Robert Gates becomes POTUS after 2009 Inauguration Day attack

Teshuvah

Banned
On Obama's first inauguration day, Robert Gates was the designated survivor (the cabinet member who is away from high-profile gatherings to ensure the line of succession is continued) for the event. What if something terrible happens (James G. Cummings setting off his dirty bomb, for example), and everyone in the line of succession is killed but him?

How does he handle the crisis? What goals does he pursue as President?
 

Magnum

Hopefully he also has the decency to call in the Iranian ambassador and threaten nuclear destruction to his face, unless he withdraws his destroyers, before wiping out Teheran.

Also, the NYSE takes a plunge into the abyss - anyone know if there's any procedure for it shutting itself down if things get really crazy, and if so, what the threshold is?
For comparison, this is what happened when the AP twitter account was hacked and reported Obama had been injured in an explosion at the White House, before being redacted two minutes later:
upload_2016-9-23_9-29-3.png


The infusion of capital required to keep things afloat will make the OTL Obama Stimulus look like pocket change - question is, if Congress is no more, who is going to authorize it? There had to have been at least a couple of Congressmen not present at the inauguration, right?
 
Jonathan

Jonathan

I would like to think that as 45th President of the United States, Robert Gates would do the honourable thing and nominate 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi as his running mate and resign, stating that the United States of America voted for a Democratic President and resign allowing Pelosi to be sworn in as the 1st female, 1st Italian American and 46th President of the United States.
 
Resurgam

Resurgam

Jonathan said:
I would like to think that as 45th President of the United States, Robert Gates would do the honourable thing and nominate 52nd Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi as his running mate and resign, stating that the United States of America voted for a Democratic President and resign allowing Pelosi to be sworn in as the 1st female, 1st Italian American and 46th President of the United States.
Click to expand...
Per OP scenario, Pelosi is dead.
 
kichinichini

kichinichini

One new member of Congress who wasn't at the inaugrtation was Al Franken. By this point he was certified the winner but tied up in appeals by the Coleman campaign (which in OTL didn't get wrapped up until late June 2009). In light of the national tragedy I have to beieve/hope Minnesota Republicans would drop the appeals and let Senator Franken get to work.
 

stubear1012

On the stock market, it is my understanding that there are "circuit breakers" that are supposed to kick in when the market does a sudden large drop. The purpose of the circuit breaker is to stop the automated trading programs and give humans a chance to make the decisions.
 
kichinichini

kichinichini

AYC said:
Probably a governor who runs for Senate in one of the many, MANY special elections.
Click to expand...

Most Senate vacancies will be filled by Governors - some may appoint themselves, but it obviously won't be all of the seats. As I mentioned a couple posts ago, the most senior Democratic Senator could very well be Al Franken. But I can't find a list of which Senators or Representaatives did NOT attend the inauguration.

This is how Senate vacancies are filled, by state:
http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/vacancies-in-the-united-states-senate.aspx
 

Starkad

AYC said:
... What if something terrible happens (James G. Cummings setting off his dirty bomb, for example), and everyone in the line of succession is killed but him?
Click to expand...

Uhm, dirty bombs aren't all that lethal. Fatalities will be mostly from the explosion itself and secondary effects (fire, structural damage, panic...)
The radiological part will add lots of stress, panic and longtime health effects, but very few short time fatalities or serious casualties, unless that part is completely missed (which is highly unlikely in DC post 9/11) and precautions/treatment thus not taken. And Congress & Cabinet will be first in line for checkups and treatment, it's the plebs outside who might not get treated in time.

And to kill or seriously incapacitate 500+ specific people in a crowd of thousands will take either a very big bomb placed inside the central area or something very different.
Getting a large bomb into one of the most obvious security targets in the world is gonna take some serious doing (or incompetence/corruption/...)
 
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