Usually the rules effectively mean “the new VP can be any reasonably qualified person the President wants” but we’re talking about a Senate that denied Obama a hearing on his Supreme Court nominee for a full year. I wouldn’t put it past McConnell to leave the office vacant entirely rather than appoint someone a President Pelosi could stomach working with.
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I had forgotten about McConnell, briefly.
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If Moscow Mitch leaves the VP post empty doesn’t that just increase the chances that the Presidency will go to Pelosi?
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Well maybe in the states. Korea has drive through testing stations. British Columbia had run more tests than the entire United States. (I am hoping that is no longer the case)
I know someone in Alberta that was tested and they came to her door (-ve result).
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So it looks like we could have a female president sooner than we expected.
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Filling the VP slot requires a 2/3 vote. Thus if Pence goes rest assured it will stay empty unless Trump appoints Obama. And it will also remain empty if Pence becomes president.
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Though the president contracting the virus and dying would be a wild topper to the last few years, I dare not give myself over to hope.
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A lot of people, not me, but a lot of people, are saying it was a perfect meeting. Perfect hats, perfect virus, perfect transmission. It’ll be a perfect illness, just the best, biggest coughs. Believe me.
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I don’t believe that’s the case, at least since 1967. Section 2 of the 25th Amendment reads
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Vice President, the President shall nominate a Vice President who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority vote of both Houses of Congress.
So a simple majority vote should be enough.
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But if both are put out of commission before that can happen the chain of succession comes into play.
And the speaker of the house is 3rd in line.
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I was under the impression Trump was something of a germophobe so would wash his hands soon after, of course he also really likes to give ultra-firm handshakes, so who knows. . . .
I’m sure of one thing: if Trump or Pence or anyone in their staff gets COVID-19 they will deny and cover up as long as possible. After all, you don’t wanna make Hannity and Limbaugh look like dangerous fools (or more so, anyway.)
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Covid 19- the hero we need!!
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Hate, not hate. 
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gotta wonder which way the virus spread.
pence and trump have been traveling to and fro, and neither ( publicly at least ) take it seriously. with the group think the administration demands, their staff probably takes it even less seriously
wouldn’t surprise me at all if the brazilian officials got it from trump
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Thing is the practices taken by hypochondriacs and germophobes usually have little use in actually preventing any sickness. Like part of Trump’s love of McDonald’s is apparently down to him thinking fast food is more sanitary, because it’s fast food. It’s more down to anxiety and compulsion than practical means to avoid illness.
From what I remember of the coverage, Trump’s compulsive hand washing mostly has to do with contact with children and regular people. He apparently views the rich and powerful as cleaner and safer.
He also talks about himself as basically invulnerable and claims to be the healthiest person to ever lead any country ever.
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I don’t think it would ever reach that point, I mean these guys have access to some of the absolute best and most up to date healthcare on the planet. Unless you actually get sick you can still work even while in isolation, and even if they both contacted the virus it’s unlikely that both would get sick at the same time. And in the unlikely case it happens, well… I wouldn’t put money on it lasting for too long. They’d pump them full of steroids and antibiotics and whatever else they have on hand.
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Probably not. Didn’t you hear how he caught coronavirus from Trump?
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Trump at least is in the age band where risks and severity are highest. Pence isn’t exactly a spring chicken either. And there are a lot of complicating factors that can make it worse.
Likewise not fit to serve doesn’t equate to “already dead”. We don’t have treatments for this thing for the most part, and there’s only so much you can do to mitigate symptoms no matter the level of health care you can afford. It’s unlikely it’ll happen. But you aren’t going to see two guys delirious with fever running the show just because they’re technically conscious. And doped up with meth to make them barely functional isn’t gonna push them over the line.
You see a situation where both these guys are not capable, even temporarily, and Nancy Pelosi becomes the acting president.
Do nothing with a virus. Except maybe increase risks of a whole host of other dangerous things. Tamiflu was reported to have a small impact on Covid19, but otherwise we don’t have much that can shorten duration or limit severity. Anything you might do to render some one functional in the face of an illness that’s preventing it, is basically on a baseline of suppressing symptoms more strongly than OTC cold pills. That’ll come with increased risks and side effects, which may well make some one just as unfit for duty.
Suppress the immune system. People with suppressed immune systems thanks to regular prescription steroid use are one of those groups at greater risk of death and severe complications. Like anyone with an autoimmune disorder.
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I am not going to get my hopes up.
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