So today I got wondering - how many US presidents actually stuck around for two whole terms? Like those eight-year runs. Figured I'd count 'em myself since Google just dumps a list without the backstory.
The Messy Start
Grabbed my laptop, fired up Wikipedia. First dude? Washington. Easy. Served two terms. Wrote "1" on my notepad. Then Adams... wait, only one term? Lost to Jefferson. Okay, scratch that. Jefferson got two terms though! Added him as number 2. Madison too - number 3. Monroe? Yep, number 4. Jackson? Uh-huh, number 5.
Scrolled down... Grant? Two terms. Number 6. Then got stuck on this Cleveland guy. Served two terms but not back-to-back? Weird. Still counts as two full terms though. Number 7. Moving on...
The 20th Century Hump
Wilson made it two terms - barely. Added him as number 8. Then Roosevelt... FDR? Man broke all records. Four terms! Definitely two or more. Slammed him down as number 9. Truman finished FDR's term then got elected himself - almost two full terms? Hmm. Debated internally. Counted him as "mostly" two. Number 10.
Eisenhower? Easy two. Number 11. Nixon? Nope, quit halfway. Ford? Nope. Reagan though! Two solid terms. Number 12. Clinton? Yeah, survived both terms. Number 13. Bush Jr.? Iraq War guy? Yep, two terms. Number 14. Obama? Absolutely. Number 15. Trump? Just one term. Biden? Still rollin'.
The Finger-Counting Dilemma
Started checking my list:
- Washington
- Jefferson
Madison
Monroe
Jackson
Grant
Cleveland
Wilson
FDR
Eisenhower
Reagan
Clinton
Bush Jr.
Obama
Tapped each name. Lost track around Grant. Started over. Used fingers this time like a kindergartener. Got to Obama - held up 13 fingers plus two thumbs? Messy.
Scratched Truman. Felt dirty cheating. Rewrote the list without him:
- Washington
- Jefferson
- Madison
- Monroe
- Jackson
- Grant
- Cleveland
- Wilson
- FDR
- Eisenhower
- Reagan
- Clinton
- Bush Jr.
- Obama
Fourteen names now. Better.
The Stupid Spreadsheet Attempt
Tried making a spreadsheet like a grown-up. Excel crashed twice. Wasted 15 minutes restarting the damn thing. Finally got it working. Listed presidents in order. Marked "1" or "2" for terms. Filtered for "2". Still got 14 names. Felt less dumb.
Double-checked: That Cleveland anomaly. Yep, included him. Wilson got re-elected even though he was sick? Still counts. Bush Jr.? Yeah, election shenanigans and all, but served two terms. Obama? For sure.
Final tally hit 14. Way fewer than I thought! Felt underwhelmed. Expected like 20.
Realized most two-termers are modern. Weird how that worked out. Rules changed too - after FDR, they capped it at two terms with that amendment thing. Whole process took me an embarrassingly long time. Coffee got cold twice. But hey - counted 'em myself.
