Reply #30: Imagine this scenario.

[calmblueocean]

In December 2008, a major 9/11 scale attack takes place. Elections have been held, but the new president will not be inaugurated for a month. During this time, Bush is able to push through a restructuring of the executive branch of government, splitting the functions of the presidency into two distinct positions. The Presidency still exists, but the President of the United States can also be overruled by a new position, President of Homeland Security, whose sole job it is to manage the safety and war actions of the United States -- a "security czar" with the power to declare martial law, order wiretaps, detain and question suspects, etc.

The Bush administration argues that there is too much "government red tape" and that the "stakes are too high" for a single human being to manage both economic affairs and the security of the country any longer. Bush appoints a puppet crony to the position, and decrees that the holder of the position will appoint his own successor.

When liberals protest, they are accused of having a "pre-9/11" mentality, and news talking heads begin to debate the wisdom of having a single person in charge of both security and all the other duties a president has.

Bush leaves office on January 20th, 2009, but the office of the Presidency has been reduced to a mere figurehead. The Republican reign of terror continues indefinitely.

This is the sort of 'third term' scenario I can imagine, and it doesn't seem all that farfetched to me. What do you think?