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March 9, 2004
NEW RULES: POLITICS
It's been a while since I've proposed any new rules (for an explanation of the 'new rule' concept, click here). Today's proposed rules all revolve around politics. As always, feel free to chime in with new rules of your own.
New Rule #1: You cannot run for political office if you haven't first finished out the term of your current position (unless of course you're the incumbent running for reelection)... maybe it's just me, but I'm sick and tired of all of these United States Senators and Congress people abandoning their responsibilities to those who elected them just so they can run for higher office. If you're elected as the Senator or Congresswoman from such-and-such a state, you should be required by law to finish out that term. People voted for you to represent them for a specific reason and for a specific period of time; not so you could run for some other office while you're on the taxpayers' payroll.
New Rule #2: Similar to New Rule #1 (see above)... If you've been elected to represent a specific constituency (either at the state or federal levels), you may not seek or accept a position in the President's Cabinet or as an Under Secretary or Special Advisor for this-or-that for the reigning administration if you haven't first finished your other elected term. This one, too, should be a no-brainer, but time and time again elected officials jump ship for greener pastures, which totally invalidates the results of original election. You can't tell me that the only people qualified to fill Cabinet positions or other high-ranking posts are members of the U.S. House of Representatives or Senate, or even sitting governors. This great country of ours is packed to the gills with talented people who would be honored to bring new ideas and solutions to fruition.
New Rule #3: The United States President and Vice President should be elected separately from one another (not as a ticket)... OR... the Presidential candidate who receives the second highest number of votes in the general election is awarded the Vice Presidency: Bipartisanship is a wonderful idea, but rarely does it ever happen for the right reasons. Put a President and Vice President from opposing political parties into the same White House and we're bound to secure an administration that works on behalf of all of the people more of the time.
Posted by Mikal at March 9, 2004 6:48 AM
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For rule #3, go back to your history books and read about what happened when John Adams was president and Thomas Jefferson was vice-president, and what happened when Thomas Jefferson was president and Aaron Burr was vice-president. Why do you think the office has so little to do, and why do you think that the eleventh amendment was passed in the first place?
I think Leigh meant to say, "twelfth amendment," not 11th. Nonetheless, for those of us that are not as familiar with the amendments, here's the 12th:
"The Electors shall meet in their respective states, and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves; they shall name in their ballots the person voted for as President, and in distinct ballots the person voted for as Vice-President, and they shall make distinct lists of all persons voted for as President, and of all persons voted for as Vice-President, and of the number of votes for each, which lists they shall sign and certify, and transmit sealed to the seat of the government of the United States, directed to the President of the Senate;--The President of the Senate shall, in the presence of the Senate and House of Representatives, open all the certificates and the votes shall then be counted;--The person having the greatest number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice. And if the House of Representatives shall not choose a President whenever the right of choice shall devolve upon them, before the fourth day of March next following, then the Vice-President shall act as President, as in the case of the death or other constitutional disability of the President. The person having the greatest number of votes as Vice-President, shall be the Vice-President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed, and if no person have a majority, then from the two highest numbers on the list, the Senate shall choose the Vice-President; a quorum for the purpose shall consist of two-thirds of the whole number of Senators, and a majority of the whole number shall be necessary to a choice. But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States."
Proposal and ratification the twelfth amendment to the Constitution of the United States was proposed to the state legislatures by the Eighth Congress on the 9th of December, 1803; and was declared in a proclamation of the Secretary of State, dated the 25th of September, 1804, to have been ratified by the legislatures of 13 of the 17 States.
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