# Who Will Be The Next POTUS?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [July 26, 2017, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201 "2017-07-26T22:11:16Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/21 "2017-07-27T05:11:33Z")
Mike Pence followed by some Democrat.
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### Author:  [@rejemy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rejemy)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/22 "2017-07-27T06:22:57Z")
Mike Pence with a possibility of Ivanka Trump. Trump will want a dynasty to follow him and I’m not sure he really considers Pence to be “one of his”.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/23 "2017-07-27T06:45:48Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#):
>
> I’m not even going to hazard a guess. I don’t think Bernie or Hillary will be able to run, because they’re a very good chance that they’ll both be dead. ☹
If that’s possible, Trump could also be dead. I’m not wishing him any harm, but he’s in their age group.
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### Author:  [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Budget_Player_Cadet)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/24 "2017-07-27T06:48:37Z")
Isn’t this assuming that there _will_ be a next president? We’re only 6 months in, he’s still got plenty of time to change that, be it by ruining the institution of the presidency or ending the world.
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### Author:  [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/25 "2017-07-27T09:04:36Z")
My track record on this is poor, and there are just way too many possibilities, but if I was a betting man and the odds were decent I’d say Joe Biden for 2020.
For 2024, my first bet would be Cory Booker.
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### Author:  [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 9:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/26 "2017-07-27T09:25:36Z")
> [@adaher](#):
>
> My track record on this is poor, and there are just way too many possibilities, but if I was a betting man and the odds were decent I’d say Joe Biden for 2020.
>
> For 2024, my first bet would be Cory Booker.
You’re just trying to jinx them – like how being on a Sports Illustrated cover –\> injury. 🙂
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/27 "2017-07-27T10:51:36Z")
> [@Budget\_Player\_Cadet](#):
>
> Isn’t this assuming that there _will_ be a next president? We’re only 6 months in, he’s still got plenty of time to change that, be it by ruining the institution of the presidency or ending the world.
It’s more likely than assuming there _won’t_ be a next President. If Nixon couldn’t ruin the institution of the presidency, Trump won’t. We’ve survived worse. We survived the resignation of a vice-president and a president in the same administration and the system worked to bring about a peaceful transition, and the election was held as usual in 1976. Trump is small potatoes compared to Nixon in terms of the damage he could bring to the White House. It won’t prevent elections in 2020 or 2024.
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### Author:  [@Lance\_Turbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lance_Turbo)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/28 "2017-07-27T14:55:03Z")
Kirsten Gillibrand
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/29 "2017-07-27T16:36:37Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Trump is small potatoes compared to Nixon in terms of the damage he could bring to the White House.
He could start a nuclear war. That would do quite a bit of damage to the White House.
I don’t think there’s any way to guess this, but I’ll throw out, for fun, that the next ELECTED President will be Terry McAuliffe.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/30 "2017-07-27T16:43:08Z")
> [@Johnny\_Ace](#):
>
> Don’t get too far out on that limb, there. 😃
I know it sounds vague, but I’m just thinking of people like Elizabeth Warren and Corey Booker who I would rather have in office than a generic white man, but who probably won’t be because of our current political climate. That is, even if a Dem wins, I don’t see Dems running anyone other than a bland, middle of the road, generic white guy to avoid frightening the moderates.
I would take Pence for office in a heartbeat over Donald Trump. Since Trump alternates between doing absolutely nothing and doing terrible things, I not only would rather have _any_body else, I would also rather have _no_body else.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/31 "2017-07-27T16:46:38Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> He could start a nuclear war.
Or just [lose a nuke.](http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2017/07/department-of-energy-risks-michael-lewis)
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### Author:  [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/32 "2017-07-27T16:50:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> I don’t think there’s any way to guess this, but I’ll throw out, for fun, that the next ELECTED President will be Terry McAuliffe.
I really hope he runs. He’ll certainly have my vote.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/33 "2017-07-27T17:05:49Z")
> [@RickJay](#):
>
> He could start a nuclear war. That would do quite a bit of damage to the White House.
Technically, any president could start a nuclear war. I’m not so pessimistic as to believe that Trump actually will start one.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/34 "2017-07-27T17:11:28Z")
> [@cochrane](#):
>
> Technically, any president could start a nuclear war. I’m not so pessimistic as to believe that Trump actually will start one.
I’m really not joking about the threat of losing a nuke.
> [@](#):
>
> At the very top of his list is an accident with nuclear weapons, and it is difficult to discuss that topic with someone who doesn’t have security clearance. But the Trump people didn’t have it, either, I point out, so he’ll just need to work around it. “I have to be careful here,” he says. He wants to make a big point: the D.O.E. has the job of ensuring that nuclear weapons are not lost or stolen, or at the slightest risk of exploding when they should not. “It’s a thing Rick Perry should worry about every day,” he says.
>
> “Are you telling me that there have been scares?”
>
> He thinks a moment. “They’ve never had a weapon that has been lost,” he says carefully. “Weapons have fallen off planes.” He pauses again. “I would encourage you to spend an hour reading about Broken Arrows.”
Read that article (post #31) and tell me you don’t think we’re dealing with a higher-than-average risk of a nuclear incident.
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### Author:  [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/35 "2017-07-27T17:15:40Z")
As I’ve said before, it depends on what succession law Donald Trump puts in place.
Primogeniture: Donald Trump Jr.
Elective\*: probably Ivanka Trump
Ultimogeniture: Barron Trump
- Only members of Trump dynasty can vote on succession
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### Author:  [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/36 "2017-07-27T17:28:23Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I know it sounds vague, but I’m just thinking of people like Elizabeth Warren and Corey Booker who I would rather have in office than a generic white man, but who probably won’t be because of our current political climate. That is, even if a Dem wins, I don’t see Dems running anyone other than a bland, middle of the road, generic white guy to avoid frightening the moderates.
>
> I would take Pence for office in a heartbeat over Donald Trump. Since Trump alternates between doing absolutely nothing and doing terrible things, I not only would rather have _any_body else, I would also rather have _no_body else.
I can project who wouldn’t win a lot more easily than who will run. Warren’s too far left, and the Bernie Bros would probably hammer her if she pivoted enough to be competitive. Booker seems moderate enough to me, regardless of the color of his skin. It’s not like he was going to get the racist vote anyway.
Biden seems to fit your qualifications the best, but he’s getting up there in age and who knows if he’ll even run? It looks like Dems are as fractured as the pre-election Pubs were supposed to be, and I don’t see any unifying force out there right now (other than anti-Trump, of course, but that clearly isn’t working well enough either).
On a separate note, shout out to **addy**. Haven’t seen you around in a while, man.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/37 "2017-07-27T17:40:05Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I’m really not joking about the threat of losing a nuke.
>
> Read that article (post #31) and tell me you don’t think we’re dealing with a higher-than-average risk of a nuclear incident.
I’ll see you here on January 20, 2021, to remind you of this thread. Seriously, I don’t lose sleep at night worrying about this.
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/38 "2017-07-27T18:15:54Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I’m really not joking about the threat of losing a nuke.
>
> Read that article (post #31) and tell me you don’t think we’re dealing with a higher-than-average risk of a nuclear incident.
That’s all suboptimal, of course, but I still don’t think losing a nuke will end Democracy or even just the Presidency in the U.S.
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### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/39 "2017-07-27T18:32:40Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> That’s all suboptimal, of course, but I still don’t think losing a nuke will end Democracy or even just the Presidency in the U.S.
I don’t think it will either. I was responding to the claim that
[QUOTE=cochrane]
Trump is small potatoes compared to Nixon in terms of the damage he could bring to the White House.
[/QUOTE]
I was also responding to that quote out of context (posted by another poster) and see now that it was in reference to the idea of Trump ending the Presidency as we know it. So I apologize for the confusion and would like to reiterate that while I believe Trump’s potential for damage is worse than Nixon, and possibly any other President in history, I don’t think it’s likely to end Democracy as we know it.
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### Author:  [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)
#### Post date: [July 27, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-will-be-the-next-potus/792201/40 "2017-07-27T18:52:34Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#):
>
> I don’t think it will either. I was responding to the claim that
>
> I was also responding to that quote out of context (posted by another poster) and see now that it was in reference to the idea of Trump ending the Presidency as we know it. So I apologize for the confusion and would like to reiterate that while I believe Trump’s potential for damage is worse than Nixon, and possibly any other President in history, I don’t think it’s likely to end Democracy as we know it.
Me, neither. I’m glad that we can agree on that. Cooler heads and the Constitution would limit any permanent damage that Trump could do. And that’s my point. We faced a crisis in 1972-74 and recovered from it.
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