Get ready for President Pelosi? Don’t pick the drapes yet, Nancy
posted at 11:40 am on July 17, 2008 by Ed Morrissey
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Could the 2008 Presidential race come down to the House of Representatives? ABC News thinks it’s possible, and if it does, the result could be that neither Barack Obama nor John McCain wins the White House. Instead, the Speaker of the House could ascend to the Presidency, assuming the Senate also deadlocks on a choice for VP.
Absurd? Yes. It would take a number of historical firsts to have it happen. The Electoral College would have to produce its first non-decision in the two-party era, throwing the election to Congress. The House would conduct a vote for the Presidency, and the Senate for the VP, but the vote would go by state delegations, not individual votes by members. If both chambers deadlock and remain so by the expiration of George Bush’s term, then Nancy Pelosi becomes President — temporarily:
But what if there was a tied electoral vote, neither presidential candidate could get a 26-state delegation majority in the House, and the Senate deadlocked on the vice presidential pick?
Then, Fortier said, the Presidential Succession Act would kick in.
“That would be the speaker of the House,” Fortier said, ” So the acting president would be Rep. Nancy Pelosi.”
If Congress never decides on the president or the vice president, the speaker of the House could serve all four years as president, Fortier said.
The 1800 election produced an electoral tie in a four-way race, and Thomas Jefferson eventually prevailed over Aaron Burr (fortunately) after a number of ballots. The advent of the two-party system has made Electoral College ties much less likely, however. Even if the election resulted in a 269-269 tie, Democrats control enough state legislatures to guarantee a victory in a House vote.
Even if the House ground to a tie, the matter would remain open until resolved or until the next election. Pelosi might become President, but only until the House resolved the election or until the Senate produced a Vice President to serve as acting President. Perhaps the specter of a President Pelosi would spur both chambers to make any selection as an alternative.
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…and we thought it couldn’t get worse….
Think_b4_speaking on July 17, 2008 at 11:42 AM
I think I just sh!t my pants.
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on July 17, 2008 at 11:44 AM
I would move. No, strike that; I live in Texas. We would rise.
/Obvious sarcasm making others think I am a redneck, gun-toting, wal-mart shoppin’, copenhagen spittin’, Bible clingin’…not far off actually.
carbon_footprint on July 17, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Ed, I know that the site needs to be constantly updated, but this is irrelevant. Ah well. The anti-Pelosi one liners and quips line forms to the right…but not behind me.
Doug on July 17, 2008 at 11:46 AM
This was only because Hamilton sucked it up and threw in against Burr. Who returned the favor by shooting him.
Squid Shark on July 17, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Come on, people. Let’s not start acting like the nutroots, okay? Be real.
lorien1973 on July 17, 2008 at 11:47 AM
Why not this dingbat? She’s the best the Democrats have to offer.
And the worst.
Because all Democrat politicians are the same. Terrible.
Corrupt, incompetent, traitorous, worthless jackasses.
Pelosi would make no worse a President than Junior Jackass Obama would, that’s for sure. She’s an unqualified disaster in a skirt, while he’s an unqualified disaster in a suit.
Gender equity at last.
NoDonkey on July 17, 2008 at 11:48 AM
beautiful….
custer on July 17, 2008 at 11:49 AM
Well, there goes a perfectly good Thursday…
JetBoy on July 17, 2008 at 11:50 AM
At least she speaks better than The Plywood Gazebo.
RushBaby on July 17, 2008 at 11:51 AM
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit…
sabbott on July 17, 2008 at 11:51 AM
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the electoral water…
andycanuck on July 17, 2008 at 11:52 AM
I wonder how she affects Chris Matthews’ leg?
flyfisher on July 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Don’t ever do that again! I almost went code-brown in my pants. I spat my coffee on my keyboard, really.
Claypigeon on July 17, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Since when does Pelosi believe that the answer to any question can be found in the Constitution?
All kidding aside….about zero chance of a tie. Two states have proportional EVs (ME/NB). All it would take is a little cigar smoke to flip one of those EVs over.
Limerick on July 17, 2008 at 11:56 AM
I’ve got a better chance of winning lotto three weeks in a row than that scenario happening.
amerpundit on July 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
we could turn the public againt Pelosi quick
jp on July 17, 2008 at 11:58 AM
You know he’d hit it.
fossten on July 17, 2008 at 11:59 AM
Yes, wasn’t there a movie that prophesied this…The Thing!
Irenaeus on July 17, 2008 at 12:00 PM
Is this ABC’s answer to investigative reporting?
Pam on July 17, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Lets say Pelosi does get “in”. What do you think would happen? The U.S. more or less telling Pelosi to get out of the WH? Possibly…
but I doubt she will make it that far.
upinak on July 17, 2008 at 12:02 PM
i just threwup a little in my mouth, thx
trailortrash on July 17, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I’d rather have Scooby-Doo for President than her.
Tyrs Fury on July 17, 2008 at 12:04 PM
I would want a Pelosi over BO anyday. At least Nancy has some brains not a whole lot but some. Then in 2010 Republicans would really take over the house with the winning margin to be in the 70%. It will make 2006 midterms bloodbath not so much a bloodbath.
BroncosRock on July 17, 2008 at 12:05 PM
Pointing to 1800 as an precedent overlooks the likelihood of it being one. Many of the states had split votes such that one swing vote would change the result. In fact it was a screw-up of a strategy by one side to prevent a tie in 1800 that produced the tie.
Now the vast majority of states have winner-take-all. If you combine the propensity for states to regularly vote one way or another with the likelihood that the state groupings can hit upon a tie vote, the probability of this event diminishes to insignificance compared to 1800.
Dusty on July 17, 2008 at 12:05 PM
I’m hard-pressed to predict which would be worse…
Ocarter getting the Presidency, or Donkey Punch Pelosi…
ynot4tony2 on July 17, 2008 at 12:08 PM
Never happen. If the electoral college ties, the Dems in Congress will elect Obama. End of story.
Clark1 on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Hey, look on the bright side. Given the general level of competence in congress, they could elect John Adams…
mojo on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Was that supposed to be an upgrade from Obama?
Sir Napsalot on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM
SECOND LOOK AT SCOOBY-DOO!
mimi1220 on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM
LOL
Perhaps. She kind of carries herself as a man would.
carbon_footprint on July 17, 2008 at 12:13 PM
[mojo on July 17, 2008 at 12:11 PM]
They could … maybe even as President of Czechoslovakia.
Dusty on July 17, 2008 at 12:14 PM
A couple points of order:
- The House of Representatives also chose the President in 1824. Of course, at that time, the Democratic Party (then the Democratic-Republican Party) was the only national party.
- The Senate vote would be of individual members, not state delegations. It is unknown whether the Vice President, in his role as President of the Senate, would cast a tie-breaking vote. This was invoked once, in 1836.
steveegg on July 17, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Oh,
My
God
franksalterego on July 17, 2008 at 12:18 PM
1876?
radjah shelduck on July 17, 2008 at 12:19 PM
There is a better chance of discovering life on Mars than there is of Pelosi ever becoming president. She’ll be lucky to get re-elected to speaker.
rockhauler on July 17, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Frankly, I thought when she became speaker after the 2006 election, she would have tried to impeach Bush & Cheney in order to become president herself. Thank God that hasn’t happened.
CP on July 17, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Now that is fear mongering.
infidel on July 17, 2008 at 12:34 PM
Good memory. That made 2000 look like a squeaky-clean election.
steveegg on July 17, 2008 at 12:35 PM
I just died a little when I saw the headline.
TroubledMonkey on July 17, 2008 at 12:38 PM
PELOSI president, you gotta be kidding,right??? The way she is out of touch with THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, the “little people”, she cares SOOOOO much about. She will be DAMN LUCKY to still have a job in THE HOUSE. I would say NANA, don’t give up your day job!!!
pueblo1032 on July 17, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Then don’t go there. Not another slow news day, is it?
RMCS_USN on July 17, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Everyone here has forgot one very important fact. Nancy Pelosi has to be reelected Speaker for any of this to happen. That reelection would happen after the outcome of the presidential election is known.
With the presidency on the line does anyone actually think Nancy Pelosi would be elected Speaker? And if she was; it means that she would have to resign her House seat to become Acting President. How many minutes would elapse before the Senate named one of their own V.P.? perhaps even BHO. Nancy would then be out on the street looking in.
meci on July 17, 2008 at 12:40 PM
I thought that the Vice President is supposed to break a Senate tie.
aunursa on July 17, 2008 at 12:43 PM
With her third in line as we speak ( OK type) I’m surprised Bush and Cheney are still breathing…
twiggman on July 17, 2008 at 12:46 PM
She makes Hillary sound good. Hopefully she and Reid will lose their current jobs.
HawaiiLwyr on July 17, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Uhhhh…okay…and by some freak accident Robert Byrd could become our oldest and most racist president. What’s the difference? I have a better chance of becoming an international supermodel than this happening.
MB007 on July 17, 2008 at 12:53 PM
That is scary! No more thinking or reading for me, until after the election.
Karmi on July 17, 2008 at 12:56 PM
You better double check before you go out.
Akzed on July 17, 2008 at 1:01 PM
I thought a tie was decided by point spread and then strength of schedule.
forest on July 17, 2008 at 1:09 PM
“I thought a tie was decided by point spread and then strength of schedule.”
Coin flip - heads we lose, tails we lose, in the case of two Democrats at least.
NoDonkey on July 17, 2008 at 1:37 PM
She couldn’t do it…when would she have time to get face lifts…
PatriotPete on July 17, 2008 at 1:56 PM
I would rather spend the rest of my life in the front row of a Barry Manilow concert, chewing on a roll of aluminum foil while having electrodes attached to my feet sending painful charges coursing through my body as fire ants crawl in my underpants, than I would living in a country where this certified left-wing moonbat is President.
pilamaye on July 17, 2008 at 1:58 PM
Worse than any of the fright night campfire stories I heard as a kid.
T J Green on July 17, 2008 at 2:01 PM
LMAO! Sounds like one of those old Bloom County cartoons from the 80’s where the one character would come up behind someone like Opus and spout of some insane political scenerio, and in the last frame opus would be wide awake in the middle of the night scared, and say something like “It all makes sense now.” lol
gator70 on July 17, 2008 at 2:10 PM
Sadly Nancy Pelosi would be a far better choice than our next president: Mohammed Hussein Ubama.
SaintOlaf on July 17, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Be afraid. Be very afraid.
ZK on July 17, 2008 at 2:37 PM
This would be too awesome to ever actually happen.
I’m serious. Think of the public uproar. Voter apathy would disappear overnight.
Cylor on July 17, 2008 at 3:03 PM
In a similar vein to this post (presidential succession), did anybody else see the story about a supposed “secret” executive order about succession? I think it was on Instapundit that I saw it, and he mentioned it as a kind of conspiracy theory.
Supposedly, during the Reagan years, there was an executive order that secretly changed the order of succession to keep it in the executive branch. There is some speculation that Bush has it in place now.
I think it’s kind of a crazy theory, and it would never work in real life in America. Everybody who is paying attention knows the order is supposed to be President-Vice President-Speaker, and if it didn’t go down that way in a time of tragedy there would be quite an uproar.
Still, if it will keep Nancy out of the White House… (I kid, I kid).
cs89 on July 17, 2008 at 3:14 PM
Ed made this post due to a story by ABC, don’t jump on his case for posting it - it’s news enough.
Grafted on July 17, 2008 at 3:40 PM
No fair.
Where was the “barf alert”?
drjohn on July 17, 2008 at 4:01 PM
Succession defined in constitution, executive orders can’t change it.
mojo on July 17, 2008 at 4:02 PM
Palomino!
Zorro on July 17, 2008 at 6:40 PM
You’re half-right. While the Constition does not explicitly define the chain of succession, it does give the power to define it to Congress.
steveegg on July 17, 2008 at 7:02 PM
If only!
OldEnglish on July 17, 2008 at 7:48 PM