WI: Reagan Down, Bush Out

I don't exactly know if this has been done before, I searched but really couldn't find anything on it, so if it has been, please point me in the right direction. As many people know, Reagan was almost fatally shot in the early months of his first term. Lets say that he is not fatally shot, but is hit in a way that makes him not capable of carrying out the duties of President. Meanwhile, VP George HW Bush is being flown back to Washington, lets say a mechanical failure (the most likely due to haste) or goose or something brings the plane down, killing the VP and everyone on board.

What would be the consequences?

Some questions to ponder.
Would Tip O'Neil become acting President?
Would Reagan's condition try to be masked by The US Government (similar to the case of Woodrow Wilson)?

Or is this just ASB's?
 
If Reagan is not capable of carrying out his duties, it will become apparent. This is not the 1920s and the press and Congress will not turn a blind eye. Tip becomes the President.
 
1984: Mondale, Brown, Hart and Kennedy go for the nomination of the democrats.How about Carter trying one more time? Who does Tip pick to be his VP? Who ever gets it has a leg up on the nomination and the Presidency. I can't see Tip running. The GOP side. Dole, Kemp, Haig, or maybe Ford running again?
 
If Reagan is not capable of carrying out his duties, it will become apparent. This is not the 1920s and the press and Congress will not turn a blind eye. Tip becomes the President.

President or Acting President? By what I've read, only the VP can become President upon the death, resignation, assignation, etc. of the President. I could be wrong though, but if he does become Acting, does Tip fill out the full term, or until a special election?
 
He becomes President, but likely wouldn't run in 1984 due to age. So you'll get the OTL '84 mix plus Kennedy, who said he didn't run because Reagan was unbeatable. There are no provisions for a special election in the Constitution, a bill would have to be passed by Congress and probably vetted by SCOTUS. For the GOP, the '88 crowd minus Bush, Howard Baker might run as well.
 
President or Acting President? By what I've read, only the VP can become President upon the death, resignation, assignation, etc. of the President. I could be wrong though, but if he does become Acting, does Tip fill out the full term, or until a special election?

If Reagan and Bush are both dead, Tip is president until the end of the term or until he resigns. While Reagan is still alive but not able to function, he is acting president.

If succession passes down to the cabinet, the Secretary of State might become acting president, but must step down when the House elects a new Speaker to assume the presidency.
 
Would Tip O'Neill accept the Reagan Cabinet as it now staff'd...?

And if Tip declined the Presidency ...
wouldn't the Senate pro tam, the head of the senate, be given the right to succeed to the Oval Office before the first Cabinet member???
 
Would Tip O'Neill accept the Reagan Cabinet as it now staff'd...?

And if Tip declined the Presidency ...
wouldn't the Senate pro tam, the head of the senate, be given the right to succeed to the Oval Office before the first Cabinet member???

Those are very interesting questions, especially whether Tip O'Neill would turn down the Presidency.
 
Yes, the Senate president pro tempore would become President (or Acting President) should Tip decline; that's at least what the Presidential Succession Act says.

The Senate pro tempore in the 97th Congress was... Strom Thurmond. That's probably worth a TL in and of itself.
 
Query could Congress have passed a succession law requiring a special election i the absence of both the elected pres and any vp?
 
I wonder what becomes of Alexander Haig, "I am in Control" speech? I'd assume it would be butterflied away.
 
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