My Turn: Bush continues inauguration tradition
When George Bush took the Oath of Office Thursday, he continued the tradition of pomp and pageantry that has characterized our presidential inaugurations since 1789.
The first G.W., George Washington, took his Oath of Office on April 30, 1789. Hero of the Revolution, victor over the British, and “first in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen,” Washington would set many precedents for future presidents to follow. Few, if any, would reach his stature. Arguably, he could have been president for life. Instead, he chose to retire to Mount Vernon at the end of his second term.
In his famous farewell address, Washington warned the nation of the dangers of excessive partisanship and geographic disunity. He also cautioned against entangling alliances in foreign affairs. His sage advice was both timely and timeless. Unfortunately, it has been too seldom followed.
Two-term presidencies were the norm for nearly five decades following Washington’s precedent for presidential tenure. Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, and our own Andrew Jackson all served two terms. The notable exceptions were John Adams and son, John Quincy Adams.
The two-term trend was broken after Jackson for the next several years, as a total of 10 presidents failed to achieve that distinction. Abraham Lincoln was re-elected in 1864, but assassinated, ironically, on Good Friday, April 14, 1865.
From 1865 to 1945, only four presidents served two full terms. They were Ulysses S. Grant, Grover Cleveland (the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms), Woodrow Wilson, and Franklin D. Roosevelt. The other 11 were consigned, for the most part, to political obscurity. Two fell to assassin’s bullets (Garfield and McKinley). Harding died of a heart attack in 1923.
Franklin D. Roosevelt broke the George Washington precedent in a dramatically different way. He was elected to a third term in 1940 and a fourth term in 1944. Thus, FDR became the first, and by virtue of the 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the last president to serve more than two full terms.
Since 1945, only three presidents have served two full terms. They were Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton. All three probably could have served longer, but for the Constitutional limitation on presidential tenure. The other seven were not so fortunate. JFK was assassinated, Truman and Johnson chose not to run, and Nixon resigned, with the hounds of impeachment hot on his heels. Ford, Carter and the first George Bush were all defeated.
So, President Bush has now joined the elite circle of 16 presidents elected to two terms, thereby avoiding the fate of 26 others, including his father, who weren’t. What he does with this grand second chance remains to be seen.
However, this much seems clear, though often taken for granted. As President Bush faces the daunting challenges, both foreign and domestic, of a second term, he also continues another important tradition: the peaceful transfer or continuation of presidential power that has served our nation well, through war and peace, good times and bad, for 216 years. That, too, is a tradition worth celebrating and preserving.
Thomas B Vaughn is a politics and communications professor at Motlow College and co-host of the radio show “Viewpoints” on 91.3 FM.