What would happen if McCain became to sick to be president BEFORE the election?

[RoadRage]

I'm just wondering - if McCain became incompacitated between now & the election - what is the proper protocol? Do the republicans nominate the next closest person with electoral votes (was that Huckabee) to take over? Does Palin get bumped to the Presidential spot automatically? Just curious.

It seems like republicans would rather just get rid of McCain all together.. so I fear some announcment like "McCain is resigning due to medical problems" and then poof.. it's all Palin, all the time like 2 weeks before November.

Tell me that something like that couldn't happen.

[doc03]

1. IF? I think McCain has already became too sick

to be President. I wouldn't be surprised if that scenario plays out. The far right would like to see him disappear and may make it happen. I would be scared really scared if I were John McCain.

[RoadRage]

3. Well.. with all i'm hearing about poss. alzheimers

I was wondering if they could declare him to sick to continue through the campaign. And, if that happens, can they have Palin just step in as the presidential nominee?

That scares the hell out of me - and would piss off a lot of people (Romney, Huckabee, Gulliani, etc.) - but it seems like the Religious Right is RELENTLESS in getting Palin to be the one actually making the calls. No one really seems to like McCain - they all seem to want Palin, because she will push the far right agenda. She's only a Maverick to the highest bidder.

[Yupster]

2. If it's after the election, then

McCain's electors would vote for someone else, presumably agreed upon by the Republican leadership. That could be anyone.

If it happened before the election, somehow the Republican delegates to the convention would have to vote again for someone else, but would that person get on the ballots? That would depend on timing and each states ballot laws.

Could McCain stay on the ballot and get elected though dead? Again that would depend on each state's laws. If he were dead but elected, then again the Republican electors would agree to elect someone else.

That's how I see it anyway. I could be wrong.

[onenote]

6. Delete: Dupe

[onenote]

7. not sure how it works for the repubs -- here's how it works for the Democrats

The Democratic Party rules expressly provide the following should a vacancy arise on the ticket before the election:

"Filling a Vacancy on the National Ticket: In the event of death, resignation or disability of a nominee of the Party for President or Vice President after the adjounment of the National Convention, the National Chairperson of the Democratic National Committee shall confer with the Democratic leadership of the United States Congress and the Democratic Governors Association and shall report to the Democratic National Committee, which is authorized to fill the vacancy or vacancies."

As for a vacancy after the election but before the Electoral College meets? I think you are right. I don't know if there is any provision anywhere for dealing with a situation in which something happens to the Pres-elect or VP-elect before they are sworn in.

[onenote]

10. correcting myself: the death of the pres/vp - elect is addressed in the Constitution

20th Amendment, article 3:

If, at the time fixed for the beginning of the term of the President, the President elect shall have died, the Vice President elect shall become President. If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

[RoadRage]

11. Thanks.. you rock! NT

[Boz]

4. October 4 th is the point of no return. The ticket goes posthumously from one month before

So if he kick it in the next what 3 weeks then there would be the "possibility" of a change.

After that the tickets locked, if they win She gets sworn in as VP and then sworn in as President and names her VP Jeb Bush

[RoadRage]

5. Why do I think that's the big scary plan.. and Rove is behind all of it.

Ehh.. i just took off my tin hat.. i'm fine now. Really, i'm fine. ;)

[Boz]

8. Im not, Rove went on TV today and said if Obama wants to win he has to stop focusing on Palin

and start going after McCain.

My tin foil hat will saty tightly fixed and I will keep my arms and legs in the ride at all times until it comes to a full stop on November 5th, or December or January

[onenote]

9. LInk?

what makes Oct 4 the point of no return? state laws about who is named on the ballot?

Oddly enough, there is a precedent, sort of. HOrace Greeley was the nominee of both the Democratic and Liberal Republican parties in the 1872 presidential election. He lost the election and then died before the electoral college cast its votes. THree of the electors still voted for them, and Congress refused to count those votes. Some 60 plus electors who were pledged for Greeley split their votes among four other persons, including not only Greeley's running mate, but two other Democrats and one other Liberal Republican.

There is also is one recorded instance of a VP candidate dying beteween election day and the meeting of the electoral college (James Sherman, the incumbent VP, in 1912). Again, the candidate that died was a member of the losing ticket. The electoral votes that would've been cast for him were cast for someone else.

Finally, assuming Palin ended up as president, she can name the man in the moon as VP, but it still has to be confirmed by the Senate, and JEB isn't getting confirmed.