[deuteronlmy232]

I have a question for the Constitutional Lawyers out there.

McCain is old and not in the best of health. The animosity between differant factions in the communist party are getting worse and worse.

What if the D was assassinated and McCain died of say a heart attack both between the end of September and election day.

What happens? I have looked and looked and can only come to the conclusion that the electoral college could keep George Bush or just select someone. Or would it fall to the Speaker of the House (God forbid)?

[dinoparty]

Wouldn’t the parties simply name replacement nominees?

[Yo-Yo]

What if the D was assassinated and McCain died of say a heart attack both between the end of September and election day.

Since when has a DemocRAT allowed something as trivial as death stop them from running - and winning - public office?

</sarc>

[maica]

Rush Pearl of Wisdom: “We have the leading Democrat presidential primary contender Barack Obama campaigning on what? Hope. Change. We can all unify, blah, blah, blah. Democrats can’t even unify their own party! How are they going to unify the country? The whole thing is an illusion.”

How can a party that cannot run an election sell the idea that they can run the country!!!! Ideal question to ask all lib acquaintances.

[Nova442]

Both parties would choose replacments, almost 99% sure to be the VP picks.

[cotton1706]

I’m not a constitutional lawyer but should the nominees die before election day, the result is simple. The people are choosing a slate of electors, not the president. The slates would still be chosen on the first tuesday after the first monday in november.

Then the real election occurs, when the electoral college (a legislature that sits quadrennially for one purpose) would choose who the president would be. They would presumably choose those nominated for vice-president. However, whomever they chose, they would send their votes to the Congress to be counted. Should none receive a majority, the House would choose the president.

There is no need for panic in such a situation. The Constitution, in its brilliance, has institutional back-up plans.

In any case, Bush could not be chosen. He is ineligible as a candidate. The speaker could become president, but only temporarily in the event that the House had not decided on a president before noon on January 20th.

[SunStar]

The parties could appoint someone else to run as their nominee. The election would still happen.

[Lucky Dog]

What if the D was assassinated and McCain died of say a heart attack both between the end of September and election day.

Until the election, there are no designated, replacement office holders. Any candidate is subject to replacement by the appropriate means.

''...electoral college could keep George Bush or just select someone.

Electors are bound under the Constitution only by tradition, not law. However, electors are not selected until election day.