Hello and welcome to this day in esoteric political history from Radiotopia.

My name is Jody Avergan.

This day, July 11, 1940, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is faced with a big decision and he has a long conversation with Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter.

Now two things right off the bat about this, number one, Felix Frankfurter. Now two things right off the bat about this

number one Felix Frankfurter great name let's put it on that list of great

names I hope some listener out there is keeping that list and number two is what

was FDR's big decision well it was whether to run for a third term.

FDR would of course do that and win and then run for a fourth term and win.

And then they amended the Constitution and said you can only serve two terms, but let's stay in this moment,

FDR's decision to run again and why this conversation with Felix Frankfurter convinced him that he could and should.

So here to do that, are as always Nicole Hammer of Coler. him that he could and should.

So here to do that are as always Nicole Hammer of Columbia and Kelly Carter Jackson

of Wellesley.

Hello there.

Hello Jody.

Hey there.

So Nicki do you want to just start off with basically setting out that, I think we should

probably establish right off the bat that at this moment in time a president only serves

for two terms thing was more of a precedent than anything.

It seems to be one of these classic norm instead of a law kind of situations, right?

That always works out so well.

Yes, and we know that because a couple of presidents

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