# Will the country unravel if Obama is assassinated? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 4, 2009, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342 "2009-11-04T22:56:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [November 5, 2009, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/21 "2009-11-05T02:54:00Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Have you seen the far right? > > [Latest Articles](http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/*/index) > > [http://www.wnd.com/](http://www.wnd.com/) > > [http://forums.hannity.com/](http://forums.hannity.com/) > > Go on, read them. I’ll wait. You aren’t the far right. You can think. The far right, the birthers, the deathers, the Acorn fanatics, Nazi exclaimers and so on. These people are the ones who will hoot and cheer. I’ve read prayers for Obama’s death. If you don’t like it, for fuck sake, fix the Republican party. I’m not going to wade through all that crap to find some nut posting hate on the internet. Hannity would not cheer. He’d be kicked off the air if he did. Same for Rush. But I don’t want to debate this type of stuff. It’s what makes me lose interest in this forum. > [@](#): > > I’d say there would be some race riots at the least. Which would be much worse than a few nutjobs on the right “cheering”. I think the OP adds to this whole sense of Obama the Messiah. Obama is not essential in any way to us getting along as a country. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/22 "2009-11-05T03:09:03Z")
At first, people would be glued to their TVs, for endless replays of the assassination itself and the emotional swearing-in of Biden . . . then the inner-city riots . . . then the endless talking heads of all persuasions . . . then the massively-attended state funeral. Limbaugh, et al, would have a huge display of crocodile tears until after the funeral, when they’ll claim that the assassination was an expression of America’s refusal to accept a “socialistic” President . . . followed by attacks on Biden for continuing Obama’s policies. Then, of course, the conspiracy theorists would take over . . . endlessly. An investigation will be underway, concluding that there was no conspiracy. But of course the theories would persist indefinitely. Schools and streets across the country . . . and around the world . . . would be named after Obama. There would be more statues of him than anyone else in history. Obama’s face would wind up on our money. Basically, the country would not significantly unravel. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/23 "2009-11-05T03:10:36Z")
Answer to the OP: Nope. There’d be problems, but inertia is a marvelous thing and we’d get by, even with a term and a half of Joe Biden as president. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/24 "2009-11-05T03:10:47Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > I was waiting for Obama to get shot during the acceptance speech. I was on the edge of my chair afraid that it was going to happen. All I could think of was Sarah Palin rabble rousing with her “Pallin’ around with terrorists” rubbish. So was I. I was in Lime Bar at the time, and one of my friends (a Labour voter and a big Obama fan) was on the edge of his seat. I leaned over slowly, and then went “BAM!!” He jumped an inch. Then he did the same thing to me later. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/25 "2009-11-05T03:22:30Z")
Really? As a Chicagoan, and despite our mob image, I expect electoral transitions to maintain SOME decorum, and as this came close (but not nearly as close as 1960, as no numbers were disputed) to a Richard (M, not J) Daley coronation there would be no screwups. None. Whatsoever. Those things happen in other cities. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/26 "2009-11-05T03:29:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I’m not going to wade through all that crap to find some nut posting hate on the internet. Hannity would not cheer. He’d be kicked off the air if he did. Same for Rush. But I don’t want to debate this type of stuff. It’s what makes me lose interest in this forum. > Which would be much worse than a few nutjobs on the right “cheering”. > > I think the OP adds to this whole sense of Obama the Messiah. Obama is not essential in any way to us getting along as a country. I’m not trying to be argumentative… well not more than the forum requires. 😃 I’m not saying Hannity will laugh. He’ll appear very contrite and saddened. But a fair number of soft heads who follow him will. He works through insinuation, they all do. Well except Beck, he just says the stuff. Obama isn’t the Messiah. He is however a symbol for young black people that America isn’t a dead end. That they have options. It’s not magic, but I’m sure it feels like JFK made Catholics feel. And I can see that soured and shattered if he’s killed in office. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/27 "2009-11-05T03:29:58Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Have you seen the far right? > > [Latest Articles](http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/*/index) > > [http://www.wnd.com/](http://www.wnd.com/) > > [http://forums.hannity.com/](http://forums.hannity.com/) > > Go on, read them. I’ll wait. You aren’t the far right. You can think. The far right, the birthers, the deathers, the Acorn fanatics, Nazi exclaimers and so on. These people are the ones who will hoot and cheer. I’ve read prayers for Obama’s death. If you don’t like it, for fuck sake, fix the Republican party. > > I’d say there would be some race riots at the least. Do you remember the far left during the last presidency? One would expect the same result there so let’s don’t go on thinking that only the far right is capable of cheering on the death of a president. Here is some help if you forgot: [Link](http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/08/democrat-protest-flashback-death-to-extremist-christian-terrorist-pig-bush/) [Link](http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/wp-content/images2009/IMG_2416small.JPG) [Link](http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/wp-content/images2009/saveearthkillbush.jpg) Give me a fucking break… please. Face facts and get to work on fixing the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/28 "2009-11-05T04:00:45Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > Do you remember the far left during the last presidency? One would expect the same result there so let’s don’t go on thinking that only the far right is capable of cheering on the death of a president. Here is some help if you forgot: > > [Link](http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/08/democrat-protest-flashback-death-to-extremist-christian-terrorist-pig-bush/) > > [Link](http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/wp-content/images2009/IMG_2416small.JPG) > > [Link](http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/wp-content/images2009/saveearthkillbush.jpg) > Give me a fucking break… please. Face facts and get to work on fixing the Democrats. Uh, first off a couple things. Those guys aren’t running the Democrats. So on the face of it you fail. There is a lunatic fringe on both sides and in the middle. But the lunatic fringe is actually in charge in the Republican party now. How long did the birthers get traction with actual congress persons? Second off, Bush actually did horrible things. Do you want me to list them? Bush was a terrible president and he just about ruined the country. Obama hasn’t done anything of that level. Talk of socialism and nazism and tyranny is simply moronic and it’s the status quo in right wing talk circles. So fix your own party. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/29 "2009-11-05T04:12:39Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > The far right would hoot and cheer. There would only be cheering if the gunman took out Biden and Pelosi at the same time as Obama. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/30 "2009-11-05T04:17:13Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > I was waiting for Obama to get shot during the acceptance speech. I was on the edge of my chair afraid that it was going to happen. All I could think of was Sarah Palin rabble rousing with her “Pallin’ around with terrorists” rubbish. > > I guarantee you the freepers, the Palin, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh crowd would cheer about how we were saved from tyrannical Marxism. > > The far right breathe hate and stupidity. This would be a sign from God that their prayers were heard. I think the left and moderates would repudiate the right so hard it would only feed their paranoia. I think there would be widespread violence against government if it happened. He was surrounded by bulletproof glass when he gave his victory speech on election night. > **[Bulletproof glass shields Obama for victory speech as security is stepped up...](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1083444/Bulletproof-glass-shields-Obama-victory-speech-security-stepped-President-elect.html)** > > He has already been the target of two assassination plots and hundreds of threats from white supremacists. I wonder if he wears bullet proof vests everywhere he goes. I hope as much. They dont’ work with rifles, but they protect against handgun bullets. As far as what will happen, like others have said the far right will cry crocodile tears the same way they did with Tiller to avoid any legal repercussions for their actions while letting out dog whistle shouts of joy to their loyal fans. And they’d start acting like persecuted victims when other members of the media connected the dots and tried to blame them for creating an environment where violence was seen as a viable method of political persuasion. The country itself would go on. Obama has lost most of his appeal and cult of personality IMO. Even his biggest supporters are fairly lukewarm now and he has descended from a savior of Bush administration incompetence to basically just another politician. Plus it is not like it’d be a surprise, which would temper reactions. When JFK was shot I am under the impression it was a surprise. Obama being shot would be horrible, but I don’t think many people would be shocked to find out it happened. It’d be more like finding our your drug addicted friend just had an OD. Its still bad, but you kindof expected it sooner or later. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/31 "2009-11-05T04:17:15Z")
> [@Lobohan](#): > > Uh, first off a couple things. Those guys aren’t running the Democrats. So on the face of it you fail. > > There is a lunatic fringe on both sides and in the middle. But the lunatic fringe is actually in charge in the Republican party now. How long did the birthers get traction with actual congress persons? > > Second off, Bush actually did horrible things. Do you want me to list them? Bush was a terrible president and he just about ruined the country. Obama hasn’t done anything of that level. Talk of socialism and nazism and tyranny is simply moronic and it’s the status quo in right wing talk circles. > > So fix your own party. 😃 Gotcha, so if Bush was killed and people cheered it would be AOK because he did stuff that you didn’t agree with. I appreciate the honesty I guess. By the way, Who said I was a Republican? I’m not. The freepers, wnd’s and nazi’s aren’t running the party any more than the fuckwits that I linked to are running the democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/32 "2009-11-05T04:20:08Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > There would only be cheering if the gunman took out Biden and Pelosi at the same time as Obama. They’d still cheer; Biden and Pelosi are white. > [@JXJohns](#): > > The freepers, wnd’s and nazi’s aren’t running the party any more than the fuckwits that I linked to are running the democrats. Wrong; they ARE running the party. ---
**Author:** ![JXJohns](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jxjohns/32/469_2.png) [@JXJohns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JXJohns)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/33 "2009-11-05T04:23:07Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > They’d still cheer; Biden and Pelosi are white. > > Wrong; they ARE running the party. Well, I guess if you said it, it must be true. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/34 "2009-11-05T04:32:22Z")
Life goes on. The President is not particularly important to the smooth running of the country; in fact, oftentimes he’s a hindrance. Biden would do alright as a caretaker. I do think there would be some pretty serious rioting. > [@Lobohan](#): > > I was waiting for Obama to get shot during the acceptance speech. I was on the edge of my chair afraid that it was going to happen. All I could think of was Sarah Palin rabble rousing with her “Pallin’ around with terrorists” rubbish. > > I guarantee you the freepers, the Palin, Beck, Hannity, Limbaugh crowd would cheer about how we were saved from tyrannical Marxism. > > The far right breathe hate and stupidity. This would be a sign from God that their prayers were heard. I think the left and moderates would repudiate the right so hard it would only feed their paranoia. I think there would be widespread violence against government if it happened. What nonsense. Palin, Beck, Hannity and Limbaugh are not “far right” in an American context; they’re smack in the middle of the right. None would openly cheer the death of a President, any President, even if one or all of them was secretly pleased. This especially goes for Palin, whose hopes of winning national office would be destroyed by any sort of public comment in which she expressed approval of the hypothetical assassination. > [@El\_Kabong](#): > > I think rather than hooting and cheering, the Big Three right-wing shouters (Beck, Linbaugh, Hannity) would weep very public crocodile tears while proclaiming over and over that nothing they’ve ever said could possibley be construed by any sensible individual as suggesting that that someone should have taken out the Kenyan-in-Chief. Then after a few days they’d move on to endless stories on how all the poor conservatives were being unfairly vilified over the actions of a lone nut who, they remind us once again, clearly misinterpreted anything they might have said regarding the president but who clearly was distraught over the socialist tyranny he appeared to be dragging us all into. Now _this_ is a far more likely scenario. I can see Limbaugh especially opening with some sort of commentary designed to deflect blame from himself. [QUOTE=elfkin477] There would only be cheering if the gunman took out Biden and Pelosi at the same time as Obama. [/QUOTE] Jesus Christ. I always thought you were pretty reasonable… until now. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/35 "2009-11-05T04:33:11Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > Gotcha, so if Bush was killed and people cheered it would be AOK because he did stuff that you didn’t agree with. I appreciate the honesty I guess. It wouldn’t be okay. Some Democrats would cheer of course if it had happened. A whole fucking lot of Republicans would cheer today, [more than half of the Republican party](http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/31/poll-birther/) are sympathetic to the birthers. Stupidity and irrationality are now officially the norm for Republicans. I’m saying that the current far-right Republican party is awash in anti-Obama hysteria. > [@](#): > > By the way, Who said I was a Republican? I’m not. The freepers, wnd’s and nazi’s aren’t running the party any more than the fuckwits that I linked to are running the democrats. Yes they are. They get sitting congress people to pat them on their heads and give speeches about death panels, killing old people, killing veterans, Kenyan presidents and the rise of totalitarian socialism. You should seriously consider becoming informed before getting up in a tizzy. ---
**Author:** ![DJ\_Motorbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@DJ\_Motorbike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DJ_Motorbike)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/36 "2009-11-05T04:35:36Z")
I’ve been thinking of writing a story where the setting is in a post-Obama assassination universe. In a nutshell: after Obama’s assassination the country mourns. Yes, there are a few nuts, but the mood of the country is somber. Joe Biden is sworn in and appoints Roland Burris, Obama’s replacement in the Senate, as his vice-president. Biden, widely unpopular, despised even, in his brief term in office resigns as more and more scandals pile up. Burris is sworn in as president after Biden’s resignation. Burris, a man who was in no way prepared for the presidency, makes Biden look competent. Growing elements on the right refuse to accept Burris as legitimate. Things only get worse from there and the country is torn apart. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/37 "2009-11-05T04:36:28Z")
> [@JXJohns](#): > > Do you remember the far left during the last presidency? One would expect the same result there so let’s don’t go on thinking that only the far right is capable of cheering on the death of a president. Here is some help if you forgot: > > [Link](http://www.foundingbloggers.com/wordpress/2009/08/democrat-protest-flashback-death-to-extremist-christian-terrorist-pig-bush/) > > [Link](http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/wp-content/images2009/IMG_2416small.JPG) Those appear to be the same person. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/38 "2009-11-05T04:39:12Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > What nonsense. Palin, Beck, Hannity and Limbaugh are not “far right” in an American context; they’re smack in the middle of the right. None would openly cheer the death of a President, any President, even if one or all of them was secretly pleased. Psst: > [@Lobohan](#): > > I’m not saying Hannity will laugh. He’ll appear very contrite and saddened. But a fair number of soft heads who follow him will. He works through insinuation, they all do. Well except Beck, he just says the stuff. The talking heads won’t laugh… except possibly Beck, but he honestly might be crazy. Some of their followers, not all of them, will cheer. The freepers, word net dailyers and the others of the lunatic fringe will see it as divine intervention. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/39 "2009-11-05T04:41:25Z")
Oh, well, fair enough then. I can’t argue with that. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2009, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342/40 "2009-11-05T05:49:46Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > There would only be cheering if the gunman took out Biden and Pelosi at the same time as Obama. Ironically, the assassination of the first black President would then lead to an ex-Klansman in the WH. But in anycase, I don’t think it would be that big a problem if Obama gets shot. We’ve lost several Presidents mid-term, and a few through violence, but the succession has gone through pretty smoothly in all cases. Obama would get elevated to psudeo-martyr status in the same way Kennedy was, some far right bloggers might say some distasteful things but I agree most or all of the ones with actual jobs they can loose will at least feign sadness. There might be some racial-rioting, but even that I think would be fairly mild. Biden would certainly be under a lot of pressure to pick a black person for VP though (Holder, maybe). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-the-country-unravel-if-obama-is-assassinated/516342.md?page=3)