Hail to the Chief?

This week it’s all about the Presidents, as Cecil discusses what would happen if something happened t [The Straight Dope] Hail to the Chief? By [The Straight Dope]( • Issue #8 • [View online]( This week it’s all about the Presidents, as Cecil discusses what would happen if something happened to the President and the Veep, John Corrado spills the tea on White House horndog Warren G. Harding, and Cecil opines on what really constitutes a landslide. Threadspotting The best of the Straight Dope Message Board  Feb. 14, 2020: [Kids say the darndest things]( Straight Dope Classic: December 5, 1980 [Illustration by Slug Signorino] Illustration by Slug Signorino [What if the U.S. president and vice president-elect die before being sworn in]( Dear Cecil: What would happen if a president-elect and his running mate both left this vale of tears before they were sworn in? Since they wouldn’t have selected a cabinet yet, would captaincy of the ship of state go to the new speaker of the house? Would we get to vote again? Also, is the Ronald Reagan the oldest man ever elected to a first-term presidency? Is he the least educated man of this century to be elected president? —  Al L., Baltimore Cecil replies: Since I have a hard time dealing with abstractions, let’s use as an example the demise of Ronald Reagan and George Bush. (Note to Teeming Millions: this was written a while ago.) If the president-elect, the veep-elect, or both die before the electoral college meets, there’s no problem, because the college is theoretically an independent body that can vote for anybody it wants to. In fact, something like this situation has already come up. [Click here to keep reading](. Straight Dope Staff Report: May 28, 2002 [Did President Harding’s wife catch him in the closet with a lover]( Dear Straight Dope: I write you to clarify me a doubt I have about a rumour. Is it true that a US president, Harvey, was caught up inside a closet with his lover and locked up by his angry wife? —  Tom Mf, Buenos Aires, Argentina SDStaff John Corrado replies: While my mind reels with amusement at the thought of our country being run by a six-foot tall invisible rabbi — excuse me, a lascivious six-foot tall invisible rabbit — I believe you’re actually asking about President Warren Gamaliel Harding, who has the distinction of being considered one of the worst Presidents the United States has ever seen, generally competing with Ulysses S. Grant for the lowest rung on the ladder. How much of the popular conception of Harding is actually true? [Click here to keep reading](. Straight Dope Classic: June 1, 1984 [What U.S. presidents won in the biggest landslides]( Dear Cecil: Ronald Reagan was elected by what was referred to at the time as an “avalanche.” However, given the declining percentage of the population that bothers to vote nowadays, I suspect Mr. Reagan’s victory really isn’t all that impressive. What was the percentage of eligible voters who supported him? Was it really such a landslide? How does the percentage compare with that of other presidents? Did Reagan even make it into the top ten? — Curious in Sunland, California Cecil replies: If Reagan’s 1980 victory was an avalanche, I’m Wilt Chamberlain. Ron got 50.7 percent of the popular vote, which is nothing compared to the landslide champs: LBJ in 1964 (61.0 percent), FDR in 1936 (60.8 percent), and Nixon in 1972 (60.7 percent).  [Click here to keep reading](. Did you enjoy this issue? [The Straight Dope]( By [The Straight Dope]( Fighting ignorance since 1973. (It's taking longer than we thought.) [Tweet](    [Share]( If you don't want these updates anymore, please unsubscribe [here](. If you were forwarded this newsletter and you like it, you can subscribe [here](. Powered by [Revue](