calteacherguy
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:05 PM
Original message |
What if something happens to the nominee of either Party right before the election? |
|
Edited on Sat Jun-02-07 02:10 PM by calteacherguy
Would the VP then become the official Presidential candidate automatically? Could (would) the "Party Bosses" choose someone else to be the candidate?
Anyone ever thought about this? It's of course something we hope never happens, but I wonder if there as ever been any consideration to what would happen in such an event.
Edit: It occurs to me that under the electoral college system, voters are actually electing "electors" who are free-agents. That of course further complicates things.
|
Viva_La_Revolution
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:14 PM
Response to Original message |
|
very interesting actually.
:thumbsup:
|
RC
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:19 PM
Response to Original message |
2. Bring to mind Paul Wellstone |
Buzz Clik
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:22 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
3. ... and when Ashcroft lost his election in Missouri to a dead guy. |
karynnj
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:58 PM
Response to Reply #2 |
6. Senators don't have VP equivilents |
RC
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 04:13 PM
Response to Reply #6 |
8. You are missing the point. |
|
If Wellstone had died a day or two later by law, his name would have been on the ballot and the governor would have named his successor. As it was they had to find someone to replace him and run their campaign from scratch. That turned out to be a disaster. So Wellstone's case does apply.
|
rzemanfl
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:45 PM
Response to Original message |
4. All I know is that if Cheney had had his heart attack three days |
|
before the 2000 Election instead of three days after, we wouldn't be in this mess.
|
karynnj
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 02:55 PM
Response to Original message |
|
Edited on Sat Jun-02-07 02:57 PM by karynnj
I could see 2 different possibilities. the second seems far more reasonable in a time of pain.
1) A quick second convention - obviously more sober and not a celebration, where the convention delegates - who were elected to elect the President - meet and pick the new nominee. (Pro - this is what the electors were elected for and you could say they represent their state. Con- In reality, whne I voted for John Kerry in the primary I did not even look at the delegate who I actually voted for and I bet this is the same for all of us)
2) The VP nominee becomes the nominee. Pro - This is what this person would do if the same event happened after a successful election and the party already voted on that (though it is a formality). The party would be in mourning. Having the VP immediately pick up the torch and lead would help in a completely traumatic situaltion. I would hope his/her VP selection could be approved without a convention.
|
Lobster Martini
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
|
Sat Jun-02-07 03:13 PM
Response to Original message |
7. The election is indirect--the vote is for the Presidential Elector, not for the candidate |
|
Should a dead candidate win the election, the electors could cast their votes for someone else. Speculatively, it would either be the vice-presidential candidate or whoever came in second in the primary. (It has happened before, but I don't remember the details. If anyone does, please feel free to refresh my memory.)
So theoretically, and using names only for clarity, if Gore wins the nomination, Clinton comes in second, Gore picks Clark as his running mate, wins the general election and drops dead on the Letterman show, the electors could cast their votes for Clark or Clinton.
Caveat: some states have laws against so-called "faithless electors," but no one has ever been prosecuted and the vote counts in any case.
Good question. Took a few minutes to work that out.
|
DU
AdBot (1000+ posts) |
Tue Apr 23rd 2024, 05:22 AM
Response to Original message |