I don't know if I count that as an exception — more like it's (sort of) one of those few things a president can do. But I think there's still a gap there — and a significant one — between the ability and the potential for ill, especially upon consideration of what the bumper stickers predict about, say, a McCain presidency. (And I dislike McCain.)

And even if any given presidential power was made absolute, I'm sure it wouldn't make any given candidate look much more appealing to me. It would, however, make anyone gunning for the office less appealing to me on a personal level. Like whatsisname said, I want the president to be someone who has to be dragged kicking and screaming to the White House.