The "President Lex" discussion

[silentsea]

You have to be at least 35 to run for President. You can actually be President at 25, but you'd have to be Vice President first, and the President would have to die or be incapable of fulfilling his/her duties. I was hoping they'd explain this in the episode, but they didn't. They actually said he got more votes meaning that he ran. I know it's a small detail, but things like this drive me nuts.

[boywithbluehanger]

This is Fiction. There are loopholes. Metropolis doesn't really exist, neither does Gotham City...and maybe juuuuuust maybe, the constitution was written differently. Besides do we really care how Lex became president? I don't think most of us do. Brainiac did something to get him to that point. That's all I need to know!

[BIGBLUE10789]

i guess we are supposed to assume that this is a point in time that lex is that age but whatever. It doesnt matter to me. Maybe lex had that changed by instilling fear into congress. Who knows!

[jimmyolsenblues]

i think its just a shout out to the comics where lex is president.
I will miss Michael R. next season.

[Vergon6]

It was my understanding that this was supposed to be set both in an alternate timeline and in the future.

[Jlvsclrk]

No real proof, but I think in the AU, the episode took place say 10 years in the future. Thinking of Kara/Linda's age, Lois having a Pulitzer, Lana already having two kids, Jimmy and Chloe having broke up a while back and her having moved on, Lionel's been dead for a while.

[J_woman_power]

How can Lex even be alive if Clark didn't save him on the bridge? Lex would have drowned...

[yosemiteangel]

I haven't seen it yet, but I believe it's at least 8-10 years in the future. I'll be watching soon, so I'll see.

[Honey45]

I assumed it was because Lex and/or Milton Fine had so much power that they were able to pass that "must be 35" rule.

[silentsea]

No real proof, but I think in the AU, the episode took place say 10 years in the future. Thinking of Kara/Linda's age, Lois having a Pulitzer, Lana already having two kids, Jimmy and Chloe having broke up a while back and her having moved on, Lionel's been dead for a while.

I like this explanation. This seems very plausible.

[Odysseus]

I haven't seen it yet, but I believe it's at least 8-10 years in the future. I'll be watching soon, so I'll see.

If that's true, and it really is 8-10 years in the future, then that would explain it (although it would STILL make Lex the youngest U.S. President in history)

If it actually was meant to be set in the present, then I guess we'd be left to assume that either Congress amended the Constitution, or perhaps in the DC Universe the 35-years-old rule was never written in the first place

[Hardac]

How can Lex even be alive if Clark didn't save him on the bridge? Lex would have drowned...

This was my question too. After thinking about it didn't Lex swerve to avoid Clark? So if CK wasn't there then Lex would have just driven on.

[thehenry89]

This was my question too. After thinking about it didn't Lex swerve to avoid Clark? So if CK wasn't there then Lex would have just driven on.

he swerved to avoid a bail of barb wire, and then hit Clark.

[Harrison_Bergeron]

I think the age issue was supposed to be partially covered by Jimmy's explanation, something happened and Lex had all the answers so rules were bent, think Patriot Act, but bigger, when the SHTF people are willing to look the other way when it comes to the "small things".

Lex wouldn't have necessarily been on the bridge, that incident didn't happen until Clark was a teen, the Luthor's found Kara right after the meteor shower, so the butterfly effect makes everything after that a blank slate.

----- Added 49 Seconds later -----

What was the deal with the glove? Was that covered on SV and I just missed it? I thought for sure it would be covered this epi.

[MozartRequiem]

I bet he wore the Kryptonite ring on his hand around meteor freaks and was around a lot of Kryptonite just in case he needed to use it for Kara (cuz in the comics, that's the reason he needs a glove to cover his mechanical hand that replaced his cancerous one).

But some explanation would've been nice. Oh, well; it was iconic and awesome. :)

[maryjanewatson]

How can Lex even be alive if Clark didn't save him on the bridge? Lex would have drowned...
you know, I didn't even think of that. Good catch.

[Nicholas.F]

I believe Lex is supposed to be the age 28...maybe 29.

The thing is...Presidents have to be a minimum age of 35 At least, I think.

TPTB have decided that their views override the Requirements for Presidency, damn it!

:-P

[AlwaysRight]

That point has been brought up a few times in other threads(that was first thing i thought when i read he would be president). One explaination is that the AU takes place in the future not pesent, although nothing on the show pointed to it being in the future.

[faz]

Actually TPTB make up their own laws and rules as they go along for whatever the case is. For example, in Recruit, Met U starts showering CK with crap and using the alumni and boosters to bribe him, but if that happened in the real world, that team would have been suspended for pretty much eternity (considering the NCAA will ban a team from post-season competition for even the slightest infraction, like if the coach so much as gives the recruit a ride somewhere or spots him a little cash at a fast-food joint). I usually just don't pay attention to it unless it's SUPER obvious to me.

[skully]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Exactly. This is Smallville, people. Why do you let facts get in the way of a good story. Enjoy the ride. :)

[stenochick]

How can Lex even be alive if Clark didn't save him on the bridge? Lex would have drowned...

He swerved and went off the bridge because he was trying to avoid hitting Clark, who he ended up hitting anyway on his way off the bridge. Clark then saved him after he landed in the water. If Clark hadn't been there, he would have just been driving too fast.

Remember the episode where Clark is in a AU where he is paranoid schizophrenic and he escapes and meets Lex and Lex is in a wheelchair and blames Clark for it? I can't remember the name of that episode. It's from season 6.

----- Added 2 Minutes later -----


Actually TPTB make up their own laws and rules as they go along for whatever the case is. For example, in Recruit, Met U starts showering CK with crap and using the alumni and boosters to bribe him, but if that happened in the real world, that team would have been suspended for pretty much eternity (considering the NCAA will ban a team from post-season competition for even the slightest infraction, like if the coach so much as gives the recruit a ride somewhere or spots him a little cash at a fast-food joint). I usually just don't pay attention to it unless it's SUPER obvious to me.

I have learned to not even pay attention when it is SUPER obvious to me :rolleyes:

[skully]

He swerved and went off the bridge because he was trying to avoid hitting Clark, who he ended up hitting anyway on his way off the bridge. Clark then saved him after he landed in the water. If Clark hadn't been there, he would have just been driving too fast.
Erm no, sorry. Lex hit a roll of barbed wire that had fallen off the back of a truck that had just gone across Loeb Bridge. This was what caused him to lose control of his Porsche. He swerved out of control towards the railings of the bridge (on which Clark was moping) and couldn't avoid hitting him. Clark had nothing to do with causing Lex's accident, but had everything to do with saving him. Lex was drowning until Clark ripped the top off his car and dragged him to safety. Without Clark, Lex would be dead.

In Labyrinth, Wheelex (the legless Lex) gave an AU account of the bridge incident - along the lines of what you described.

[petitemimi]

This is Smallville. And in an AU, a lot of explainations are possible. It's not the first time they do something similar. In RW back in S5, they had Martha becomes senator to replace Jonathan. There's no way that could be possible.

[smallvillelogan]

[QUOTE=silentsea;3762051]You have to be at least 35 to run for President. You can actually be President at 25, but you'd have to be Vice President first, and the President would have to die or be incapable of fulfilling his/her duties.
[QUOTE]

It's for this reason that I say Lex could have been President under the Constitution. I think that without Clark as a friend to Lex, then Jonathan back in Season 5 never would have ran for Senator against Lex. Thus, Lex would have been Senator, become a running mate two years later with somebody running for President, and then the elected President would have died- or perhaps Lex would have orchistrated a assassination- making Lex the Prez.

[Orbital2]

Actually TPTB make up their own laws and rules as they go along for whatever the case is. For example, in Recruit, Met U starts showering CK with crap and using the alumni and boosters to bribe him, but if that happened in the real world, that team would have been suspended for pretty much eternity (considering the NCAA will ban a team from post-season competition for even the slightest infraction, like if the coach so much as gives the recruit a ride somewhere or spots him a little cash at a fast-food joint). I usually just don't pay attention to it unless it's SUPER obvious to me.

I think they were implying that that sort of stuff wasn't allowed, it just happened anyway (as it does at alot of big name college institutions)

[Alexander III]

Maybe Lex lied about his age :lol:

[RJLCyberPunk]

I like this explanation. This seems very plausible.
Indeed it is, they should have aged the characters a bit with makeup though but oh well...

[ElVibo]

I love it how Lex is delusional and thinks just cause his President of the USA means he can control the world, what a goose. Can't villians realise that it's impossible for 1 man alone to rule the world. And the most laughable twisted thought line is that by sending nuclear explosive missiles across the globe killing millions, billions and trillions of the human race is going to help human mankind to reach their full potential, WHAT A BABOON!

Pride is a Sin Lex, be Humble like Superman.

Lex may appear like a strong Villian but his just a delusional maniac that needs to be sent to a nuthouse.

[Harrison_Bergeron]

He had the best and brightest locked up in bunkers, he was thinking that this was another 40 days and forty nights to purge the world of the lesser beings.

[LexLuv180]

The whole plot of the episode was a bit silly to me, honestly. But oh well, it is Smallville and sometimes it goes over the cheese border.

[euterpe]

This is Smallville. And in an AU, a lot of explainations are possible. It's not the first time they do something similar. In RW back in S5, they had Martha becomes senator to replace Jonathan. There's no way that could be possible.

Actually, a spouse of a Congressman who dies while in office can serve in place of their deceased spouse until a new election may be held. It has been done before, in fact rather recently.

As far as Lex being President, unless this episode was set in an alternate timeline, sometime in the future, there is no way Lex could have been an elected President. Article II in the Constitution quite clearly states "neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years,".

Yes, he may have been sworn in as a Vice-President if the sitting President died or was incapacitated, to finish out the current term. However, it was mentioned in the episode that he received votes and was "elected" President. So that negates the Vice-President-to-President scenario.

And Congress does NOT have the athority to amend the Constitution. All Congress can do is propose amendments. There are only two ways the Constitution can be amended, as spelled out in the Constitution itself:

"The first method is for a bill to pass both houses of the legislature, by a two-thirds majority in each. Once the bill has passed both houses, it goes on to the states. This is the route taken by all current amendments.

The second method prescribed is for a Constitutional Convention to be called by two-thirds of the legislatures of the States, and for that Convention to propose one or more amendments. These amendments are then sent to the states to be approved by three-fourths of the legislatures or conventions. This route has never been taken, and there is discussion in political science circles about just how such a convention would be convened, and what kind of changes it would bring about.

Regardless of which of the two proposal routes is taken, the amendment must be ratified, or approved, by three-fourths of states."

Even if Lex was already President from the aforementioned method, he could not have changed the Constitution when it came time to run for re-election because:

"It is interesting to note that at no point does the President have a role in the formal amendment process (though he would be free to make his opinion known). He cannot veto an amendment proposal, nor a ratification. This point is clear in Article 5, and was reaffirmed by the Supreme Court in Hollingsworth v Virginia (3 USC 378 [1798]):

The negative of the President applies only to the ordinary cases of legislation: He has nothing to do with the proposition, or adoption, of amendments to the Constitution."

Lex may be rich and have connections, but it is ridiculous to assume that one person could manipulate every single member of Congress and every memebr of every State Legislature to get his way.

The time setting should have been explained better. A person can only suspend disbelief up to a point. As Walt Disney put it, "If a pig's gonna fly, he better fly according to the laws of physics."

[LILVILLE]

lmao at those who wanna make smallville reality lol

[stenochick]

This is Smallville. And in an AU, a lot of explainations are possible. It's not the first time they do something similar. In RW back in S5, they had Martha becomes senator to replace Jonathan. There's no way that could be possible.

Didn't Mary Bono replace Sonny Bono as US Congressman when he died in office? Also, in some states, the Governor chooses the new US Senator if the US Senator resigns or dies. That is how Martha went from state senator to US senator.

----- Added 45 Seconds later -----


Erm no, sorry. Lex hit a roll of barbed wire that had fallen off the back of a truck that had just gone across Loeb Bridge. This was what caused him to lose control of his Porsche. He swerved out of control towards the railings of the bridge (on which Clark was moping) and couldn't avoid hitting him. Clark had nothing to do with causing Lex's accident, but had everything to do with saving him. Lex was drowning until Clark ripped the top off his car and dragged him to safety. Without Clark, Lex would be dead.

In Labyrinth, Wheelex (the legless Lex) gave an AU account of the bridge incident - along the lines of what you described.

I stand corrected. I was going by Lex's description in Labrynth.

[Humdinger]

From about.com:
President and vice president
"The 20th and 25th Amendments establish procedures and requirements for the vice president to assume the duties and powers of the president if the president is permanently, or temporarily disabled. In the event of a temporary disability, the vice president serves as president until the president recovers. The president may declare the beginning and ending of his or her own disability. But, if the president is unable to communicate, the vice president and a majority of the presidential Cabinet, or “...other body as Congress may by law provide...” may determine the president’s state of disability. Should the president’s ability to serve be disputed, Congress decides. They must, within 21 days, and by a 2/3 vote of each house, determine whether the president is able to serve or not. Until they do, the vice president acts as president.

The 25th Amendment also provides a method for filling a vacated office of the vice president. The president must nominate a new vice president, who must be confirmed by a majority vote of both houses of Congress."

This could account for the "votes" comment during the ep. And perhaps, as someone suggested, the two top leaders were assassinated, and the 25th Amendment was invoked for filling the office with Lex.

Course, it wouldn't explain whether or not he was old enough.

[stenochick]

The easiest thing is to just assume the AU was set far enough in the future for Lex to be at least 35 years old. On the TV Guide show, ED stated that the AU takes place in the future.

[Serynarpc]

Brainiac has magic black dust- or put the whammy on various influential people and their families- to cut through the red tape.

Seriously, 'Lex being President is BAD!' is a main staple of the show, and you never worry 'well, at least he's a few years off'. After all, this show was about an Alien father creating an entire new reality for his son's depressive moping. Perhaps Jor- El tweaked the age limit to pry Clark off his muscular butt and onto his feet.