[oceanperch]

What is the procedure, officially if he quits to bring the next Dem up to bat.

Can Hillary get in? Who would officially step up?

They can't be that sinister to plan this from the gate, can they?

[goldstategop]

The Democrats are prepared to do anything to beat Bush. If pulling a Torricelli manuever at the Democratic Convention would serve it, they'd do that. They could put Howie Dean back in or John Edwards, it wouldn't matter as long as the Democrat had a chance. If John F*ckin' is perceived to be damaged goods, he will be made to step aside for the good of the party.

[agincourt1415]

If Kerry drops below 40% in the Polls, they will find a way to dump him, remember we're talking about the CLINTON'S.

[AntiGuv]

What is the procedure, officially if he quits to bring the next Dem up to bat.

If he quits before the convention, then the procedure is simply to have an open convention where the delegates vote until someone gets a majority for nomination.

I have no idea what happens if he quits after the convention, especially if its after the state deadlines to appear on the ballot. Hmm.. I'm gonna try to figure that one out.

Can Hillary get in? Who would officially step up?

Yep. Anyone eligible to the Presidency can be nominated if Kerry quits. All they need is a majority of votes from the delegates.

[TomGuy]

Can Hillary get in? Who would officially step up?

Hillary would be the step in candidate, probably.

To run for President, contenders are required to submit a Federal form in October of the year before the election. (An 'intent to run' document.) All 10 or 11 of the original Dem candidates filed. Guess whom else had that 'intent' filed in her name?

If Kerry 'withdraws' for whatever reason, a replacement could only come from those who had filed that 'intent' form by last October. Of course, the Dems could try to insert another candidate, but the FEC would have to changed the rules, which I doubt they could do with the SC getting involved; Republicans would file suit against the change; Dems would file suit for the change; the SC would have to decide.

After the medals fiasco on GMA yesterday, Kerry inflicted himself with a mortal wound. His candidacy won't survive past the Convention unless the Dems figure 2004 as a throwaway and they present Kerry as the filler candidate.

[ought-six]

"What is the procedure, officially if he quits to bring the next Dem up to bat."

If Kerry steps down before the convention, he releases all of his delegates. Thus, at the convention, it'll be a wide open free-for-all with a hell of a lot of networking going on.

[only1percent]

Posters are correct insofar as the sequence of events if Kerry voluntarily stepped down: before the Convention, it would result in an open Convention. After the Convention, the DNC would decide.

However, Kerry won't step down voluntarily, no matter what. He could conceivably be ousted if it looked that bad. This would happen at the convention: the delegates would adopt rules that lift their obligation to vote for the candidate to whom pledged. This could be easily done of the DNC Rules Committee proposed it; it would harder, but still doable, as a motion from the floor. Once freed from pledges, the Convention could nominate whomever it pleases.

In the modern era (since the bosses lost control of the conventions), this has only been tried once, by Ted Kennedy in 1980. Didn't work.

I have real trouble seeing the party establishment ever pushing for such a move. The delegates are not reliable political bosses (like the State Committee that swapped Lautenberg for Toricelli); they're a motley crew of mainly "grass roots" folk -- absolutely not trustworthy in the eyes of Clinton types. Kerry delegates would not be likely to nominate a centrist like Breaux or even a psuedo-centrist like Edwards. They'd swing out to left field, for sure -- someone as radical as John Kerry without the Silver Star to mitigate it.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

They can't be that sinister to plan this from the gate, can they?

Whatever it is, it's been planned for decades.