what would be different if McCain had won in 08

we wouldnt really even see the difference. the effect of a presidents decisions arent usually realized until years after their term, except the war decisions. and to be honest, obama hasnt been that peaceful so i dont see mccain having done much worse
 
Unemployment extensions would have been few or non-existent. Most of southeastern Michigan would be living out of their cars.
 
Osama would still be cooling his heels in Abottobad laughing at the dithering old fart sending Predators to bomb empty caves.
 
Tricky said:
Actually, if the VEEP resigns, they appoint a new one. That's how Gerald Ford got to be president. And if Ford had died, Rockefeller would have taken over. Only if the President and the Vice President die before Congress can appoint a successor does the Speaker of the House take over.
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KingMerv00 said:
Is that right?

McCain dies ---> Palin becomes president ---> Palin resigns without a vice president ---> Pelosi becomes president

Maybe I'm missing something though.
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There's nothing automatic about the process. "They" don't "appoint" anything. The new President has to nominate a new Vice President, and Congress has to approve the nomination.

Arthur became President after Garfield was assassinated, but never managed to appoint a VP. If he'd died, the Speaker of the House would have been President (Or possibly the Secretary of State, the rules have changed). Ford, however, appointed Rockefeller, who was confirmed by the Senate.
 
KingMerv00 said:
Is that right?

McCain dies ---> Palin becomes president ---> Palin resigns without a vice president ---> Pelosi becomes president

Maybe I'm missing something though.
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You've got the succession right, but it only goes to the speaker if both the President and Veep are gone at the same time. If Palin took over by succession for McCain, she would nominate her own V.P. (subject to confirmation by Congress) who would then be next in line if she resigns.

ETA: I missed that you specified "Palin resigns without a V.P." Of course, that wouldn't happen even in hypothetical land simply because she really detests Pelosi and would not hand the presidency over to her. Remember, we're talking voluntary resignation.
 
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There would be a large contingent of right wing nutbag "Panamers" who think he's ineligible for office because he was born off-base in Panama.
 
Tricky said:
Actually, if the VEEP resigns, they appoint a new one.
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If the V.P. resigns to become president, it's not "they" who appoint a new one, it's the new president who nominates a new V.P. subject to confirmation of both houses of Congress. So if McCain dies, and Palin becomes president, she gets to nominate her successor.

ETA: Ford's situation was different than the hypothetical we're talking about. Nixon didn't die, so a backroom deal was made for the VP to resign first. Nixon nominated Ford to replace Agnew, and then Ford succeeded as President when Nixon resigned. . .and of course granted Nixon a full pardon. (Among other things guaranteeing that Ford would not win an election to get his own term.)
 
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JoeTheJuggler said:
If the V.P. resigns to become president, it's not "they" who appoint a new one, it's the new president who nominates a new V.P. subject to confirmation of both houses of Congress. So if McCain dies, and Palin becomes president, she gets to nominate her successor.

ETA: Ford's situation was different than the hypothetical we're talking about. Nixon didn't die, so a backroom deal was made for the VP to resign first. Nixon nominated Ford to replace Agnew, and then Ford succeeded as President when Nixon resigned. . .and of course granted Nixon a full pardon. (Among other things guaranteeing that Ford would not win an election to get his own term.)
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I'm confused by "backroom deal was made for the VP to resign first". Which VP?

Agnew? He resigned because he going to plead guilty no contest to tax evasion from accepting bribes as governor of Maryland

Ford? Ford didn't resign as VP, he just became president when Nixon resigned. Now he might have made a backroom deal to pardon Nixon.
 
Taarkin said:
There would be a large contingent of right wing nutbag "Panamers" who think he's ineligible for office because he was born off-base in Panama.
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There wouldn´t be. He´s a Republican, he´s white and he doesn´t have a foreign-sounding name. You know, unlike Obama.
 
Spindrift said:
I'm confused by "backroom deal was made for the VP to resign first". Which VP?
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Agnew.

Agnew? He resigned because he going to plead guilty no contest to tax evasion from accepting bribes as governor of Marylan
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You don't think Watergate had anything to do with the timing of his resignation? But I suppose I misspoke. The "backroom deal" I'm talking about was the selection of Ford to be VP knowing he'd become president by succession and pardon Nixon.

ETA: At any rate, my point was that the sequence of events was different than if President McCain would die. V.P. Palin would become president and she would appoint her VP who would then be in line for succession--not Speaker Pelosi.
 
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dvictr said:
in 08 McCain had zero chance.. the only race was between Obama/Hillary during the spring.

so im just looking to hear opinions on what would be different in the economy, iraq, afghanistan, immigration, health care etc..??

its my opinion that it would be the same
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Well, no repeal of DADT, no health care reform, no draw down in Iraq, probably a surge in Afghanistan. The economy would be in much worse shape without a stimulus (though maybe McCain tries for one).

The more thought-provoking comparison is "what if Mitt Romney (governer of Mass. version) won the election?"

The health care bill probably is passed faster (it's his Mass. plan) without the teatard revolution. The financial reforms and stimulus are likely exactly the same. He probably makes similar decisions on foreign policy, maintains the same detention and rendition programs.

The only substantive difference between Obama and a generic sane Republican (unclear if such people actually exist--Romney is trying as hard as possible to go crazy) is the don't ask, don't tell repeal. Hell, Obama opposes gay marriage.
 
Would've extended the tax cuts for the rich (thereby running a massive deficit)
Bombed Libya
And refused to shut down Guantanamo
 
JoeTheJuggler said:
Agnew.



You don't think Watergate had anything to do with the timing of his resignation? But I suppose I misspoke. The "backroom deal" I'm talking about was the selection of Ford to be VP knowing he'd become president by succession and pardon Nixon.

ETA: At any rate, my point was that the sequence of events was different than if President McCain would die. V.P. Palin would become president and she would appoint her VP who would then be in line for succession--not Speaker Pelosi.
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Okay. I agree that Watergate had something to do with Agnew resigning. He was thrown under the bus as a diversion for something they might have been able to at least stall under the end of the term. Didn't work out too well for Spiro or Dick.
 
 
 
The stimulus wouldn't have been passed, probably plunging the economy into a worse recession or even depression.
 
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