McCain stroke or heart attack Oct 2008

WI John McCain had become so incapacitated that he could not run (or had ctually died) in the run up to the 2008 election after the convention.

I had tended to assume the VP candidate would automatically suceed, as happens with an actual president after taking office.

However Palin was being visibly problematic by then.


Would Palin indeed be the Republican canddiate. I assum in that event Sarah's oddities would outweigh a symapthy vote.

How hard would it have been to put some other name at the top of the ticket?


By the way how likely is it in genereal terms not to run the Vp candidate in such a situaition if the vp nomineee did not seem quite mainstream
 
I don't know what the procedure for that would be, as that has never happened as far as I know, but I highly doubt that Sarah Palin would become the Republican candidate in the event of John McCain's death. She is simply not experienced enough.
 

Hyperion

Banned
Has something like that happened in any major political race here in the US. Not for president, but for a Senate or House seat. Or maybe a governor race?

I would think that close to the deadline, something like that happening to a candidate would throw the entire election process into chaos. Do they let the VP run? Do they pick someone else? Depending on how close to the election such an event is, could a delay be called to allow the affected party time to pick a new candidate?

I've never heard mention of a law as to what would happen, or if there is anything on the books, it must be really obscure, or else nobody has really considered such an event likely.
 
Depends. there is a deadline to be listed on the ballot . I not sure what it is but if Mccain dies too close to the election

1. there may be no time for a replacement GOP candidate . So the election ends up as Obama vs Ralph nader.

2. The Deceased candidates name may still remain on the ballot. (see Mel Carnahan). if Mccain won then Palin would serve as President by virtue of succession.

if enough time then The GOP would hold an emergency meeting of the delegates to vote for someone new to be the GOP choice. It could be Palin ,it could be a runner up Romney ,Huckabee, it could be a compromise candidate -Fred Thompson.
 
Well, surely it's too late to get anybody else on the ballot, and the Republicans couldn't exactly get a convention together anyway.

I'd imagine McCain/Palin would remain on the ballot. If McCain won the election (which wouldn't happen, surely), he'd be sworn in and then resign, making Palin President. She'd then select a new VP under the 25th Amendment.

I wouldn't be 100% on it, but that's what I'd guess.
 
Has something like that happened in any major political race here in the US. Not for president, but for a Senate or House seat. Or maybe a governor race?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Missouri,_2000

In the general election, Ashcroft faced a challenge from then-Governor Mel Carnahan. In the midst of a tight race, Carnahan died in an airplane crash two weeks prior to the November general election. However, Carnahan's name remained on the ballot due to Missouri state election laws


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Senate_election_in_Minnesota,_2002

The 2002 United States Senate election in Minnesota took place on November 5, 2002. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone was running for re-election to a third term, but died in a plane crash eleven days before the election. The Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) chose former Vice President and 1984 Presidential candidate Walter Mondale to replace Wellstone on the ballot
 
maybe there would be a bipartisan call in congress for the election to be postponed 30 or 45 days so the republicans could hold a snap national primary or something and have 1 additional debate between Obama and the new candidate
 
maybe there would be a bipartisan call in congress for the election to be postponed 30 or 45 days so the republicans could hold a snap national primary or something and have 1 additional debate between Obama and the new candidate

This has actually happened before, in 1872. Greeley's electors scattered to the wind due to lack of direction. Here I suspect the RNC would request the electors to vote for either a new candidate or God forbid, Sarah Palin.
 
I don't know what the procedure for that would be, as that has never happened as far as I know, but I highly doubt that Sarah Palin would become the Republican candidate in the event of John McCain's death. She is simply not experienced enough.

Dude. She was governor of a State. THat is more executive experiance than Obama had, at the time.

THis would be pretty confusing, for the voting public.

I can't image that Palin could put together her own team in a month, so she's stuck with McCain's team, who really doesn't like her.

Still, if she came out swinging, if she landed some hits, perhaps she could get a sympathy/freshness bump that wouldn't have time to fade before the election...

When was the last debate?

Mmm, oct 18th.

If she could suprise Obama, and the voting public, with a strong performance against Obama, she could have a shot.

SHe was practicing to debate by attacking Obama, Obama would have been preparing for McCain, if McCain died days before the final debate, this could give Palin a edge.

I image that debate would have the highest ratings ever for a presidential debate!:)
 
By October, McCain/Palin is registered in every state, I believe. Assuming the deadlines have been passed, the Republican ticket would be locked in as a dead man and a nincompoop. So people would still vote for McCain or Obama (or third party) but those who vote McCain would really be voting for Palin because, assuming she is elected, presidential succession laws would come into play and she would become president.

However, there would likely be enough confusion that the Libertarian and or Constitution Party candidates do extremely well, as those two are the likely back-ups for Republican voters. Obama would win in a massive landslide, as Republican voter turnout would be incredibly suppressed and split three ways. Depending on how well those two minor parties are able to capitalize, this may be a landslide as big as 1984.
 
Dude. She was governor of a State. THat is more executive experiance than Obama had, at the time.

THis would be pretty confusing, for the voting public.

I can't image that Palin could put together her own team in a month, so she's stuck with McCain's team, who really doesn't like her.

Still, if she came out swinging, if she landed some hits, perhaps she could get a sympathy/freshness bump that wouldn't have time to fade before the election...

When was the last debate?

Mmm, oct 18th.

If she could suprise Obama, and the voting public, with a strong performance against Obama, she could have a shoot.

SHe was practicing to debate by attacking Obama, Obama would have been preparing for McCain, if McCain died days before the final debate, this could give Palin a edge.

I image that debate would have the highest ratings ever for a presidential debate!:)

Palin would have her ass kicked seven ways to Sunday in a debate with Obama, as per OTL with Biden.
 
This has actually happened before, in 1872. Greeley's electors scattered to the wind due to lack of direction. Here I suspect the RNC would request the electors to vote for either a new candidate or God forbid, Sarah Palin.

I don't think it would be politically viable for a presidential candidate to just be "chosen" by the party elders in today's media and political climate... there would be contesting lawsuits if that was done that would fuck up the process

the more logical and viable thing would be for W to call a 5 day mourning period for McCain (the man is a national hero and a long time public servant and would deserve it); then for Reid/Kerry/McConnel/Pelosi/Beohner to call for the election to be postponed 30-45 days as a one time exception so that the republican party could organize a snap national primary and schedule 1 debate between Obama and the winner
 
I don't think it would be politically viable for a presidential candidate to just be "chosen" by the party elders in today's media and political climate... there would be contesting lawsuits if that was done that would fuck up the process

the more logical and viable thing would be for W to call a 5 day mourning period for McCain (the man is a national hero and a long time public servant and would deserve it); then for Reid/Kerry/McConnel/Pelosi/Beohner to call for the election to be postponed 30-45 days as a one time exception so that the republican party could organize a snap national primary and schedule 1 debate between Obama and the winner

Who would that candidate be? It can't be Romney or Huckabee given the closeness of their "runner-up" status. Giuliani and the rest are nonstarters. Don't think a non-candidate could be it either.
 
Who would that candidate be? It can't be Romney or Huckabee given the closeness of their "runner-up" status. Giuliani and the rest are nonstarters. Don't think a non-candidate could be it either.

Probably huckabee creating a primary version of W's 2004 map... not saying he would win in a landslide, far from it but I assume one on one he beats Mitt, they would be seen as the only "real" candidates...I assume Palin stays where she is at the time? but that's just me hoping for the least confusing and contested outcome
 
Probably huckabee creating a primary version of W's 2004 map... not saying he would win in a landslide, far from it but I assume one on one he beats Mitt, they would be seen as the only "real" candidates...I assume Palin stays where she is at the time? but that's just me hoping for the least confusing and contested outcome

Then there's no fiscal conservative on the ticket, just two populists. Wouldn't fly.
 
Palin would have her ass kicked seven ways to Sunday in a debate with Obama, as per OTL with Biden.

My understanding is that Palin did ok in the debate. And I'm not sure that Obama would be a tougher opponent than Biden.

She could referance her much greater experiance as a governor, something McCain could not do. (and she couldn't do against Biden)

Hell, Obama might be overconfident and condecending.:)

With the changeup, she might be able to get a couple of surprises for him, perhaps on energy policy re: drilling on the North Shore, that McCain wouldn't have and Obama might not be prepared for.
 
I believe that McCain-Palin stays on the ticket

If they somehow won, the Electoral College still gets to pick the President

Electors are not prevented from voting for someone other than Palin-
They could go to Obama, Nader, or someone like Romney or Huckabee if they wanted.

In some cases I think they face criminal penalty for being a disloyal voter, but their vote would count.
 
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