They could just switch places—does the VP have to be natural born? Could not succeed obviously (in more ways than one.) So if something happened to Biden, Pelosi would ascend to the throne?
Why didn’t they just run someone like Biden? Because he wouldn’t win obviously, like Kerry and Gore. Bait and switch!
Yes. The consitutional requirements for VP are the same as they would be for President.
Yes he does, and Biden is not a candidate for President.
McCain would win by default, and Biden would be the VP. Read the 12th Amendment to the Constitution.
The VP has to be qualified to be President.
Remember the loophole the Clintonoids were talking about, though. The Constitution doesn’t say that no one may BE President who has served two terms, but that no one may be ELECTED President who has already served two terms. (Leaving aside the fractional thing.) Thus, argued the Clintonoids, Bill could run and be elected VP with Hillary! as POTUS, then Hillary! could resign and make Bill POTUS again.
The Constitution is being raped a lot worse than that every day.
If Obama is disqualified then his EC votes are either disqualified along with him (constitutional path), or they go to Biden (voter intent BS path). If Biden doesn't get them (or enough of them) then McCain should win the EC vote. If for some reason nobody gets a majority of the EC votes cast then the election goes to the House. The House then votes at one vote per state. The states are constrained to choosing one of the top three candidates (Obama (who is disqualified), McCain, Nader, or, arguably, one of the top three qualified candidates, McCain, Nader and Barr) by a simple majority of all the States (26) with a quorum of 2/3 of the States (34). [12th Amendment] The same process applies to the VP, so Biden will end up VP in the EC even if he ends up President later on. Note that the 12th Amendment specifically separates the EC and House voting process for President from that for VP, so Biden cannot be selected President by this process.
If, after the EC convenes, it is determined that Obama was not qualified, then he won't be able to take office and the VP (Biden) becomes Acting President until the President can resume his duties (never) or is removed from office (again, never, since he cannot take office in the first place. It has been suggested that a President-elect can be impeached but I have no evidence to support that). [25th Amendment] So, in this scenario, Biden is Acting President for four years.
If, after the Inauguration it is determined that Obama was not qualified, he would be impeached, and Biden becomes President. If Biden is implicated in the deception about Obama's Constitutional qualifications, then he, too, would be impeached and then Pelosi ends up President. After her then President pro tempore of the Senate, then the Secretary of State, etc.
How about this for a wacky scenario: After the EC convenes but before the Inauguration, Obama is disqualified and Impeached and Biden, Pelosi (Speaker) and Byrd (current President pro tempore of the Senate) are all implicated in the coverup and removed from office. Who ends up President? Condoleezza Rice. Since the new President and cabinet never took office, the existing Secretary of State is next in the line of succession. Far fetched, but possible.