# What if the POTUS was a huge drunk or stoner? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2016, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394 "2016-01-17T09:39:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/1 "2016-01-17T09:39:09Z")
Quite a few of our commanders in chefs were heavy drinkers. Many of our founding fathers did not go gently into that good night. But that was then, this is now. What if an American President was a hopeless alcoholic. Just wasted off his ass more than 50% of the time. And didn’t give a shit who knew. What if he/she was a pot head and smoked a lot of weed? What if they did that in a location where it wasn’t illegal to get around the “high crimes and misdemeanors” thing? How would the media deal with it? How would/could congress? ---
**Author:** ![Isilder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@Isilder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isilder)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/2 "2016-01-17T12:18:43Z")
Impeachment for the catchall, high crimes and misdemeanors See [High crimes and misdemeanors - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_crimes_and_misdemeanors) The list can includes conduct unbecoming and deriliction of duty and so on. So its impeachment in the lower house, trial in the upper house. Remember Clinton survived the upper house trial… No Pres has been thrown out so far, but Nixon resigned rather than be thrown out. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/3 "2016-01-17T12:29:53Z")
Probably the invocation of the 25th Amendment, section 4; > [@](#): > > Whenever the Vice President and a majority of either the principal officers of the executive departments or of such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President. Being wasted or stoned half the time would certainly qualify a being “unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office”. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/4 "2016-01-17T13:33:13Z")
“You fellows, in your business, you have a way of handling problems like this. Somebody leaves a pistol in the drawer[…]I don’t have a pistol.” —Richard Nixon, to General Haig. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/5 "2016-01-17T13:39:36Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Many of our founding fathers did not go gently into that good night. I don’t understand what this has to do with the rest of your post. What do you mean by “go gently into that good night”? ---
**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/6 "2016-01-17T14:30:53Z")
Nixon was a drunk especially when watergate broke . Secret service were seriously concerned about him. Jfk was stoned for most of his presidency on pharmaceuticals. ---
**Author:** ![davida03801](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5e925/32.png) [@davida03801](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davida03801)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/7 "2016-01-17T14:47:31Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > How would the media deal with it? All depends which party POTUS is. One side can get away with shit like that, the other can not. I know many here scoff at that notion, but I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/8 "2016-01-17T14:55:12Z")
I found some evidence on the internet that this may have happened in the past. > [@Abraham Lincoln](#): > > According to who? That crack addict Millard Fillmore? ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/9 "2016-01-17T15:12:53Z")
Wilson and Reagan were nearly brain-dead by the end of their terms. The administration just went on without them. The media deals with it the same way the media deals with everything else – the media self-servingly does what is good for the media, blurring the lines between its fact and fiction wings, news and entertainment. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/10 "2016-01-17T15:49:19Z")
Grant and Harding were both well-known to enjoy a bottle or three. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/11 "2016-01-17T16:02:51Z")
> [@coremelt](#): > > Nixon was a drunk . > [@davida03801](#): > > All depends which party POTUS is. One side can get away with shit like that, the other can not. I know many here scoff at that notion, but I don’t. > [@jtur88](#): > > Wilson and Reagan were nearly brain-dead by the end of their terms. The administration just went on without them. Emphasis added on the last one. Since this is GQ: cite, cite and cite? For the last one, please note that you used the term “brain dead”. Be sure you cite confirms that. ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/12 "2016-01-17T16:21:18Z")
Perhaps a British perspective will be of interest. The leader of the Liberal Democrats between 1999 and 2006 was Charles Kennedy. He had ‘alcohol problems’ and sought professional help at times. It is believed his party knew of the issue but, because Kennedy was a good orator, they did nothing about it. Kennedy would often drink with the press and appear intoxicated around the press. However it wasn’t until 2006 he was informed ITN (the independent television news as opposed to the BBC) were about to run a piece about his alcohol problems. Kennedy then admitted problems but claimed to have dealt with them. He resigned the leadership but announced he would run in a new leadership contest before he was persuaded by his party not to. He remained in the Liberals as a politician until his death, from alcohol related disease, in 2012. So in the UK it appears neither political party nor press will over react. Unless the story comes out and then they turn on you. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/13 "2016-01-17T16:32:53Z")
Since this requires speculation, let’s move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/14 "2016-01-17T21:34:08Z")
> [@j666](#): > > I don’t understand what this has to do with the rest of your post. What do you mean by “go gently into that good night”? They were shitfaced. WTF is so hard to get?😕 ---
**Author:** ![IDtenT\_Error](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@IDtenT\_Error](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDtenT_Error)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/15 "2016-01-17T22:25:02Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > They were shitfaced. WTF is so hard to get?😕 Dylan Thomas - “Do not go gentle into that good night” Or, in other words, were you referencing something else? And if so, WTF might it be? ---
**Author:** ![IDtenT\_Error](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@IDtenT\_Error](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDtenT_Error)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/16 "2016-01-17T22:59:54Z")
“Rage, rage, against the dying of the light” didn’t refer to “drink, drink more booze, and hope to get too drunk to feel your death”, despite what you might think about it. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/17 "2016-01-17T23:00:34Z")
I read somewhere years ago that HW Bush and Reagan’s cabinet considered invoking the 25th amendment after the attempted assassination because Reagan wasn’t really fully recovered for about a year. I’ve never been able to track that down though. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2016, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/18 "2016-01-17T23:17:11Z")
> [@IDtenT\_Error](#): > > “Rage, rage, against the dying of the light” didn’t refer to “drink, drink more booze, and hope to get too drunk to feel your death”, despite what you might think about it. Or, as Yeats had it: Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Still time to get more beers in, though. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/19 "2016-01-18T00:22:37Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > They were shitfaced. WTF is so hard to get?😕 Why you misquote Thomas to mean “shitfaced”. ---
**Author:** ![IDtenT\_Error](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@IDtenT\_Error](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IDtenT_Error)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2016, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394/20 "2016-01-18T00:38:13Z")
> [@Penfeather](#): > > Or, as Yeats had it: > … > Still time to get more beers in, though. OK, I’ve been putting [del]some[/del] quite a few beers in. Maybe I got it wrong. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-if-the-potus-was-a-huge-drunk-or-stoner/743394.md?page=2)