# What happens if a presidential candidate slips into a coma? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 29, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690 "2008-06-29T21:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/1 "2008-06-29T21:18:00Z")
Both the Democratic and Republican parties have rules that allow for their national commitees to nominate a new presidential candidate if their current one dies after the convention, right? So what happens if a candidate has a stroke or slips into a coma? He’d not be dead, would almost certainly be unable to actually serve as President if they won (or even be sworn in), and couldn’t even resign as candidate. Does either pary have procedures to strip a living candidate of the nomination after he’s accepted the nomination? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/2 "2008-06-29T21:22:42Z")
Interesting question. It’s worth noting that, even if the party did not have rules in place to change a comatose candidate’s nomination, the party leadership could simply announce that their Electors will be instructed to vote for, say, the VP nominee for President in the Electoral College, and for some other person as the new VP. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2008, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/3 "2008-06-29T23:03:16Z")
If it’s June, the candidacy redounds to Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/4 "2008-06-30T00:22:53Z")
The national committee of the party would meet and choose a new candidate. They would simply announce that the candidate chosen at the convention is unable to run, so they need a new candidate. Who would oppose their right to choose a new candidate? As recently as 1972, the Democratic national committee chose a new vice-presidential candidate when Eagleton resigned. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/5 "2008-06-30T02:15:07Z")
Of course if the candidate had signed a power of attorney prior to incapacitation, the designee would have authority to withdraw on the candidate’s behalf. I hjaven’t seen it in the sections of the by-laws I’ve read, but it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to find out that political parties sign their candidates to some sort of contract which spells out the circumstances under which the party can replace the candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Mongo\_Ponton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Mongo\_Ponton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mongo_Ponton)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/6 "2008-06-30T03:34:08Z")
He would then well and truly represent the voters. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/7 "2008-06-30T04:11:50Z")
[QUOTE=alphaboi867] Does either party have procedures to strip a living candidate of the nomination after he’s accepted the nomination? [/QUOTE] No, but the electoral college provides a mechanism for dealing with such extraordinary situations. The National Committee could choose a replacement candidate and announce that the party’s electors had been “instructed” to vote for him/her/them. Or (more likely) it could let nature take its course, with the understanding that the vice presidential candidate would assume the presidency on January 20 if the party won the election and the presidential candidate remained incapacitated. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/8 "2008-06-30T04:32:36Z")
[QUOTE=Freddy the Pig] No, but the electoral college provides a mechanism for dealing with such extraordinary situations. The National Committee could choose a replacement candidate and announce that the party’s electors had been “instructed” to vote for him/her/them. Or (more likely) it could let nature take its course, with the understanding that the vice presidential candidate would assume the presidency on January 20 if the party won the election and the presidential candidate remained incapacitated. [/QUOTE] What would be interesting is if it split the vote so that the presidential nominee got some electoral votes as did the vice-presidential nominee. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/9 "2008-06-30T05:18:21Z")
Suggest you watch the film _Dave_ ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2008, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/10 "2008-06-30T14:08:31Z")
[QUOTE=BarnOwl] If it’s June, the candidacy redounds to Hillary. [/QUOTE] Shhhhh! That’s just what she _wants_ you to think! Another vote for _Dave_. A great political comedy. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/11 "2008-07-01T03:13:31Z")
Freddy the Pig writes: \> Or (more likely) it could let nature take its course, with the understanding that \> the vice presidential candidate would assume the presidency on January 20 if \> the party won the election and the presidential candidate remained \> incapacitated. That’s very unlikely, I think. Who’s going to vote for a Presidential candidate who’s in a coma? I think it’s far more likely that the national committee will declare the candidate incapacitated and hence his position as a candidate is open. They will then choose a new candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/12 "2008-07-01T20:57:32Z")
[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner] That’s very unlikely, I think. Who’s going to vote for a Presidential candidate who’s in a coma? I think it’s far more likely that the national committee will declare the candidate incapacitated and hence his position as a candidate is open. They will then choose a new candidate. [/QUOTE] The obvious replacement candidate is the vice-presidential nominee. The VP candidate, in modern times, is hand-picked by the presidential candidate and advertised as somebody capable of stepping into a national emergency at any time. So either way, you’re likely to have the same result. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/13 "2008-07-01T21:20:27Z")
Well, Mel Carnahan beat out John Ashcroft for the senate in 2000 even though he Mel was dead at the time. Mel’s wife I believe assumed his spot. So, if that is any measure if McCain or Obama or incapable of fulfilling the office I guess we get Cindy or Michelle. 😉 Although I seriously doubt that would happen that way apparently it is not unheard of. Reading up on it there were three widows of congressmen in congress back in the 90’s. > [@](#): > > Three widows of congressmen are currently members of the US House of Representatives - Mary Bono, a Republican, and Lois Capps, a Democrat, both from California, and Jo Ann Emerson, a Missouri Republican. > > All three first won special elections to succeed their husbands, and all three won re-election in 1998. > > SOURCE: [BBC News | AMERICAS | Dead man wins Senate seat](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/1013292.stm) ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/15 "2008-07-02T02:36:03Z")
[QUOTE=Whack-a-Mole] Well, Mel Carnahan beat out John Ashcroft for the senate in 2000 even though he Mel was dead at the time. Mel’s wife I believe assumed his spot. [/QUOTE] True, but she held that position as an appointee of the Governor of Missouri to fill the vacancy caused by Carnahan’s death, not as a proxy. If we’re going to add Congressional races to the discussion, the one example of note is that of Gladys Noon Spellman, [who entered a coma shortly before the 1980 elections](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DE4DE1438F933A15755C0A96E948260). In her case, when it was determined that she would not leave the coma, her seat was declared vacant, and a special election was held to fill it. In the case of the Presidency, to join the previous posters, depending on the timing of it, odds are that either the National Committee would select a replacement (if there is time), or have the VP candidate fill in the position (if there is no time or if it occurs after the election). ---
**Author:** ![Gfactor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2008, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-happens-if-a-presidential-candidate-slips-into-a-coma/454690/16 "2008-07-02T03:12:30Z")
[QUOTE=TrumanChipotle] Shouldn’t make any difference, should it? The current POTUS seems to have been in one for most of his life and it hasn’t hindered his abilities one bit. [/QUOTE] Forum rules prohibit this sort of thing. > [@](#): > > 1. Political, religious, or professional jabs, hijacks, and trolling prohibited. The purpose of General Questions is to get factual questions answered. In order to accomplish this we need the threads to stay on topic. We tolerate some joking, but that is generally acceptable only after the question has been answered. Please do not race to a thread to post that hilarious one-liner in response to the thread title, and don’t drive by just to drop in an anecdote that doesn’t answer the question. If you want to be funny while contributing to the thread, go for it. We tolerate some discussion of tangentially related factual information. We don’t tolerate political, religious, professional or personal jabs or insults. > **[Factual Questions Rules & FAQs](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=466202)** > > Please be aware of the general rules for the Straight Dope Message Boards, which applies to all forums: FAQ - Rules for Posting on the Straight Dope Message Boards includes how to report bad posts, copyright rules, forbidden topics, quoting other... Please do not do this again. **Gfactor** General Questions Moderator