Does the incumbent President of the United States always run for a second term if he wishes to do so, or can his party nominate a new candidate if they feel he isn't doing a good job?

Arpeggionist

The President, after serving a single term, may choose not to run for a second one. Presidents Harry Truman and Lyndon Johnson are good examples of presidents who chose not to run for another term though they could have. Also, George Washington chose to step down from the presidency after two terms, though there was absolutely no law requiring him to do so, and so set the precedent for the two-term limit on the presidency. (This limit only became law when it was signed in as the 22nd Amendment to the US constitution, but it is telling that only one president in history ran for a third term and won.) Jan 22 09, 5:51 PM

guitargoddess

Alright, but can, for example, the Democrat party nominate a new presidential candidate in 2012 even if Obama himself wants to run again? Jan 22 09, 7:11 PM

queproblema

The party does the nominating. Here's an example of a party abandoning its incumbent: "The incumbent President, Franklin Pierce, was defeated in his effort to be renominated by the Democrats, who instead selected James Buchanan of Pennsylvania;.." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election,_1856#General_election Jan 22 09, 7:21 PM

star_gazer

And more recently Jimmy Carter was closely challenged by Ted Kennedy in his attempt to be renominated in 1980. Carter went on to lose to Reagan in the general election. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=91000807 Jan 22 09, 8:18 PM

zbeckabee

An anti-incumbent vote is one exercised against elected officials currently in power. It allows the voters to register their discontent with sitting government officials, particularly when protesting against certain actions taken by the government or the elected officials in question. When invoked against a disappointing government, it can take two forms: 1. An in-party vote: when the voter votes for a challenger in the same party as the incumbent, usually in a Primary or Caucus election. 2. A cross party vote: when the voter votes for the challenger from an opposing party to that of the incumbent. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-incumbency Jan 23 09, 4:45 AM

elburcher

The party can nominate a new candidate,but it would most likely split the party, an example of this is Theodore Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party in 1912. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_Party_(United_States,_1912) Jan 23 09, 11:14 PM

queproblema

In 1912, Taft was the incumbent who was renominated. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._presidential_election,_1912 Chester Alan Arthur had Bright's disease. "This accounted for his failure to seek the Republican nomination for President aggressively in 1884. Nevertheless, Arthur was the last incumbent President to submit his name for renomination and fail to obtain it." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chester_Arthur Jan 23 09, 11:25 PM