Who becomes president if Obama is assassinated before he is sworn in, in January?

Hi Chris,

If the President "Elect" has not been "inaugurated/Sworn In", then the Vice President "Elect" would not become President.....

The Primary function of the Vice President is to Step in as President, should the "INAUGURATED" President Die, become incapacitated, or unable to perform his duties for any other reason (i.e. Impeached and told to step down).......

Therefore, when someone is Elected on November 4th he will not "OFFICIALLY" become president until inaugurated in January 2009 when he is "Sworn in AND takes the OATH of Office" ......if he were to die before being inaugurated in Jan. 2009 , then he was never "OFFICIALLY" President, and therefore the Vice President Elect has no one to step in for.

Think of it this way, if you were engaged to be married and sometime between your engagement, and the actual day you are “Officially” married , your partner dies, you could not collect any benefits of your "mate" because the oath to one another had not yet taken place.

The same holds True for the Vice President “Elect“, he does not receive the benefits of the Office because his Running “mate” never took the oath. .....Again, there was never anyone “Sworn in“, for him to Replace.

This has never happened before, and there is not an official protocol on who would step in, or if there would be a second election …..However, what would possibly happen is The Chairman of the respective party would more than likely insist the VP running mate should be "APPOINTED" as the president-elect. However the opposition Party would strongly object, So unfortunately Mr. Bush could remain President until the parties could agree on a solution.

But keep in mind that, from a constitutional perspective, Yesterday Obama won the “popular vote“, NOT the Electoral Vote, so technically Obama has NOT “officially” been elected President until the “Electoral College” votes in mid-December 2008.

Although if you read the “PATRIOT ACT” in which Bush enacted AFTER Sept 11th, it clearly states that in the event of “ANY” Terrorist attack , Economic collapse, OR...... CIVIL UNREST there would be Marshall Law, and there would be no elections or Switching of the President until the Crisis was past.

I think that Jeff Greenfield of CBS summed it up best in his Novel about this very scenario, He did some research into the subject. He discovered: it's a big constitutional mess. ………………………………...And I tend to agree.

PS.....This similar scenario was written about in the book "Executive Orders" by Tom Clancy. Great Book, You Should read it.

Hope this Helps.

Vice President-elect Biden.

First, Biden will become president since he is vice president-elect. Second, racism is still prevalent in this country so some crazy, loopy white person might do something. And to D S, you're an idiot. I don't what election you were writing/reading. You're no mathematician obviously because you'd know Obama/Biden had won by a landslide.

McCain will be come president because of the way the Electoral System works. McCain has more Electoral Votes for President then Biden who has them for Vice President. This only happens if he dies before he is sworn in as is in the Constitution. Biden would remain as Vice President to McCain.

Biden only becomes President if it happens after the oath of office has been taken.The Reason for this is because the Presidency would not be vacant because of a death before he is sworn in because he is not President until then. There for the Candidate with the 2nd most elector votes of president then takes office.

For the person under me. Biden has votes for Vice President not President, its a totally different office, he would remain Vice President Elect. McCain has the 2nd most Electoral votes for President and Palin has then for Vice President.

Therefore under Law if the Electoral votes have been cast then he dies McCain would become president with Biden as his VP.

The Succession Amendment to the Constitution only applies for a sworn in President and in the case the Presidential office becomes empty.

Joe Biden. His title is Vice President Elect. He would assume power in January.

Even though the oath of office hasn't been given I think you follow the standard rules...in other words you would be looking at a President Biden.

Just thinking about it, but my guess would be whoever won the ticket as vice president. Or in this case Joe Biden, God forbid!

Joe Biden.

Biden. I hope that never happens, but can you imagine, you think racism is HUGH again now, imagine if a white man assassinates Obama. How much rioting would happen then?

a million. are you not conscious of the chain of command? Biden could then become the President choose for. 2. impeached? do not recognize...he will ought to do something impeachable after he's sworn into place of work. no assure that he will. and notwithstanding if he does---impeachment would not propose he will lose the presidency. 3. not close by born American? have not heard that one (my study says Hawaii and Hawaii has been a US possession considering 1898 an a state considering 1959--Obama became born in 1961) yet his mom became an American citizen so he's an American citizen in spite of the place he became born. I surely have acquaintances whose mum and dad have been interior the militia and their families have been stationed outdoors of the country whilst they have been born. in basic terms via fact they have been born in places like Japan, the united kingdom, Italy, and Germany would not propose they are not "close by born" individuals--they have the comparable rights and privileges that each and every physique voters born on US soil have--and particular that incorporates the main appropriate to run as President. Naturalized voters are people who can't run for President. The distant places born offspring individuals voters are actually not naturalized voters--they're finished voters the comparable as those born on US soil. additionally undergo in suggestions that McCain became not born on US soil. Like my acquaintances whose family contributors have been stationed someplace else whilst they have been born, McCain's family contributors became stationed in Panama whilst he became born. 4. how is a guy who became raised by using people who had little need for prepared faith of any faith and has been documented as a "born returned" Christian considering 1988 now all at once a muslim? What via fact his bio dad who became not a extensive component to his existence became raised muslim? My aunt married a Jewish guy who switched over to Christianity--are their toddlers who have been raised as Baptists Jewish via fact he became raised interior the Jewish faith? not in accordance to the Jewish faith. yet i assume people who're prejudiced against Jews could say that they are and use that as their justification to break them or penalize them for some perceived "inferiority". and that i do study and that i've got carried out my study. surely that is people who think of Iraq became responsible for 9/eleven who believe that Obama became born outdoors of the U. S. and is a muslim.