If Dick Cheney were to die or resign (highly unlikely) who would Bush pick to replace him? Whoever he chose would become the nominee-presumptive by default for 2008 (of course being hand picked by Bush wouldn’t be of any help in an election). Condoleezza Rice is a possibility. Even if the Democrats where to control one or both houses of Congress I don’t think he’d have much difficulty getting a nominee through (except for Rumsfield).
Michael Brown, of course, because he did a heck of a job.
IANAPolitical Science person, but I would assume that the order of presidential succession would be used, so according to Wikipedia the Speaker of the House (J. Dennis Hastert) would be next in line.
The more obvious choice would, of course, be Cecil.
Whoever was in charge of the search committee would nominate his/her self.
The order of succession would only come into play if Bush died/resigned while the Vice-Presidency was vacant. Bush is completely free in his choice of a VP candidate (subject to the Constitution).
I’d say that Condoleeza Rice would be the most likely possibility. I think Bush was grooming her as his heir, but given Bush’s unpopularity she probably can’t get nominated now. Still, if Bush found himself in need of a new veep, she’d be the first person he’d think of. The Democrats probably wouldn’t put up much of a fight. No amount of bitching and whining is going to get Bush to pick someone they’d like, and most of them realize that, so as long as Bush’s pick isn’t totally unacceptable they’ll go along.
Condi would stick in the craw of any decent liberal when they realize that a black female holds more power under a Republican Presidency than one ever has under a Democrat. But she would be W’s first choice, and she be approved.
And if VP Rice failed to get the nomination the Dems would use it as an example of how backward, sexist, etc the Republican party is. If she gets the nomination her status as Bush’s chosen heir will overshadow everything else.
I think it may depend on when the vacancy occurs, and if the Democrats win control of the House. If the Dems win, I think Bush may have to go outside the box and not pick any of the current administration “luminaries,” including Condi Rice.
The House has nothing to do with it. Whoever he chose would have to be approved by the Senate, not the House. The Dems don’t stand a chance of taking the Senate this election cycle.
Another vote saying it would almost certainly be Rice. Bush likes her and has said he’d support a presidential run by her. Making her Vice President would be a big step towards that.
Yes, but would the Senatorial big-shots want to approve a candidate who would automatically have a head start in 2008, when many of them already have fund-raising going on? I think it would have to be an acceptable, yet non-threatening candidate, exactly a la Rockefeller.
Whistling past the graveyard, are you?Have a look.
Wasn’t that same site predicting Kerry to win 48 states?
How much can we compare this to Nixon and Ford? I saw the mention of Ford and Rockefeller upthread, but it would seem to me that Nixon’s appointment of Ford would be slightly more to the point, although it’s hard to point to history since the closest (Nixon-Ford-Rockefeller) comparision did not involve a lame-duck President.
Both the House and the Senate must approve a replacment VP. It’s the only case where the House must approve a presidential appointment.
Nixon was a lame-duck. Ford was never expected to be President, then was never expected to run for re-election; Speaker of the House was the pinnacle of his ambition. Rockefeller was simply a known, acceptable name to fill the Vice-Presidency, who would never had been approved had he had intention to run in 1976 instead of devoting his time to laying his secretaries.
Sorry. It was all well before I was born, and I guess I kept thinking that Nixon wasn’t elected until 1972.
Jeb, of course. In his dreams, anyway.
But my real guess would be Condi.
How about Dan Quayle?
I actually think Bush would look outside the current administration. Perhaps Pataki or Bloomberg.