I've always heard they have one Cabinet member elsewhere during each meeting, and during the State of the Union address, just in case the worst happens.
Are the two people in the Cabinet who wouldn't be eligible for president kept away, or do they skip their turns because they couldn't take power anyway? I mean, I guess it would make sense, but if most of the government is dead, I'd think they could over look the whole "not a citizen" bit.
Nope, if the Constitution says a President must be a natural-born citizen of the United States, they couldn't overlook that even if most of the government is dead, I would venture to say-- it's constitutionally prohibited.
My guess is the cabinet member in question would have to be a natural-born citizen. Or you can just take Donna Moss' advice and have her be president in the event of an attack. She's probably not in the line of succession, but if someone bombed the Capitol building she'd no doubt move up a few slots.
(No idea what I'm talking about? Watch The West Wing episode "He Shall, From Time To Time...")
Anyhoo, I'd vote for Static Cling Girl from that list. Nothing says you're ready to be president quite like having twelve zillion socks stuck to your body.
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All out disaster scenarios are fun. However, a few questions:
How can it ever get past Speaker of the House barring the death of every member of the House? As soon as the Speaker becomes President, he would be replaced in that role, and the new speaker would take his/her place. Now, if somehow it were to get to the Senate Pro Temp, wouldn't it take the absolute destruction of the Senate and of all state governments to get to the Secretary of State, as the Pro Temp would be replaced by another Senator, who would elevate into that position? Should the entire Senate be wiped out, that would cause state governments to send Senators to Washington as replacements depending upon the statutes of that state. If all state governments were wiped out, would there actually be anyone left to take control of the government, should any government actually be there to take control of? Of course, if ever there is a doubt, just bring in Al Haig, because He's In Charge. Should Al Haig die, just bring in Charles.
I would think that the Presidency would be filled first, and then the other posts would be dealt with after that. The idea I guess being that should something that bad happen where we go down to say Atty. Gen. as the new President there would be a need for immediate leadership and decision-making, since it likely would be a war scenario causing it.
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He has no business ANYWHERE on that list. If 17 people above him (plus the prez) die on the same day, I don't want ANYONE from Homeland Security running this country.
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The funny thing is that the Secretaries are all on the list in the order that their office was added. I remember hearing at some point that they wanted to change the order of sucession to move Homeland Security up the list, moving it to #8 (after Attorney General) because they thought that position was more important than all the rest.
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Originally posted by redsoxnationHow can it ever get past Speaker of the House barring the death of every member of the House?
Obviously, those things don't happen immediately. Congress and/or the Senate has to meet to elect a new Speaker or President Pro Tem and that may be somewhat difficult in the face of an all-out attack on our soil. That's why It could get down to Gale Norton.
Was it Battlestar Galactica where some minor functionary became president after most of the leaders were killed? Some show or movie did that.
In the movie "King Ralph", the entire royal family was having a picture taken and there was an accident that killed the group. It doesn't resemble Battlestar Galactica much so you're probably thinking of something else.
Originally posted by edougIn the movie "King Ralph", the entire royal family was having a picture taken and there was an accident that killed the group. It doesn't resemble Battlestar Galactica much so you're probably thinking of something else.
It wasn't king Ralph, cause I haven't seen it. It was definitely some space movie or TV show where a cabinet member became president,primarily because the aliens killed all the existing rulers. Damn... (googling)
Yeah, yeah, it IS Battlestar Galactica - the new one. Roslin was Secretary of Education, 33rd in line to the succession of the Presidency..
I have a question about the order of succession. Pre nuclear bombs was there the big long complicated order of succession? I mean in 1851 how likely was it that the Pres, Veep, SPOTH, and all the rest would die at the same time. Is that also why there is the big intricate Congressional approval to confirm the various Secretaries because they theoretically could become POTUS.
Marge I am just trying to get into heaven not run for Jesus.
Originally posted by DahakI have a question about the order of succession. Pre nuclear bombs was there the big long complicated order of succession? I mean in 1851 how likely was it that the Pres, Veep, SPOTH, and all the rest would die at the same time. Is that also why there is the big intricate Congressional approval to confirm the various Secretaries because they theoretically could become POTUS.
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) has more on this topic than you'll ever want to know.
I don't think that the possible succession of a President is the reason that cabinet members need to be confirmed becuase all Presidential appointments (including diplomatic and judicial nominees) also need to be confirmed.
According to that they've had an order of succession since 1792. Originally, though, the President pro tempore of the Senate was 3rd, and the Speaker was 4th. If all 4 died at the same time, they would have had a special election to appoint a new president and vice president.
In 1886 they changed the law, and made the Cabinet Secretaries first in line. The reason was because the Secretary of State, at least, seemed more presidential than the other two. Up to that time, 6 Secretaries of State had later become president, while only two Congressional leaders had done the same.
The current order of succession dates back to a law passed in 1947.
So yes, what to do if everyone else was dead is something they've considered for quite some time.
EDIT: Curse you, Big Steve! I would have posted first if it wasn't for you meddling kids!
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(Section 3 of the 20th Amendment) provides that if, on Inauguration Day, a President has not been chosen or the President-elect does not qualify for the Presidency, the Vice President-elect acts as President until a President is chosen or the President-elect qualifies.
So does this mean we could elect someone who is, say 34 years old but turns 35 in May, and the Vice President-elect would serve until May when the President-elect can take office, or is there some other possible scenario I'm overlooking here?
Originally posted by TheBucsFanFrom the Wiki entry:
(Section 3 of the 20th Amendment) provides that if, on Inauguration Day, a President has not been chosen or the President-elect does not qualify for the Presidency, the Vice President-elect acts as President until a President is chosen or the President-elect qualifies.
So does this mean we could elect someone who is, say 34 years old but turns 35 in May, and the Vice President-elect would serve until May when the President-elect can take office, or is there some other possible scenario I'm overlooking here?
Hmmm...perhaps in an even more far-out back-door scenario...since the 22nd ameendment says
Originally posted by Amendment 22No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
would it be possible for a party, say the GOP felt like everyone loved GWB, to run him as VP, and put someone ineligible to serve as president up as their choice, and if that person got elected, would the VP then serve, or would that count as being "elected" president?
Originally posted by TheBucsFanFrom the Wiki entry:
(Section 3 of the 20th Amendment) provides that if, on Inauguration Day, a President has not been chosen or the President-elect does not qualify for the Presidency, the Vice President-elect acts as President until a President is chosen or the President-elect qualifies.
So does this mean we could elect someone who is, say 34 years old but turns 35 in May, and the Vice President-elect would serve until May when the President-elect can take office, or is there some other possible scenario I'm overlooking here?
Hmmm...perhaps in an even more far-out back-door scenario...since the 22nd ameendment says
Originally posted by Amendment 22No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of the President more than once.
would it be possible for a party, say the GOP felt like everyone loved GWB, to run him as VP, and put someone ineligible to serve as president up as their choice, and if that person got elected, would the VP then serve, or would that count as being "elected" president?
I don't think that would count as "electing" him President, no. But the VP-Elect only serves so long as the Prez-Elect is ineligble or until a new President is chosen. I'd think that scenario would make people find a new President.
Thanks for clearing all this up. This helps explain the end of the Manchurian Candidate. (with the assassination attempt right after the election).
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