Shermanesque statement

"Sherman(esque) statement" or "Sherman speech" is American political jargon for a clear and direct statement, by a potential candidate, indicating that he or she will not run for a particular elected position.

The term derives from the Sherman pledge, a remark made by American Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman when he was being considered as a possible Republican candidate for the presidential election of 1884. He declined, saying, "I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected." Thirteen years' prior, he had similarly asserted, "I hereby state, and mean all that I say, that I never have been and never will be a candidate for President; that if nominated by either party, I should peremptorily decline; and even if unanimously elected I should decline to serve." [Keyes in "Nice Guys Finish Seventh: False Phrases, Spurious Sayings, and Familiar Misquotations", p. 13.] These statements are often abbreviated as, "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve." [Marszalek in "Encyclopedia of the American Civil War", p. 1769.]

Examples

President Lyndon B. Johnson famously invoked the pledge in his March 31, 1968 national address announcing that he would not seek a second full term, saying "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president." [ [http://millercenter.org/scripps/archive/speeches/detail/3388 Remarks on Decision not to Seek Re-Election (March 31, 1968) by Lyndon Baines Johnson] ]

Since then, journalists have often pushed for potential candidates to give a Sherman pledge in lieu of a less definitive answer. In 1983, Democratic Congressman Mo Udall of Arizona, who was famous for his wit and who had campaigned for president in 1976, was asked if he would run in the 1984 election. Udall responded, "If nominated, I shall run to Mexico. If elected, I shall fight extradition."

When asked by Fox News whether he would pursue the presidency in 2008, Vice President Dick Cheney quoted Sherman's statement nearly word-for-word. When Ohio Governor Ted Strickland endorsed Hillary Clinton in the race for the Democratic nomination for the 2008 Presidential election, he issued the Sherman pledge word for word when asked if he wanted to be selected as her Vice Presidential nominee. [ [http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2007/11/09/endorsement.html The Columbus Dispatch : Gov. Strickland endorses Hillary Clinton for president ] ] He reiterated it when asked if he wanted to be Barack Obama's running mate after Obama clinched the nomination. [ [http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/06/10/strickland_takes_himself_out_o.html The Washington Post : Strickland Takes Himself Out of the Vice Presidential Running] ]

Prior to 2004 the Scottish National Party former leader Alex Salmond said that "if nominated I'll decline. If drafted I'll defer. And if elected I'll resign," in response to questions about whether he would seek the leadership. He then changed his mind and stood for the leadership, winning the election and in 2007 and led the SNP to a minority government, becoming the first Nationalist First Minister of Scotland, and also the first not to be a member of the Labour Party. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3895575.stm "Salmond launches leadership bid"] BBC News Online]

References

External links

* [http://millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/diglibrary/prezspeeches/johnson/lbj_1968_0331.html Text and audio of Lyndon Johnson's national address of March 31, 1968]