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Edited by Mrph1 on Nov 30th 2023 at 11:03:59 AM

singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#330826: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:10:24 AM

Wasn't there a minor freak out when Cheney was deputised when Dubya went in for a scheduled hospital operation or some such? Admittedly this wasn't politically destabilising, just the visceral reaction people had when they remembered "Oh s**t, Cheney is Vice President."

Edit - Hrm, 7.7 / 10 pagetopper rating, would pagetop again.

Edited by singularityshot on Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:12:00 AM

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#330827: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:12:02 AM

It turns out that all Senate Judiciary Members were in the same room yesterday morning before Mike Lee got his testing done. This mean the following Senators may have it Graham, Grassley, Cornyn, Cruz, Sasse, Tillis, Ernst, Crapo, Kennedy, Blackburn, Feinstein, Leahy, Durbin, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, Hirono, Booker, and even Harris.

Harris will likely need another test done in a day or so.

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
RainehDaze Nero Fangirl (4 Score & 7 Years Ago)
Nero Fangirl
#330828: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:12:28 AM

Also nobody wants to redo all the ballots, I presume, so if Trump did die the votes would keep being cast for his dead body.

Ultimatum Disasturbator from the Amiga Forest (Old as dirt) Relationship Status: Who needs love when you have waffles?
Disasturbator
#330829: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:12:42 AM

If it turns out to be serious Trump will probably have to step down and let Pence assume direct control,Trump won't be able against this because he'll be incapacitated,and I don't see him becoming deceased but too ill to carry out his duties as President

have a listen and have a link to my discord server
Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#330830: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:12:57 AM

"It's worth noting that the election has already started."

To add to this: Last night NPR was saying that more than 2 million people have already voted.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330831: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:14:19 AM

@ Fourth Spartan: The main question there is really, do you think Pence will make for a better candidate than Trump against Biden, and would any voters who haven't voted yet be tempted to switch from Biden to Pence?

As for the first, it is hard to imagine Pence being worse. As for the second, I think most voters are already locked in to voting Dem or Rep. A factor could be whether voters still trust the Republican party better than Trump, or whether they now consider them an extension of a Trump presidency.

I think overall voter counts would be roughly the same. Biden's strong standing against Trump will likely translate to a strong standing against Pence, certainly this close to the election date.

Edited by Redmess on Oct 2nd 2020 at 7:15:05 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Fighteer Lost in Space from The Time Vortex (Time Abyss) Relationship Status: TV Tropes ruined my love life
Lost in Space
#330832: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:15:22 AM

Pence has no time left to make a substantial difference. That's the point.

"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#330833: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:16:05 AM

Honestly the GOP is spineless enough to not bring in the 25th amendment when Trump would actually like in an ICU

"You can reply to this Message!"
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330834: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:17:44 AM

If Trump is sufficiently incapacitated, the decision would be automatic, I believe. Trump would not need to approve it, since he obviously couldn't.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#330835: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:18:08 AM

@ Fourth Spartan: The main question there is really, do you think Pence will make for a better candidate than Trump against Biden, and would any voters who haven't voted yet be tempted to switch from Biden to Pence?

No, I don't think he would be. Pence has no appeal beyond evangelicals, a group already behind Trump, and could theoretically lose the Obama-Trump voters which could have serious consequences. Furthermore, he has the same serious policy issues that Trump does (in that they're garbage and no one wants them) without the bluster.

And he has the charisma of a soggy cardboard box.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
3of4 Just a harmless giant from a foreign land. from Five Seconds in the Future. Since: Jan, 2010 Relationship Status: GAR for Archer
Just a harmless giant from a foreign land.
#330836: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:18:30 AM

CNBC: Biden tests negative for Covid19

Edited by 3of4 on Oct 2nd 2020 at 7:18:40 PM

"You can reply to this Message!"
TitanJump Since: Sep, 2013 Relationship Status: Singularity
#330837: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:18:57 AM

Spence has made his throw with the dice by deciding to just step back against the wall and fade away into the background like wallpaper for the last four years without ever, ever, stepping in front of Trump to stop him in any way or form.

Heck, I even forgot that he existed these last three and a half years...

Edited by TitanJump on Oct 2nd 2020 at 7:19:20 PM

Parable Since: Aug, 2009
#330839: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:19:32 AM

"Graham, Grassley, Cornyn, Cruz, Sasse, Tillis, Ernst, Crapo, Kennedy, Blackburn, Feinstein, Leahy, Durbin, Whitehouse, Klobuchar, Blumenthal, Hirono, Booker, and even Harris."

I don't know about the others, but Feinstein has been around since dinosaurs were falling into the La Brea Tar Pits. As much as she annoys me I am very concerned about her well bring right now.

Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330840: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:20:24 AM

[up][up][up] And that is exactly his strategy, unfortunately.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#330841: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:21:13 AM

[up]Why unfortunately? That's a pretty bad strategy if you want to get elected during a pandemic.

Edited by Fourthspartan56 on Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:21:46 AM

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330842: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:22:05 AM

But Pence is not getting elected. Trump is. And Trump does not exactly need (or particularly want) a running mate.

And it is unfortunate because it means Pence can slip into the background and work on his own policies in the shadows, like the slithery rat he is.

Edited by Redmess on Oct 2nd 2020 at 7:23:03 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
Fourthspartan56 from Georgia, US Since: Oct, 2016 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
#330844: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:32:12 AM

[up][up]Ah, gotcha.

I thought we were still talking about a hypothetical Pence ticket.

Fair enough.

"Einstein would turn over in his grave. Not only does God play dice, the dice are loaded." -Chairman Sheng-Ji Yang
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330845: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:43:38 AM

Right, Pence staying quiet is his modus operandi for now. Presumably he would be forced to be more public if Trump died, though I don't think he would like to be in that position much.

And when you think about it, given how many people plain forget who their current VP is, let alone pay attention to them, while the VP still holds considerable power within a presidency, it is kind of a brilliant position to be in as a politician. This means Harris will still be in a great position in that regard.

Edited by Redmess on Oct 2nd 2020 at 7:46:55 PM

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times
WillKeaton from Alberta, Canada Since: Jun, 2010
#330846: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:52:07 AM

Still waiting for Trump to cry "Fake News!" and say that he hasn't actually tested positive.

tclittle Professional Forum Ninja from Somewhere Down in Texas Since: Apr, 2010
Professional Forum Ninja
#330847: Oct 2nd 2020 at 10:56:00 AM

Notre Dame president Reverend John Jenkins has tested positive for COVID-19. The reason I'm bringing this up is he attended the SCOTUS nomination event this past Saturday and was lambasted for not wearing a mask. It's very likely this was the initial event that became a super spreader.

The White House Correspondence Association has confirmed two more COVID-19 positive cases, including one White House staff member and a member of the press.

Edited by tclittle on Oct 2nd 2020 at 12:56:32 PM

"We're all paper, we're all scissors, we're all fightin' with our mirrors, scared we'll never find somebody to love."
singularityshot Since: Dec, 2012
#330848: Oct 2nd 2020 at 11:05:00 AM

Again, speaking of Boris Johnson, he's given an interview to the Telegraph saying that "he is sure that Trump will make a strong recovery."

Jesus talk about the kiss of death.

CharlesPhipps Since: Jan, 2001
#330849: Oct 2nd 2020 at 11:06:03 AM

It should be noted that Pence is arguably the most powerful Vice President in history, including Cheney. One of the things that was earlier touted was that because he was a religious fanatic, keeping Trump in the White House was preferable. I thought this logic was specious to begin with but became exceptionally so with the leaks from the White House. One of the things that almost no one talks about is the fact that Trump flat out does not do the majority of the jobs that are his to do in the Presidency. He does his own projects, supports ridiculous assertions, attacks democracy, and so on but the actual day to day running of the government is left to Pence.

So we know what a 4 year Pence would be like.

Author of The Rules of Supervillainy, Cthulhu Armageddon, and United States of Monsters.
Redmess Redmess from Netherlands Since: Feb, 2014
Redmess
#330850: Oct 2nd 2020 at 11:11:35 AM

And the VP doesn't even have to worry about voters. That is on the president's shoulders. He does have a favorability rating, but I doubt many even know it exists, and I'm not sure what kind of impact it would have to start with.

And even we don't really talk about Pence all that much, despite all the power he holds.

Hope shines brightest in the darkest times

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