October surprise: Bush* resigns; President Cheney?

[Newsjock]

While reading the GOP's latest defense of Cheney, and reminding myself how Cheney is the true power inside the White House, my neurons all fired at once on a nightmare election scenario.

What if, come the middle of October or so, our Glorious Leader suddenly announces that he -- not the vice president, as so many have expected -- is resigning due to the ever-popular unspecified "health reasons"?

Under the Constitution, this immediately makes Cheney the president.

Then, what happens with the November elections? Ballots are already printed -- many have been sent out, and many absentee ballots have probably been mailed back.

To make things worse, Cheney gets to appoint a VP. And, of course, it just Wouldn't Be Right to have an election so soon after such a Traumatic Event were to shake up the White House.

What could be done to short-circuit this scenario before it even starts?

[trotsky]

1. No way that would happen.

Dubya puts the "friendly face" on the neocon agenda. People were willing to vote for him in 2000 because he seemed like a decent guy. Without that simpleton heading the ticket, it's doomed.

[onehandle]

2. Bull. Anyway, Cheney already calls the shots...

...with none of the responsibility. He's not going anywhere.

And neither of them are getting a second term.

AND that scenario is not Constitutional. Nothing is stopping the elections.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

3. i don't think

Cheney's heart could take the stress of knowing he's out in front. No way your nightmare scenario will happen.

[readmylips]

4. The Dick is a psycho...giving up power, Never..

DaDick would rather see the USA go up in flames before he gives up Power.

5. Democrat wins by default

since the Republicans would not have an actual candidate.

no need to short circuit the scenario. You're just being paranoid.

[radwriter0555]

6. A distinct possibility, however, toss bill frist into the mix and see how

the math plays out.

Word is that frist is the inside man for the prez gig.

My bet is that cheney steps down due to health reasons, and frist steps up to bat.

He's their boy for 2008.

Assuming of course that the regime steals the election again, and frankly I have no reason to believe they won't in spite of Bev's astounding and heroic efforts to save the last vestiges of our democratic republic.

[maggrwaggr]

7. Look for an a**a**ination attempt on Bush to bolster his popularity

they did it with Reagan and it worked.