310 CHAPTER 10|THE PRESIDENCY
as it would remind voters of unpopular proposals championed by
Obama, such as health care reform and the economic stimulus legisla-
tion, both enacted in 2009.GOING PUBLIC
The president would appear to be in an excellent position to communi-
cate with the American people because of his prominent role and the
extensive media coverage devoted to anything he says to the nation.
Broadcast and cable networks even give the president prime time
slots for his State of the Union speech and other major addresses. The
media attention that comes with the presidency provides the presi-
dent with a unique strategy for shaping government policy: the ability
to go public, or appeal directly to American citizens, in the hopes of
getting the electorate to pressure members of the House and Senate to
do what he wants.^38
Presidential appeals are partly designed to persuade, but they also
serve to bring an issue that the president considers important to the
attention of citizens who already share his views, in the hope that they will urge
their elected representatives to support his requests. However, going public is often
counterproductive—while it may energize supporters, it has a similar eff ect on
opponents.^39 Thus, rather than facilitating compromise (or a wholesale presidential
victory), going public often deepens existing confl icts. As a result, while presidents
might want to shape public opinion by going public, in general they fi nd it hard to be
successful.^40 Going public may also have political consequences for the president. It
can alienate members of Congress, as it represents an attempt to go over legislators’
heads to reach the American people directly, thereby forcing Congress to agree with
the president without the benefi t of the usual bargaining and negotiations.^41
President Obama’s experiences illustrate the limits and possibilities of going
public. During the campaign, his organization made excellent use of social net-
working sites and e-mail to stay in contact with millions of supporters.^42 This
crucial mobilization network helped Obama win the nomination by dominating
caucus elections where turnout is low and candidates need to get supporters to
the polls. The network proved less useful as a way to lobby Congress in favor of
Obama’s proposals, such as health care.Presidential Succession
Under the Constitution, presidents are limited to two full terms in offi ce. A vice
president who becomes president in between elections can, if re-elected, serve
two more full terms if he or she takes over during the second half of his predeces-
sor’s term; otherwise they can serve only one additional term. Under the Twenty-
Fifth Amendment, a vice president can also temporarily take over as president, a
procedure used in 2007 when President George W. Bush had a medical procedure
requiring anesthesia.^43
If both the president and the vice president were to die or become incapacitated,
the Speaker of the House of Representatives would become president. Next in line
is the president pro tempore of the Senate, and then certain cabinet secretar-
ies. Whenever the entire cabinet and Congress gather in one place, such as at thego public A president’s use of
speeches and other public com-
munications to appeal directly to
citizens about issues the president
would like the House and Senate to
act on.
THE CONSTITUTION MAKES THE
president commander in chief
but limits that power by giving
Congress the power to raise and
support armies. When President
Obama ordered a “surge” in the
number of American troops in
Afghanistan in 2009, he needed
Congress to approve the $30
billion it was estimated to cost.
The day after announcing the
decision, Obama made the case
for the “surge” in a speech at West
Point.