Reagan developed Alzheimers fairly soon after he left office. What if it had onset sooner, around the start of his second term in office? How would the US deal with a president with Alzheimers? Would he be forced to resign?
Reagan's Alzheimer's accelerates
- Thread starter Hobelhouse
- Start date
It would probably be kept a very well-guarded secret. If it got to be too obvious, Reagan would step down in favor of Bush, probably halfway through his second term. The Republican Party would still be playing his epic last speech (you just know it would be) at every event they can.
Dukakis gets blown out of the water, rather than decisively beaten, thanks to the sympathy vote.
yes i believe thats about right. Bush is likely to get two terms as well. it'd really make a hell of a stump speech i can tell you that
Well if say Ronald Reagan final speech would what would have accidently expose him as having serious issues over his Alzheimer I doubt they would show it around
Well if say Ronald Reagan final speech would what would have accidently expose him as having serious issues over his Alzheimer I doubt they would show it around
You know what I mean. Presumably, if it was leaked that he had been diagnosed with it, he would step down, announcing it in his final speech to the American people, along with a "I leave it to you, the American people, to continue our national dream" etc.
It would be good, I bet.
Yea, let's say its best case scenario vs worst case scenario in the matter "it become public"
i'd bet best case because of who Reagan is and all that. though i'm sure the public would see a lot more "Prime Minister Bush" moments
Woodrow Wilson was virtually incapacitated by stroke during his last term. The extent of the damage was hidden and his wife virtually became president for a while. Unless he became completely insensible early in his term, I suspect he would not step down, nor would those around him expect or demand that The disease progresses gradually, and his advisors (and family) would began to speak and act for him. Decisions would be increasingly made by his VP and cabinet, but they would be flown by Reagan to give him an opportunity to comment, and then announced as Reagan's.
Reagan would make few public appearances, the public would perhaps be informed he was incurably ill, but the extent of his inabilities would be hidden.
Reagan would make few public appearances, the public would perhaps be informed he was incurably ill, but the extent of his inabilities would be hidden.
Abdul Hadi Pasha
Banned
Is this a DBWI? How could you get more senile than Reagan in his 2nd Term? Nancy used to whisper basic phrases to him to repeat.
Well if say Ronald Reagan final speech would what would have accidently expose him as having serious issues over his Alzheimer I doubt they would show it around
If he can be convinced he has it, he could probably give a very good one.
I had a client once whose beginning stages of Alzheimer's would make a good movie. (Someone once told me Walter Matthau would be perfect as the client.)
What happened was, he was a very good real estate broker for a few decades. When his Alzheimer's began to get bad, he would do things like let his dogs go potty in the house ("But only one room," he'd say) and other really odd things. he'd swear people could look through his second floor window from just outside, without a ladder, even though they'd have to defy gravity. The kinds of things, as stated, people would be shielding from the public.
However, he could still talk your socks off about real estate, becasue it was something he'd done for many years. So, you knwo those companies who would prey on others for risky loans? Well, whenever they'd call, he'd take out a loan to buy a house, and rent i tout. Despite the fact he only had $1000 a month social security coming in and a few rents here and there.
By the time I came into the picture, one bank alone lost over $150,000 on the deals, as the loans they'd given him couldnt' be collected, and the places had gotten run down over a year or two because he'd just give money to anyone off the street to do repeairs, not knowing who they were.
The morla is...well, first, sometimes those greedy lenders get what's coming
, but more improtantly, Reagan might be decent at speaking for a good while, though maybe slipping a "California" in now and then, thinking back to the days he was governor. And, he could probably do a very good, if brief, farewell speech.Reagan was diagnosed and announced in 1994. Reagan left office in Jan. '89. Thats about 5 years and I think this could be an interesting debate if Reagan could have had a third term.
I really don't think anyone would want a third termer president.
This would definately help out Bush 1. The only real question is, would he serve out the remainder of Reagan's term and then another, or go on for almost 10 years? Would he even try? With the changes presented, there's no real reason for him to be in such a poor position in 92.
This would definately help out Bush 1. The only real question is, would he serve out the remainder of Reagan's term and then another, or go on for almost 10 years? Would he even try? With the changes presented, there's no real reason for him to be in such a poor position in 92.
bard32
Banned
There's the 25th Amendment. Enacted right after the assassination of JFK.
The presidential line of succession is as follows: The Vice President, who was
George H.W. Bush from 1981-1989, then it would have gone to the Speaker of
the House, who was Tip O'Neill from 1977-1989, and then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, who was Robert Byrd. Then you go to the Cabinet secretaries. If Reagan was incapacitated by Altzheimer's Disease early in his
presidency, then he'd have to write a letter to the Secretary of State, who was
Alexander Haig, from 1981-82, and then George Shulltz, who was Secretary of
State from 1982-89. Shultz, by the way, like Haig before him, was fourth in
line.
The presidential line of succession is as follows: The Vice President, who was
George H.W. Bush from 1981-1989, then it would have gone to the Speaker of
the House, who was Tip O'Neill from 1977-1989, and then the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, who was Robert Byrd. Then you go to the Cabinet secretaries. If Reagan was incapacitated by Altzheimer's Disease early in his
presidency, then he'd have to write a letter to the Secretary of State, who was
Alexander Haig, from 1981-82, and then George Shulltz, who was Secretary of
State from 1982-89. Shultz, by the way, like Haig before him, was fourth in
line.