Bill Clinton as VP?

Bob Hubbard

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He had 2 terms as president, but, would that bar him from being Hillary's VP?
Considering that many have said Hillary had more pull than Al Gore during Bills presidency, a Clinton tag-team would be an interesting combination.
 

Big Don

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You cannot serve as VP unless you are eligible to be President. He isn't.
 

jks9199

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You cannot serve as VP unless you are eligible to be President. He isn't.
Thankfully!

But... Even if he was, I rather doubt she'd go for it. She can barely control him as her husband on the campaign trail; I doubt she'd want him in any sort of position of authority during her administration.
 
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Bob Hubbard

Bob Hubbard

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That's what I thought, but I couldn't find the exact rule.
 

fireman00

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Amendment 22 - Presidential Term Limits

1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this Article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President, when this Article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this Article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.
 

elder999

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That's what I thought, but I couldn't find the exact rule.


Actually, it's unclear. It would be covered by the12th,and clarified by the 22nd and 25th Amendments, as the initial Constitutional provisions (12th) were unclear as well, however the 22nd Amendment, which governs term-limits for the Presidency, only says that no one may be elected more than twice, or serve more than a certain number of years having succeeded the President as V.P. It's not clear (and endlessly argued by some) whether or not the language limits someone who has sat as President for two terms from sitting as V.P., as they would not be "elected" if they were to succeed the sitting President due to incapacity or death. :

The Twenty-second Amendment, section 1
Section 1. No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once. But this article shall not apply to any person holding the office of President when this article was proposed by the Congress, and shall not prevent any person who may be holding the office of President, or acting as President, during the term within which this article becomes operative from holding the office of President or acting as President during the remainder of such term.

The 12th Amendment, which covers eligibility for V.P., only shows the same criteria as President: a natural citizen, with 12 year or more residency, at least 35 years of age.It's unclear whether it excludes someone who has been a two-term president from being vice president, as that person would not be "elected" to succeed-though it does use the language "Constitutionally ineligible to be President." It doesn't say "Constitutionally inelegible to be elected President," which a two-term President clearly is, under the 22nd Amendment. Unfortunately, it's still a somewhat muddy possibility, with the language used, that a two-term President could be elected Vice-President, and succeed or act in the place of an elected President.

In any case, it's unlikely to happen just because of the arguments that would likely arise from it. Just not a politically savvy thing to do.....she's much more likely to tag Obama.
 

tellner

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He was a better President than anyone since, well, Nixon. But we've had enough of him. And the sooner we end dynastic succession to the Presidency the better. It's just as well that he can't become VP.
 

Rich Parsons

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Actually, it's unclear. It would be covered by the12th,and clarified by the 22nd and 25th Amendments, as the initial Constitutional provisions (12th) were unclear as well, however the 22nd Amendment, which governs term-limits for the Presidency, only says that no one may be elected more than twice, or serve more than a certain number of years having succeeded the President as V.P. It's not clear (and endlessly argued by some) whether or not the language limits someone who has sat as President for two terms from sitting as V.P., as they would not be "elected" if they were to succeed the sitting President due to incapacity or death. :



The 12th Amendment, which covers eligibility for V.P., only shows the same criteria as President: a natural citizen, with 12 year or more residency, at least 35 years of age.It's unclear whether it excludes someone who has been a two-term president from being vice president, as that person would not be "elected" to succeed-though it does use the language "Constitutionally ineligible to be President." It doesn't say "Constitutionally inelegible to be elected President," which a two-term President clearly is, under the 22nd Amendment. Unfortunately, it's still a somewhat muddy possibility, with the language used, that a two-term President could be elected Vice-President, and succeed or act in the place of an elected President.

In any case, it's unlikely to happen just because of the arguments that would likely arise from it. Just not a politically savvy thing to do.....she's much more likely to tag Obama.


I agree that it is unclear.

I could easily see that it would be possible for Bill to be VP. And if that is the case and the President is no longer capable of carrying out his/her duties then he would be the President. The issue I see is that he would get the rest of the elected term and then be unable to run for the office again.

And until the US Supreme Court is required/requested to review such a case I do not think a final solution will be made.
 

elder999

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One more thing, though-the 12th Amendment says that the President and Vice-President cannot reside in the same state-this is for electoral college reasons. Bill could move to Connecticut, but he's not eligible in the meantime, as they both reside in New York.
 

Gordon Nore

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He had 2 terms as president, but, would that bar him from being Hillary's VP?
Considering that many have said Hillary had more pull than Al Gore during Bills presidency, a Clinton tag-team would be an interesting combination.

President Clinton addressed this question on Larry King several months back, saying it was not legal. He cited legal changes after President's John F. Kennedy's appointment of his brother, Robert, to the post of Attorney General.

Legalities aside, I think a formal political role for Mr Clinton would cast a shadow over Senator Clinton's presidency, should she win the nomination and the general election. Notwithstanding the power of so-called Clinton Dynasty, I suspect that many of Mrs Clinton's supporters are people who admire her for standing up to years of open discussion of her private life as the First Lady and then aggressively coming back into the spotlight as a US Senator.

Adding former President Clinton to the mix could undermine her in a couple of ways. Mr Clinton would be seen as a puppet master, there is no doubt in my mind that Americans would also be left to endure another four-to-eight years of discussion about infidelities.

If Mr Clinton becomes the (first) First Gentleman, I think that's when things really become interesting. Can he continue to conduct himself as former presidents do -- writing books about his Presidency, collecting millions of dollars annually in speaking and consulting fees, etc? Would these typical acts of a former president be problematic for the spouse of a sitting president?
 

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