Although it doesn't always involve a change in political party (1865 being the sole exception - Republican Lincoln's V.P. was a Democrat], the ascension of a vice-president to the presidency in the middle of a presidential term is always a highly dramatic event. Not just because such an event is the result of the death or resignation of the sitting president, but also because such a transition proves beyond a doubt that our Constitution works.
In 1973 Vice-President Spiro Agnew resigned following federal criminal charges of extortion, tax fraud, bribery, and conspiracy related to his days as Governor of Maryland. President Nixon, as instructed by the 25th Amendment, appointed Gerald Ford (at the time the House Minority Leader) to replace Agnew. In August of 1974, under the threat of impeachment over his involvement in the Watergate scandal, Mr. Nixon resigned the presidency, thus elevating Ford to the nation's top office.
The result: A man whose name never appeared on the Republican ballot line in the 1972 election, became President of the United States, peacefully and without incident, as laid out in the Constitution of the United States.
As I mentioned yesterday, there are a number of countries around the globe where such instability would prompt military action and coupe attempts. But not here in the United States. Our system works. And the majesty of that system should put a lump in your throat.
Nixon's resignation was effective August 9, 1974 at 12 noon, ET. While he had already said his goodbyes and was in the air well before then, he was technically still the President until that hour, when Mr. Ford took the oath of office...
