One reader suggested he run for President again. Sorry, but the 22nd Amendment says he can’t get another bite of the apple, and there weren’t any loopholes for leaving office and trying again. Can Carl ever be President again? Interesting question. Here’s the relevant wording (the rest is simply some legalese that says that it doesn’t apply to Truman & it has to be ratified):
“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.”
It is very short and to the point. Carl served more than two years of GWB’s term, so he could only run for President one time. There are no exceptions for leaving office and then running again. He can’t be elected President again, end of story.
It gets better. The last sentence in the 12th Amendment says, “But no person constitutionally ineligible to the office of President shall be eligible to that of Vice-President of the United States.” If the 22nd Amendment makes Carl ineligible to run again, then the 12th Amendment means he can’t sneak in another way