning these last two years.
Shump on November 9, 2012 at 1:30 PM
I’m convinced Barry didn’t even want a second term. Why should he? He doesn’t want to work, the pension’s in place, the Hawaii mansion all built. This guy is going to bunker up big time by the end of next year. He’ll be too terrified to poke his head out. Here’s a guy in over his head in the shallow end, and here comes a twenty foot wave.
teacherman on November 9, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Make his second term hell. No compromise, I wanna see that bastard wheep.
Valkyriepundit on November 9, 2012 at 1:43 PM