Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Don't want to divert the "Asteroid" thread, but when reading it I was struck (stricken?) by an Alpo-esque thought: Now, if some such calamity did occur (Heaven forbid!) and the entire city of Washington was to be obliterated along with it's denizens... what would happen to the country? Assuming the titular heads of government were all at home in said city, what would the succession be? Would the oldest Governor step up? The nation's most senior surviving military leader? Tallest Scoutmaster? Reigning Miss America? Oh wait - she'd be too young. Could we nominate Alpo? Would we want to? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 41 minutes ago, Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967 said: Could we nominate Alpo? Would we want to? No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cold Lake Kid, SASS # 51474 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 We could send you Justin Trudeau. Please. We'll even give you preferential treatment to buy our oil, minerals and lumber. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Jack Ryan would become president. Chuck Norris would be everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 If POTUS, VPOTUS, Speaker of the House, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and Secretary of State are all killed or incapacitated, it devolves though the members of the Cabinet. I don't think there are provisions beyond that. My guess is that it could be argued that the senior surviving member of the House of Representatives should take the reins, but it would have to be hashed out in the Supreme Court. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Utah Bob #35998 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Not sure what they do If all of em bought the farm. Guess it would be an arm wrasslin contest. succession. The line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation. If the President of the United States is incapacitated, dies, resigns, is for any reason unable to hold his/her office, or is removed from office, he/she will be replaced in the following order: Vice President Speaker of the House President Pro Tempore of the Senate Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 Sounds to me that in the OP's opening post everybody got wiped out leaving none of the normal succession line. This happened in an early Tom Clancy novel, I cannot remember which. I'm certain there was some excellent discussion and prognostication involved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 So, Secretary of Defense inherits his position from Secretary of War? and there is no allowance for Secretaries of Army, Navy, Air Force. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abilene Slim SASS 81783 Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 6 minutes ago, Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 said: So, Secretary of Defense inherits his position from Secretary of War? and there is no allowance for Secretaries of Army, Navy, Air Force. I don’t catch your drift. Secretary of War title was abolished in 1947. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Subdeacon Joe Posted August 23, 2020 Share Posted August 23, 2020 40 minutes ago, Dantankerous said: Sounds to me that in the OP's opening post everybody got wiped out leaving none of the normal succession line. This happened in an early Tom Clancy novel, I cannot remember which. I'm certain there was some excellent discussion and prognostication involved. That is at the end of "Debt of Honor" and segues into the start of "Executive Orders." Quote Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted 35 minutes ago (edited) and there is no allowance for Secretaries of Army, Navy, Air Force. Those are not Cabinet positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forty Rod SASS 3935 Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 An old Chinese curse: "May you live in interesting times." I see it coming. Actually, we'd likely fall to what ever country was big enough to take us away from everyone else.....and that will be bloody. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dantankerous Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: ...Actually, we'd likely fall to what ever country was big enough to take us away from everyone else.....and that will be bloody. Well, except Texas. The bloody part, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noz Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 7 hours ago, Utah Bob #35998 said: Not sure what they do If all of em bought the farm. Guess it would be an arm wrasslin contest. succession. The line of succession of cabinet officers is in the order of their agencies’ creation. If the President of the United States is incapacitated, dies, resigns, is for any reason unable to hold his/her office, or is removed from office, he/she will be replaced in the following order: Vice President Speaker of the House President Pro Tempore of the Senate Secretary of State Secretary of the Treasury Secretary of Defense Attorney General Secretary of the Interior Secretary of Agriculture Secretary of Commerce Secretary of Labor Secretary of Health and Human Services Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Secretary of Transportation Secretary of Energy Secretary of Education Secretary of Veterans Affairs Secretary of Homeland Security Who ever we select will be completely capable of screwing things up as well as an elected official. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 Posted August 24, 2020 Share Posted August 24, 2020 11 hours ago, Abilene Slim SASS 81783 said: I don’t catch your drift. Secretary of War title was abolished in 1947. The order of precedence in succession is set by the date of creation of the office. Department of State was created before Department of Treasury, before Department of War, etc. Department of Defense would be way down the list unless there was an exception because department of Defense inherited its position from War. Aha, Presidential Succession Act of 1947, including later amendments Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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