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Maybe she will get the party Mothers and Fathers to invoke the Eagleton rule. For those of you too young to remember Thomas Eagleton was a U.S. Senator from Missouri who had been nominated to run as George McGovern's running mate in 1972. When it became known that Eagleton had been treated by a psychiatrist who had used electroshock therapy, McGovern backed by the party bigwigs asked him to step aside which he did. The ticket became McGovern-Shriver and went down in flames.

Let's suppose the Democrats nominate Obamanure and then it becomes obvious that Obamanure cannot win because the tape with Michelle Obamanure and Calypso Louie plays on 75% of the computers in the country, the party "elders" might as Obamanure to step aside and replace him with the candidate who came in second in the balloting for the nomination in Denver (whether or not Hitlery is the VP nominee.)

So, what would be the optimal date for a Torricelli Switch?

Don't even bother to look at the filing deadlines. They are meaningless.

I think October 10 or thereabout would be the best day to pull the switcheroo. So look for the bomb to drop on Sunday, October 5, and Obama to be pulled on the 10th. This would give Hillary! a 4 week sprint to the White House, which not even she could screw up.

Maybe she will get the party Mothers and Fathers to invoke the Eagleton rule. For those of you too young to remember Thomas Eagleton was a U.S. Senator from Missouri who had been nominated to run as George McGovern's running mate in 1972. When it became known that Eagleton had been treated by a psychiatrist who had used electroshock therapy, McGovern backed by the party bigwigs asked him to step aside which he did. The ticket became McGovern-Shriver and went down in flames. Let's suppose the Democrats nominate Obamanure and then it becomes obvious that Obamanure cannot win because the tape with Michelle Obamanure and Calypso Louie plays on 75% of the computers in the country, the party "elders" might as Obamanure to step aside and replace him with the candidate who came in second in the balloting for the nomination in Denver (whether or not Hitlery is the VP nominee.)

That's an interestin scenario you've painted there, although I don't see the release of a hypothetical tape of Michelle Obama being enough to force her husband out as the nominee. After all, nobody tried to force John F'in Kerry out of the nomination when it became obvious that his wife was possibly a borderline alcoholic (her gin'd up raisins, etc.) prone to all sorts of outrageous statements, the spouse of a nominee is just one of the risks that a political party takes, they might be an asset, they might be a disaster.

Now IF this purported tape of Michelle Obama going nutz on a "whitey-rant" actually exists and gets released, Obama (in my view) is probably the only politician who could get up in front of the cameras, and say something like:

"My wife Michelle used a racial epithet that she and I are both ashamed of. Does it make her a racist? No, no more than any white person who has ever used the word 'n*gger' without thinking makes them a racist. We're all human, we're all prone to make mistakes and errors in judgment and how we express ourselves, I've done it, you've done it, and if we say we've never done it, we've at least thought it. Racial slurs are ugly and have no place in our language, and we all know it, and if we can look at each other and see the humanity within us, instead of the color of the person on the outside, as Dr. King spoke of, we can make this a better America. Michelle and I want to make this a better America. I believe you do too, and I ask you for your support."

He would have the masses eating out of his hand.

Not clear they could get away with that after the convention. Who is the “controlling legal authority”? It may devolve to the state Dem parties at that point. I doubt the national DNC has any ability to force Idaho to put Hillary on the ballot. Idaho probably has a rule that says the “candidate winning in the convention we voted to send delegates to ... shall be listed on the ballot”. Why are they obligated to replace him w/ who Howard Dean says on Oct. 1?

No, they can’t change after the convention, short of a death (and even that may be “tough luck”).

Here are some dates in my state, Washington:
(The major party stuff is not well described on the web page. I put a call in to see if the SoS has the actual legal details. It would not surprise me that the DNC pulled a fast one in 1972 and think they can again. We neec to be prepared for that.)

6/6/2008Final day for all candidates to file for office (RCW 29A.24.050 & RCW 29A.20.201)

7/26/2008Last day of alternate nominating conventions held by minor party or independent candidates for president and vice-president of the United States (RCW 29A.20.121)

8/18/2008Last day a void in candidacy or vacancy in an elective office (other than Superintendent of Public Instruction or judge of the Supreme Court) will cause filings to be reopened for a three-day filing period for which the names will appear only on the General Election ballot

10/4 Ballots Mailed to Overseas and Military Voters

OK! I found THE LAW for the State of Washington. Short answer: 50 days before the election. Sept 15 is the last date for a substitution in Washington by a major party. It would be the Washington Democratic Party which submitted everything, not Howard Dean. This will add another level of complexity in a late switch scenario.

RCW 29A.56.360
Slate of presidential electors.

In a year in which the president and vice president of the United States are to be elected, the secretary of state shall include in the certification prepared under *RCW 29A.52.320 the names of all candidates for president and vice president who, at least fifty days before the general election, have certified a slate of electors to the secretary of state under RCW 29A.56.320 and have been nominated either (1) by a major political party, as certified by the appropriate authority under party rules, or (2) by a minor party or as independent candidates under chapter 29A.20 RCW. Major or minor political parties or independent presidential candidates may substitute a different candidate for vice president for the one whose name appears on the party's certification or nominating petition at any time before forty-five days before the general election, by certifying the change to the secretary of state. Substitutions must not be permitted to delay the printing of either ballots or a voters' pamphlet. Substitutions are valid only if submitted under oath and signed by the same individual who originally certified the nomination, or his or her documented successor, and only if the substitute candidate consents in writing.

...replace him with the candidate who came in second in the balloting for the nomination in Denver (whether or not Hitlery is the VP nominee.)

You've just explained the rationale for Hillary to do every possible thing in her power to seek the Vice Presidential spot. That might even mean talking sweet to Obama before the convention, if she thinks it will significantly help her chances.

What if the Presidential candidate had a fatal flaw come out before the election? The party would naturally turn towards the second place vote-getter, or the VP candidate, since that person would become President if something fatal (physically or politically) happened AFTER the election. If the second-placer and the VP candidate are one and the same, you guarantee party unity.

It's obvious why corn prices have gone up so much this year!

ObaManure!!!

That is too funny. Thanks, man!