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It’s time for Donald Trump to pledge to serve a single term

Donald Trump.Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS

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Donald Trump has broken nearly every rule in politics, and despite his recent his rise in the polls, his path to the White House remains narrow with less than 50 days to go.

So maybe it is time for his most dramatic, rule-breaking announcement yet: A pledge to only serve one term.

Such a move would dominate headlines and create an enormous head-fake ahead of the first debate. It would underscore the notion that he is not a typical politician compared to Hillary Clinton, who in theory would not take a similar pledge. By only serving one term, Trump could argue he’s in a better position to take on the Washington establishment -- or cut deals with Congress -- without having to worry about the political implications.

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Besides, he could say, he is a businessman and wants to get back to making money as soon as possible.

Several months ago, just before the New Hampshire primary in February, Trump was asked about a one-term pledge on “Meet The Press.” He said that while there are “certain advantages” of taking such a pledge, he wasn’t into the idea for him personally.

“If we’re doing a great job, then we’ll keep going,” he said.

But now that it’s crunch time before Election Day, Trump could reconsider those “certain advantages.”

Trump’s critics typically attack him in three ways: He is only in it for himself, he is not a serious person, and he is destroying the Republican Party. In taking a single-term pledge, he could say he was doing it for the country, he was serious about the job, and that Republicans don’t have to worry about him taking over the party.

Then again, Clinton could also consider making the one-term pledge. If polls suggest undecided voters are really worried about her health, this could help alleviate those concerns. Those voters who don’t like Trump but dread potentially eight more years with the Clintons? They might be on board (although they could also just vote her out in 2020). Even if she served a single term, she would still go down in history as the nation’s first female president.

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As for Trump, there’s a good chance a one-term pledge could be seen as a gimmicky. But given that Trump’s high water mark is now, and he is still losing to Clinton in nearly every Electoral College scenario, what does he have to lose?

Besides, if he wins, and he receives good marks in his first term, Trump could always reconsider.


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