GOP Presidential nominee Ron Paul dies in October...

With John McCain's nomination in 2008 ( he was 72) and now Ron Paul still having solid support ( He is 76 I believe) one has to wonder suppose a Presidential nominee in their mid-seventies or having major health problems died late in the campaign (around Late September or early October.)

What effect would this have on the election?
 

Jasen777

Donor
Well Paul winning the Republican nomination is border-line ASB and if you mean in 2012 then this is current politics and belongs in chat.
 
If the nominee were to die before the electoral votes could be counted, then I suppose the runner up could technically win the nomination. Alternatively, the running mate could become the nominee and then accept a running mate of their own appointed by the party.
 
Has there ever been any historical precedent for this situation?

Horace Greeley dying in November 1872. But that was after election day in a Grant landslide, so the Democratic electors split among multiple candidates. In the modern era, under these circumstances, the RNC probably appoints a nominee- most likely Paul's running mate- and perhaps also a vice-presidential nominee.


Though this scenario is near-ASB anyways, as others have said.
 
Well unless the VP nominee can perform a miracle, Obama be re-elected in landslide with over 400 electoral votes, last time that happened was VP George H W Bush over Gov. Micheal Dukakis in 1988.
 
Well unless the VP nominee can perform a miracle, Obama be re-elected in landslide with over 400 electoral votes, last time that happened was VP George H W Bush over Gov. Micheal Dukakis in 1988.

Which raises the question — who would Ron Paul pick as a VP? I'm thinking he wouldn't pick Sarah Palin.
 
Ron Paul is in fairly good health for his age. He lives a very active lifestyle and is a doctor, after all.

Though this scenario is near-ASB anyways, as others have said.

What, a presidential candidate dying before the election? Or Ron Paul winning the GOP nomination?

The former is very well plausible, but the latter is near-ASB.
 
I'd assume that if a nominee dies early enough before election day, the party will choose another nominee. But once you get close to election day, and the ballots are printed and absentee ballots are mailed out, it's too late, so they would remain on the ballot.

Mel Carnahan died in a plane crash about 3 weeks before election day in 2000, and his name was kept on the ballot, and he actually won over John Ashcroft. The Governor appointed Carnahan's wife to serve until the special election was held in 2002.

But Paul Wellstone died less than two weeks before election day, also in a plane crash, and he was replaced on the ballot by Mondale. So maybe it depends on the State.
 
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