[zephjc]

If theres ever a time to do the right thing, it's in the President's second term: it's all downhill, what the pundits say doesn't matter to re-electability, since there is none (unless you plan on going to another office later on...)

[danielweber]

If the President wants to accomplish anything in his second term -- which is the point of holding the office -- than he still needs to maintain popular support. The public can't (generally) vote him out of office any more, but they can vote out his allies in the House or local/state government.

Unless the President is just hoping to shut everything down. Almost by definition he can do that without cooperation.

[privong]

> (unless you plan on going to another office later on...)

Just curious, has a president ever done that?

[ForHackernews]

Yes. William Taft went on to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after being President: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Howard_Taft

Reportedly, he hated being President and wished he'd never done it, but loved being a judge.

[triangleman]

Famously, John Quincy Adams served in the House for nine terms (17 years) after his single term as president, where he spent most of his time fighting to abolish slavery.

[noarchy]

Andrew Johnson won election to the Senate shortly before his death, in 1875. This was after several attempts to win political office in his post-Presidency years had failed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Johnson#Post-presidency