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Cake day: June 12th, 2023

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  • The incumbent president always runs.

    Not always. Yes, usually, but definitely not always. See, for example, in the last 100 years:

    • Johnson in 1968 (he knew he had no chance against RFK and had alienated a lot of the base with the escalation of the war in Vietnam)

    • Truman in 1952 (low polling because of the war in Korea and other domestic issues)

    • Coolidge in 1928 (“The Presidential office takes a heavy toll of those who occupy it and those who are dear to them. While we should not refuse to spend and be spent in the service of our country, it is hazardous to attempt what we feel is beyond our strength to accomplish.”)

    Granted, all three of these men served more than one full term in office because they each had taken over after the previous president had died, but each had the ability to run for an additional term and chose not to. Anyway, it is no more true that the incumbent president always runs than it is true that the VP always runs for the presidency at the conclusion of that term.