Re: (ReacTor) Five SF Scenarios Involving the US Presidential Line of Succession

On Wed, 9 Oct 2024 13:51:44 -0400, Cryptoengineer
<petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:

On 10/9/2024 11:42 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On Tue, 8 Oct 2024 22:18:12 -0400, Cryptoengineer
<petertrei@gmail.com> wrote:
 

On 10/8/2024 11:55 AM, Paul S Person wrote:

On 8 Oct 2024 14:16:07 -0000, jdnicoll@panix.com (James Nicoll) wrote:
>

Five SF Scenarios Involving the US Presidential Line of Succession
>
The American Presidential Line of Succession determines who replaces
a suddenly absent President. More importantly, it is an invaluable
narrative tool.
>
https://reactormag.com/five-sf-scenarios-involving-the-presidential-line-of-succession/

>
I've occasionally wondered: in the event of a complete wipeout not
actually destroying the entire USA, so that most States could replace
their Senators and Representatives, would whichever of the Senate (by
electing a President Pro Tempore) or the House (by electing a
Speaker), depending on which is faster, actually be electing a
President of the USA?
>
As to maintaining order, I suspect the highest ranking military
officer would temporarily assume de facto control. As opposed to, say,
one of the Federal Attorneys scattered around the country. The
military does have one advantage: there is /always/ someone who
outranks everybody else, so "who takes charge?" is clear.
>
Once a President exists, of course, the rest of the gummint (with the
advice and consent of the Senate, of course) would follow, and the DoD
could be put back under civilian control.

>
IIRC, Congress is installed first, and they approve the
slate of electoral votes to declare the President. So Congress comes
first. That's what Trump was treasonously trying to disrupt on Jan 6.

 
Which is corrrect, but has nothing to do with my very wild
speculations.
 
Or are you contemplating an off-year/out of season Presidential
election before a new President can be installed?

>
No, the regular Congress.
>
Here's the timeline:
https://bipartisanpolicy.org/blog/2024-election-key-dates-beyond-election-day/
>
The new Congress is sworn in Jan 3, and counts the electoral
votes Jan 6.

This discussion is about the result of total decapitation of the Feds.

No President. No VP. No Senators (so no President Pro-Tempore). No
Representatives (and so no Speaker). No Cabinet. No Supreme Court.

The question is not "how does it happen normally", the question is
"what happens when it's all gone?".

Please try and get with the program.

Wild speculations are definitely in order.

Mine is that the senior serviving military officer will take control.
The Governors/States will appoint/elect (depending on State law)
replacement Senators and Representatives.
Whichever House gets organized first and elects a person to an office
in the line of succession will, in fact, be electing a President (OK,
someone who acts as President, perhaps). The military is now under
civilian control again.

The President then appoints other people, and the Senate confirms
them. Things are restored.

During all this, of course, the areas affected by whatever disaster
caused the decapitation are being evacuated/rehoused/whatever is
appropriate depending on the situation and the level of radiation.

I also suspect a new District of Columbia will be established,
probably in the middle of the country. Nothing like high mountains and
a thousand miles or two of land to make a government feel secure.

But that's just my wild speculation. What would really happen would be
anybody's guess.
--
"Here lies the Tuscan poet Aretino,
Who evil spoke of everyone but God,
Giving as his excuse, 'I never knew him.'"