[QUOTE=Uncwilly;562511]How will the change of power happen then?[/QUOTE]

The yet-to-be scheduled events of 1/20/2021 will happen with, or without, Trump. Even if he vacates peacefully, he won't be there. He doesn't need to be there. Once the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS swears-in Biden, it's done. The spectacle is for the people. The oath would be just as legal as if it was given behind my dad's old house in Northern Kentucky as long as there were the proper number of witnesses.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;562527]The details would depend to some extent on how big a temper tantrum he or his cult followers throw, but -- assuming he is not declared the winner -- the change of power [I]will[/I] happen. It might be amusing to contemplate his being literally dragged, kicking and screaming, from the White House, but I don't really want to see anything like that happen. And I sure as heck don't want to see his cult followers go berserk, but if they do, they do.[/QUOTE]

[YOUTUBE]bUFxAbXQ0s0[/YOUTUBE]

[QUOTE=The Carnivore;562549]Trump is making liberals cry again:

[url]https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2020/nov/07/cnn-van-jones-tears-joe-biden-us-election[/url][/QUOTE]Actually, it was calling the election for Biden that had Van Jones getting choked up:
[quote]"Well, it's easier to be a parent this morning. It's easier to be a dad. It's easier to tell your kids character matters. It matters. Telling the truth matters. Being a good person matters!

"And it's easier for a whole lot of people. If you're Muslim in this country, you don't have to worry that the president doesn't want you here. If you're an immigrant, you don't have to worry that the president is going to be happy to have your babies snatched away or send DREAMERs back for no reason. This is vindication for a lot of people who have really suffered! You know 'I can't breathe?' That wasn't just George Floyd. That was a lot of people who felt that they couldn't breathe.

"Every day you're waking up, you're getting these tweets and you just don't know and you're going into the store and people who have been afraid to show their racism getting nastier and nastier to you and you worry about your kids and you worry about your sister. And can she just go to Walmart and get back into her car without somebody saying something to her. And you've spent so much of your life and energy just trying to hold it together. And this is a big deal for us just to be able to get some peace and have a chance for a reset. And the character of the country matters and being a good man matters.

"You know, I just want my sons to look at this, look at this. It's easy to do it the cheap way and get away with stuff, but it comes back around. It comes back aground and it's a good day for this country. I'm sorry for the people who've lost, for them it's not a good day. But for a whole lot of people, it's a good day."[/quote]Well said, Sir!

[QUOTE=storm5510;562552]Once the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS swears-in Biden, it's done.[/QUOTE]

I wonder if the Chief Justice of SCOTUS could refuse to swear in Biden. If so, what would happen?

[QUOTE=storm5510;562552]The yet-to-be scheduled events of 1/20/2021 will happen with, or without, Trump. Even if he vacates peacefully, he won't be there. He doesn't need to be there. Once the Chief Justice of the SCOTUS swears-in Biden, it's done. The spectacle is for the people. The oath would be just as legal as if it was given behind my dad's old house in Northern Kentucky as long as there were the proper number of witnesses.[/QUOTE]Warren G. Harding died in office late on August 2, 1923. Calvin Coolidge took the oath of office when he learned of it the next morning. As described at [url=https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/calvin-coolidge-takes-oath-of-office-after-hardings-death]HISTORY.COM[/url],[quote]Coolidge got the news of Harding’s death early the next morning, while visiting family in Vermont. He took the oath of office by the light of a kerosene lamp; his father, a notary public, administered it using the family's Bible.[/quote]
Harry Truman became President on April 12, 1945 when FDR died in office. Also from [url=https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/harry-truman]HISTORY.COM[/url],[quote]Several hours after learning of Roosevelt's death, a stunned Truman was given the oath of office in the White House by Chief Justice Harlan Stone (1872-1946). The new president later told reporters, "I don't know if you fellas ever had a load of hay fall on you, but when they told me what happened yesterday, I felt like the moon, the stars and all the planets had fallen on me."[/quote]
That was before my time. I have so far experienced two Presidents taking office without having been elected President first. One of them also had not been elected Vice-President, either.

I saw this picture of [url=https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/lyndon-johnson-taking-oath-1963/]Lyndon Johnson taking the oath of office [/url] (November 22, 1963) in the newspapers. It is impossible to forget.

Gerald Ford took the oath of office after Nixon resigned (August 9, 1974), in the east room of the White House. In announcing he was pardoning Nixon, he said[quote]My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over. Our Constitution works; our great Republic is a government of laws and not of men. Here the people rule. But there is a higher Power, by whatever name we honor Him, who ordains not only righteousness but love, not only justice but mercy.[/quote]

[QUOTE=rogue;562586]I wonder if the Chief Justice of SCOTUS could refuse to swear in Biden. If so, what would happen?[/QUOTE]Any Federal Judge can administer the oath. LBJ is a case in point. And he even selected that judge for a reason.

[QUOTE=rogue;562586]I wonder if the Chief Justice of SCOTUS could refuse to swear in Biden. If so, what would happen?[/QUOTE]

As I understand it, the transfer of power is automatic. Noon EST on January 20. The rest is a formality. Every inauguration day, somebody always mentions this. The authors of The Constitution put this in. I have never read the original document so I am not sure what their train-of-thought was when they added it. The original was written in 1779, I believe. If so, then The Revolutionary War was still going on. They had their reasons.

Lyndon Johnson in 1963 was a special case. He assumed authority on a plane flying back to Washington. I suspect the document writers had considered assassination as well.

The world's press is full of the news.

By far the best headline, IMAO, is this one

[url]https://www.ayrshiredailynews.co.uk/post/south-ayrshire-golf-club-owner-loses-2020-presidential-election[/url]

[QUOTE=storm5510;562590]As I understand it, the transfer of power is automatic. Noon EST on January 20. The rest is a formality.[/QUOTE] Essentially correct, in the case of a president-elect taking office, thanks to the Twentieth Amendment, AKA the "Lame Duck Amendment." [url=https://www.history.com/topics/united-states-constitution/constitution]This page[/url] gives a chronology of the adoption of the Constitution. The constitutional Convention was in 1787, the ninth state (New Hampshire) ratified it on June 21, 1788, and government under it began March 4, 1789. George Washington took the oath of office on April 30 that year.

This page on [url=https://constitution.congress.gov/]The Constitution Annotated[/url] might also be helpful.

BTW the Constitution gives no requirements on who may administer the presidential oath of office. The way it is worded indicates the president is in office, but can't carry out its duties until taking the oath. Article II, Section 1, clause 8 says [quote]Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:– I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.[/quote]Perhaps I just don't prowl the right cancerous recesses of the Internet or subscribe to sufficiently putrescent social media, but I haven't heard of any ding-dings saying a woman can't be president because all the references in the Constitution say "he."

I'm pretty sure the framers didn't envision a woman being president, but I'm also pretty sure their usage of "he" was not gender-specific or exclusionary.

[QUOTE=xilman;562591]The world's press is full of the news.

By far the best headline, IMAO, is this one

[url]https://www.ayrshiredailynews.co.uk/post/south-ayrshire-golf-club-owner-loses-2020-presidential-election[/url][/QUOTE]Oh, joy, maybe he'll be spending more time there. The locals must be thrilled at the prospect.

[QUOTE=Dr Sardonicus;562603]Oh, joy, maybe he'll be spending more time there. The locals must be thrilled at the prospect.[/QUOTE]
I hear people talking about him spending more time in Ossining.