Here’s what should be the ultimate bottom line when it comes to term limits, whether we’re talking FDR, Barack Obama, Sam Gibbons, Rick Scott or Bob Buckhorn. And, yes, this takes into consideration name-recognition advantages and fund-raising wherewithal. In short, we should let the electorate decide to limit terms by kicking out the self-serving and career-carving or retaining the hard-working and conscience-following.
Or don’t we, well, trust the electorate to do the right thing–because it requires voters to be, well, involved, informed and not easily pandered to by those always targeting the lowest common denominator? Especially in this era of “fake news” and validating, cherry-picked, partisan media. The challenges have never been more formidable to do, ironically, what’s in our own best interest.
Democracies shouldn’t accord “off-year”-election passes to rationalize embarrassingly low turnouts. They all matter–from mayor to governor to president. Don’t they?
Let’s limit laziness and gullibility–not incumbent terms.