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2009-05-21 Caribbean-Latin America

Colombia's Uribe now closer to a third term

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Posted by Steve White 2009-05-21 00:00|| || Front Page|| [2 views ] Top

#1 Well, FDR had FOUR terms. And before you say 'see, that proves extra terms are bad', do note that he did a better job (from my perspective) in the later years than the earlier ones.

Posted by Glenmore 2009-05-21 08:26|| 2009-05-21 08:26|| Front Page Top

#2 The trouble is that longer terms usually mean one of two things. The first is the obvious, that "El Supremo" has decided to become dictator for life.

The second is far less obvious. It is when a good leader thinks himself irreplaceable, or is so in love with his good ideas that he cannot bear to see them unfinished. But this overlaps with a leader who is good at everything but naming a good replacement.

In either case, either the fruit remains on the tree too long and is spoiled, or it is attacked from within by worms.

The best of leaders is the lucky one, who leaves at their peak, leaving both their supporters and opponents promising to do exactly what they did, but just a little differently.

An example of this was the first female president of Ireland, who became president right before the worst non-political problem in the country, the Catholic church, had a major scandal, so lost most of its political clout; and an economic boom, on which she got to ride on the crest of the wave.

She left office after her one term with a 94% popularity rating, and neither major political party even tried to put up a male candidate, and both female candidates promised to do everything she was doing, but more of it, and faster.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-05-21 10:55|| 2009-05-21 10:55|| Front Page Top

#3 He did better than his predecessors. He ended the drug whoo ha ha

Posted by newc">newc 2009-05-21 10:56|| 2009-05-21 10:56|| Front Page Top

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