Republican President in 2013

[Big Guy]

Switched over to the United States Politics forum section.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Big Guy

[Big Guy]

The current line of succession is the result of the political arm passing laws to address a situation not covered in the original constitution. As recently as 1945 two months after succeeding Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Harry S. Truman proposed that the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate be granted priority in the line of succession over the Cabinet so as to ensure the President would not be able to appoint his successor to the Presidency. That is why Hillary Clinton the current Secretary of State is 4^th in line behind even Daniel Inouye, the President pro tempore of the Senate.

I have no doubt that in the eventuality that the USA lost a Democratic President and Democratic Vice-President to be replaced by a Republican that the “political mob” or the House would quickly look at legislation to change the current law – perhaps not if the Tea Party is still controlling Congress. It does make for interesting speculation.

[bush_cheney2004]

....I have no doubt that in the eventuality that the USA lost a Democratic President and Democratic Vice-President to be replaced by a Republican that the “political mob” or the House would quickly look at legislation to change the current law

Even if that were the case, the law wouldn't be retroactive and the Speaker would be president. Nobody clamoured to change the law when a Democrat shot President Reagan. US federal code 3 U.S.C. § 19 applies.

Again, this topic is not in the proper forum area.

Edited November 8, 2012 by bush_cheney2004

[Big Guy]

While the presidential ticket of Obama and Biden has been re-elected for another term the Republicans still have an outside chance (some would say a shot) at one of their own as President. If something happened (God forbid) to the President and Vice-President in the near future then the current American presidential line of succession would make Speaker of the House John Boehner (Republican) the next President of the United States.

This updated line of succession currently dictates that process. In fact, in theory, Speaker of the House John Boehner would not only serve out this term until Jan 20 but would also take the oath of office on Jan 20 as the new President for a 4 year term.

The American line of succession is not carved in stone and had evolved over the years as different unforeseen situations have caused decisions to be made and appropriate precedents set. There really is no precedent for a President AND Vice President to become permanently incapacitated, mentally disabled or killed in close chronological proximity but at this moment, the reality is that Boehner would be next in line.

I have no doubt that the public uproar that would ensue would cause a deviation from this process where a Democrat would eventually take the helm and new precedent to be set. I just hope that of a population of 300 million (which includes a large number of right wing extremist loonies who have already expressed a murderous hatred for Obama and the Democrats) that very few would be familiar with the process and that none would consider taking advantage of it.

[Big Guy]

I realize now that it certainly is in the wrong forum area and have made a correction. Thank you for the info and direction.

[madmax]

Yup wrong topic.

Holy REWRITE HISTORY Bush Cheney.

Hinckley was targeting Carter before Reagan. It was just the transition of power that made it easier.

Hinckleys entire family were Republicans.

The Bushes were visiting with the Hinkleys.

You of all tag lines know this....

Hinckley was a pro republican with a desire the assasinate the President.

Then if you follow the Conspiracy theorists..... BUSH would have been the Successor.

[sharkman]

I was wondering where you were going with this and then you went off the deep end. How's the water?

[Moonlight Graham]

I think the public uproar over a GOP being President would likely mean that Hillary Clinton would end up as President. It's the next obvious choice, and I don't think people would have a problem with it, and probably would prefer her over Biden.

[scribblet]

I'm confused, why could this happen in 2013, next year?

[Bitsy]

I'm confused, why could this happen in 2013, next year?

Very good question.

[guyser]

Read the second post, someone is kinda fantasizing about O and Biden getting sick and dropping off this earth, that means Boehner picks up the pres seat.

Not likely to happen , hell, O better not, Biden would be worse than Mittens

[bush_cheney2004]

I think the public uproar over a GOP being President would likely mean that Hillary Clinton would end up as President. It's the next obvious choice, and I don't think people would have a problem with it, and probably would prefer her over Biden.

That's not how it works....the line of succession is well defined to the nth degree:

# Office............................................Current Officer
1 Vice President ...........................................Joe Biden
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner
3 President pro tempore of the Senate ........Daniel Inouye
4 Secretary of State ......................................Hillary Clinton
5 Secretary of the Treasury............................Timothy Geithner
6 Secretary of Defense................................. Leon Panetta
7 Attorney General........................................ Eric Holder
8 Secretary of the Interior.............................. Ken Salazar
9 Secretary of Agriculture.............................. Tom Vilsack
10 Secretary of Commerce............................ John Bryson
11 Secretary of Labor..................................... Hilda Solis
12 Secretary of Health and Human Services.. Kathleen Sebelius
13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...Shaun Donovan
14 Secretary of Transportation....................... Ray LaHood
15 Secretary of Energy................................... Steven Chu
16 Secretary of Education.............................. Arne Duncan
17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs..................... Eric Shinseki
18 Secretary of Homeland Security................ Janet Napolitano

Edited November 9, 2012 by bush_cheney2004

[Bitsy]

This is a very frightening and ill-timed speculation for one who knows the anguish of seeing a president assassinated, a presidential candidate assassinated, and an attempted assassination of a president.

[kimmy]

Read the second post, someone is kinda fantasizing about O and Biden getting sick and dropping off this earth, that means Boehner picks up the pres seat.

I don't think illness is quite what he has in mind...

While the presidential ticket of Obama and Biden has been re-elected for another term the Republicans still have an outside chance (some would say a shot) at one of their own as President.

Not sure if this is something the OP wrote himself, or something he is reposting from someplace else. If it's the latter, I'd be interested in knowing where it came from.

I can't help wondering if this is being circulated around by Tea Party types, some of whom are just venting their anger, while others might be hoping it eventually reaches somebody crazy enough to actually try it.

As Bitsy says, there is nothing funny about this.

-k

[TheNewTeddy]

That's not how it works....the line of succession is well defined to the nth degree:

# Office............................................Current Officer
1 Vice President ...........................................Joe Biden
2 Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner
3 President pro tempore of the Senate ........Daniel Inouye
4 Secretary of State ......................................Hillary Clinton
5 Secretary of the Treasury............................Timothy Geithner
6 Secretary of Defense................................. Leon Panetta
7 Attorney General........................................ Eric Holder
8 Secretary of the Interior.............................. Ken Salazar
9 Secretary of Agriculture.............................. Tom Vilsack
10 Secretary of Commerce............................ John Bryson
11 Secretary of Labor..................................... Hilda Solis
12 Secretary of Health and Human Services.. Kathleen Sebelius
13 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development...Shaun Donovan
14 Secretary of Transportation....................... Ray LaHood
15 Secretary of Energy................................... Steven Chu
16 Secretary of Education.............................. Arne Duncan
17 Secretary of Veterans Affairs..................... Eric Shinseki
18 Secretary of Homeland Security................ Janet Napolitano

You contradict yourself in your own post. Only 18 people on that list. In a country of 300+ million, there SHOULD be a list containing at least a thousand. Frankly, I'd add

- All Senators, by term length

- All House members, by term length

This is far more stable, but still possible to beat.

- All Governors, by term length (BTL)

- All State Senators, BTL

- All State House members, BTL

Now this makes it almost impossible to kill all of them at once, as they are never all in the same place.

- All County/Municipal Mayors or Chiefs, BTL

- All County/Municipal elected members of any kind, BTL

- Any remaining elected officials, BTL

This would be "the nth degree"

- All Judges, BTL

- All military personell, by rank

- All formerly elected people, BTL

- All candidates for office who lost, by total number of votes gathered over their career

- All government employees, by salary in the most recent year. Including bus drivers and teachers etc

- All persons who held any of the above titles "formerly", by title rank.

Now THIS. THIS is a succession list.