Trump continues to bulldoze his way to a rare third try for the White House as polls show him with commanding lead

Is there any way Donald Trump won’t be the Republican presidential nominee again? He is seeking it for the third straight election, and that is extremely rare in American political history.

Trump was the GOP nominee in 2016, surprising most political analysts and then stunning the country, world and, by many accounts, himself by being elected. He lost — yes, he did, resoundingly — in 2020, but the Republican Party seems determined to send him out there again in 2024.

The last time a major political party nominated a candidate more than twice in a row was Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who ran and won four consecutive times, in 1932, ‘36, ‘40 and ‘44. The Democrat from New York was on the national ticket five times, since he was the vice-presidential candidate in 1920, as he and James Cox lost to Warren G. Harding and Calvin Coolidge.

FDR was allowed to seek a third and then a fourth term because there was no law prohibiting it. The 22nd Amendment to the Constitution, ratified into law in February 1951, sets a two-term limit. If a vice president assumes the office because of the death, resignation or removal of a president, he or she can serve less than half of the former president’s term to remain eligible for a full two terms.

George Washington served two terms and declined a third, setting a precedent for future presidents. Some may have considered a third term — Ulysses S. Grant actively sought a return to the White House in 1880 after serving as president from 1869-77. But he was unable to convince the GOP to give him another chance after a scandal-plagued administration.

Other men have been nominated multiple times while they sought the presidency. Thomas Jefferson lost in 1796, and by the process then in place, served as vice president to John Adams, who came in first. Jefferson was elected president in 1800 and 1804.

Andrew Jackson lost to Adams’ son John Quincy Adams in 1824 even though Old Hickory garnered more votes. It was an early sign of the dangers and faults inherent in our system. He charged that Adams and another candidate, House Speaker Henry Clay, engaged in a “corrupt bargain” to hand the presidency to Adams while Clay became secretary of state.

Jackson hammered home that allegation, which was never proven, for four years and was elected in 1828 and re-elected in 1832.

Jackson’s second vice president, Martin Van Buren, was a three-time candidate. “The Little Magician” was elected president in 1836, but was defeated for a second term. Van Buren resurfaced in 1848 as the nominee of the Free Soil Party, but only collected 10% of the vote.

Clay, a major figure in the 19th century who served in the Senate, House of Representatives and as secretary of state, ran for president in 1824, ‘32 and ‘44, and sought the Whig Party nomination in 1840 and ‘48. But despite his eloquence and impressive political skills, he was never elected president.

Grover Cleveland ran for the presidency three times and he is the man Trump hopes to emulate. Cleveland won in 1884, but lost to Benjamin Harrison, the grandson of 30-day president William Henry Harrison, in 1888 despite winning the popular vote.

Cleveland returned to the White House four years later, defeating Harrison. He is the only president to serve non-consecutive terms, and is listed as both the 22nd and 24th president, since his administrations were separate. Trump, the 45th president, aims to double that list and become the 47th president as well.

Richard Nixon was on the national ticket five times, serving as Dwight Eisenhower’s running mate in 1952 and ‘56, and as the Republican presidential nominee in 1960, ‘68 and ‘72. He was elected in ‘68 and ‘72, defeating South Dakota natives Hubert Humphrey the first time and George McGovern the second.

South Dakota loved Tricky Dick, supporting him all five times he was on the ballot, even against hometown boys.

In the last half century, it’s been one and done for presidential losers. If a candidate failed in their first attempt, they weren’t given a second chance. McGovern longed to be president, and made a brief run in 1984 before stepping aside. Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and George H.W. Bush were all eligible to take another shot at the ultimate brass ring, but none of them tried again.

In July 2015, President Barack Obama, in a speech he delivered to African Union officials in Ethiopia, joked about staying in office for a third term while making a serious point about the need for countries to have fresh leaders.

“I love my work. But under our Constitution I cannot run again,” Obama said. “I actually think I’m a pretty good president. I think if I ran I could win. But I can’t.”

No one person is above the law, he said, a point that has escaped Trump.

Of course, Trump is not seeking a third term in the White House. He lost in 2020, and that is something that needs to be pointed out on a regular basis to him and his mob.

He is, however, trying to become the Republican nominee again and it seems quite likely that he will succeed unless somehow one of his rivals can gain strength and support.

In late October, former Vice President Mike Pence, plagued with low support in all polls and struggling to raise money, suspended his campaign.

“It’s become clear to me: This is not my time,” Pence said.

Pence was a long shot to get the nomination. He never established himself as anything but the former No. 2 man in the Trump administration, and was unable to explain to voters why he was the best choice.

I covered Pence at a stop in Le Mars, Iowa, this summer. He drew a modest crowd and I had trouble finding anyone there who actually supported him.

I’ve also covered events held by Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who drew larger and more engaged crowds.

They haven’t attacked Trump, which is deadly to the hopes of Republican hopefuls. His support still runs deep and Trump backers remain passionate for their candidate, no matter what laws and customs he shatters.

That’s why it seems assured he will be the nominee, even if he has to interrupt campaign swings to appear in courtrooms. It’s unprecedented, as so many things have been during his unlikely and dangerous political career.

The Iowa Republican Caucuses are just two months away. On Monday, Jan. 15, Iowa Republicans will gather at buildings across the state to make their voices heard. It’s a cherished part of the process in the state, and one that Iowans are glad to see continue, even as Iowa Democrats were forced to surrender their first-in-the-nation status.

What will Iowa Republicans do? It is hard to see any outcome other than Trump (seen above during a 2017 Iowa visit in a public domain photo posted in wikimedia commons) winning. He has eight opponents — Ron DeSantis, Scott, former United Nations Ambassador and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, entrepreneur and author Vivek Ramaswamy, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, and Texas businessman Ryan Binkley.

Only DeSantis, Haley and, to a lesser degree, Scott, have shown much support in polls. Even then, the three combined are still short of Trump’s massive lead.

Will that change? We are in the home stretch of the caucuses now, and the candidates and media will begin paying a lot more attention to the Hawkeye State.

As the snow starts to fall, Iowa heats up. It’s the state’s quadrennial turn in the political spotlight, and Iowans intend to bask in it. Trump seems the inevitable choice, despite his many legal problems and his sordid personal history and track record.

If he wins Iowa and performs well in other early states, he is on his way to a third attempt at becoming president. A New York Times poll shows Trump leading Biden in several swing states, revealing he has a very real chance of joining Cleveland as a former president who regained the highest office in the land.

Tom Lawrence has written for several newspapers and websites in South Dakota and other states and contributed to The New York Times, NPR, The  Telegraph, The Daily Beast and other media outlets.