WI: Obama Assassinated in 2009?

What would have happened if this plan by a Neo-Nazi had succeeded, and a dirty bomb had gone off at Obamas first inauguration?

Assuming that the bomb kills everyone in the line of the succession, the designated survivor is Robert Gates. Is that a likely outcome? What comes next?
 
What would have happened if this plan by a Neo-Nazi had succeeded, and a dirty bomb had gone off at Obamas first inauguration?

Assuming that the bomb kills everyone in the line of the succession, the designated survivor is Robert Gates. Is that a likely outcome? What comes next?
This would be the largest political assassination on American soil and in the world.
And to have the terrorist being a home grown white group will shake the foundations of the War on Terror.

Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense and former CIA, would ask for a cross party unity, with all former leaders dead, he would look to Congress for the majority of support.
I could see him nominating, Democratic Representative and House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, as his vice President, with Pelosi, being the highest ranking Democrat at this moment in time.
He will call for an emergency cabinet and bring the country back to a normality.

A new election may be held in 2010 depending on how Gates is able to control the situation.

List of Victims:
President Barack Obama
First Lady Michel Obama
10 Year old, Malia Obama
7 Year old, Sasha Obama
Vice President Joe Biden
Second Lady Jill Biden
Beau Biden
Chief Justice, John G. Roberts, Jr.
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens

Former Presidents and their wives
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter
George H.W. and Barbara Bush
Bill and Hillary Clinton
George W. and Laura Bush

Former Vice Presidents and their wives
Walter and Joan Mondale
Dan and Marilyn Quayle
Al and Tipper Gore
Dick and Lynn Cheney

Celebrities:
Dustin Hoffman
Samuel L. Jackson
Tom Hanks
Denzel Washington
Oprah Winfrey
Beyoncé Knowles
Steven Spielberg
Tiger Woods
 

nbcman

Donor
What would have happened if this plan by a Neo-Nazi had succeeded, and a dirty bomb had gone off at Obamas first inauguration?

Assuming that the bomb kills everyone in the line of the succession, the designated survivor is Robert Gates. Is that a likely outcome? What comes next?

The bomb is not large enough to kill everyone in the line of succession immediately as a dirty bomb is a normal bomb which is dusted with nuclear materials. Most people will die due to cancer but not immediately. See this older thread for a discussion of this possible event.

https://www.alternatehistory.com/di...hp?t=342851&highlight=obama+dirty+bomb&page=2
 

jahenders

Banned
This would be the largest political assassination on American soil and in the world.
And to have the terrorist being a home grown white group will shake the foundations of the War on Terror.

Robert Gates as Secretary of Defense and former CIA, would ask for a cross party unity, with all former leaders dead, he would look to Congress for the majority of support.
I could see him nominating, Democratic Representative and House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi, as his vice President, with Pelosi, being the highest ranking Democrat at this moment in time.
He will call for an emergency cabinet and bring the country back to a normality.

As noted, a dirty bomb won't likely do enough direct damage to immediately kill everyone (unless it's massive). That being said, some massive attack could be plausible.

I'm not sure Pelosi would live. I haven't come across anything definitive on her attendance, but Pelosi, Feinstein, and Reid were all on the inauguration committee, so I'd think they were there (Feinstein certainly was).

In any case, you're right that Gates would quickly move to establish normalcy, getting a full (bi-partisan) cabinet in place and meeting with Congress.
 

Puzzle

Donor
Honestly just because everything else would be rather terrible, I'm more curious about the sports fallout if Tiger dies. This was before his precipitous social and athletic decline, as a golfer I'd be wondering if he could break the majors record had he lived.
 
The bomb is not large enough to kill everyone in the line of succession immediately as a dirty bomb is a normal bomb which is dusted with nuclear materials. Most people will die due to cancer but not immediately. See this older thread for a discussion of this possible event.
They may not be killed but I can not see any of the heavily cancer ridden survivers, wanting to spend their last moments on earth trying to hold office.

As noted, a dirty bomb won't likely do enough direct damage to immediately kill everyone (unless it's massive). That being said, some massive attack could be plausible.

I'm not sure Pelosi would live. I haven't come across anything definitive on her attendance, but Pelosi, Feinstein, and Reid were all on the inauguration committee, so I'd think they were there (Feinstein certainly was).

In any case, you're right that Gates would quickly move to establish normalcy, getting a full (bi-partisan) cabinet in place and meeting with Congress.
I was under the understanding, that during national political events, certain members of the legative and executive branch, could not be in the same place at the same time, due to crisis like this.

Honestly just because everything else would be rather terrible, I'm more curious about the sports fallout if Tiger dies. This was before his precipitous social and athletic decline, as a golfer I'd be wondering if he could break the majors record had he lived.
The death of former politicians and their families are sad, but like you I was intreged by how society would react to the death of these Celebrities, especially influencial people like Oprah and Spielberg.
Dustin Hoffman
Samuel L. Jackson
Tom Hanks
Denzel Washington
Oprah Winfrey
Beyoncé Knowles
Steven Spielberg
Tiger Woods
 

jahenders

Banned
I was under the understanding, that during national political events, certain members of the legative and executive branch, could not be in the same place at the same time, due to crisis like this.

The death of former politicians and their families are sad, but like you I was intreged by how society would react to the death of these Celebrities, especially influencial people like Oprah and Spielberg.

That's true for the executive branch -- a valid cabinet successor is always elsewhere. For the legislative branch, only the Speaker and the President pro Tempore are in the line of succession. However, there are certain events where more of the successors than normal can be in one place. One is the state of the union and typically, so is the inauguration. I haven't been able to verify it definitively, but I'm quite sure she was there in 2009.

People would be very upset by the deaths of Oprah, Spielberg, etc.

Given Obama's near-messianic following around the time of his election, he'd be well-nigh nominated to sainthood if he was assassinated.
 
They may not be killed but I can not see any of the heavily cancer ridden survivers, wanting to spend their last moments on earth trying to hold office.
Dirty bombs and the cancer risks tend to be exaggerated. Most of the people who survived the initial explosion itself (which would be no different than any other bomb) would be fine; an increased cancer risk, but it would take years to develop (and most of the high profile people could afford excellent treatment).

A bigger issue would be the contamination of a sizable chunk of DC with radioactive material for some time.
 
Clearly the work of a vast conspiracy. The Powers That Be (banks! Federal Reserve! CIA! FEMA! Clintons! Illuminati! The Jews- uhhhhh i mean Israel!) just knew that Obama would oppose their nefarious designs on mankind, so they rubbed him out! Just like JFK! Wake up sheeple!!!!

:rolleyes:
 
Given Obama's near-messianic following around the time of his election, he'd be well-nigh nominated to sainthood if he was assassinated.

Yup.

mess-2.jpg~original
 
...List of Victims:
President Barack Obama
First Lady Michel Obama
10 Year old, Malia Obama
7 Year old, Sasha Obama
...Samuel L. Jackson
...Denzel Washington
Oprah Winfrey
Beyoncé Knowles
...Tiger Woods

A whole lot of really pissed off Black Americans and rightfully so. This is 9/11, the Birmingham bombing, the assassination of MLK and Selma all in one horrifying event combined with a succession to the Presidency of someone who never received a vote and was a Republican to boot.

There is no Constitutional provision for holding a 2010 Presidential election, so unless Gates appoints a Democratic VP and resigns, he's President for the full term.

To call the situation a mess is to vastly understate the problem and its severity.
 
Given the situation it could just be an election to fill the remainder of Obama's term in office.

The Constitution is clear on succession and the length of a term. There is no provision for additional elections to fill unexpired terms, no matter what the circumstances.
 
How the Constitution says the President's term is four years.

The Constitution is clear on succession and the length of a term. There is no provision for additional elections to fill unexpired terms, no matter what the circumstances.
The first Succession law of 1792 had a provision for a special election (thus indicating that the Founding Fathers saw it as Constitutional)

Article II said:
Congress may by Law provide for the Case of Removal, Death, Resignation or Inability, both of the President and Vice President, declaring what Officer shall then act as President, and such Officer shall act accordingly, until the Disability be removed, or a President shall be elected.
Last line can easily be interpreted as justifying the calling of a special election. With precedent on the side of Congress being able to organize a Special election if both the POTUS and VP are out, I think the courts would uphold such a law if it were passed.
 
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