"That one person could choose the American president."

[Effete Snob]

Ummm….

[canetoad]

1. Someone

Should write a short story about that.

[rsdsharp]

2. Nixon's choice of Ford as VP was affirmed by a majority of both Houses of Congress,

as required by Section 2 of the 25th Amendment. As was Ford’s choice of Rockefeller to be VP.

[Effete Snob]

4. True, but the choice of person was up to one person

They may vote to confirm or not, but they do not make the choice.

[rsdsharp]

5. You're being disingenuous. Without the vote, the nomination is meaningless.

It’s just a footnote in history. It’s like saying Obama chose Justice Garland. He nominated him. That’s only the first step in a Constitutional process. If the nominee is not confirmed, one person didn’t choose a justice or a vice-president. They never attained the office.

[Effete Snob]

7. Good golly, disingenuous?

Wow.

When you were a child, and you told Santa what presents you wanted, what was your batting average?

Mine was pretty high. Maybe that’s because I was something of a realist, but it seemed the choice was mine.

Sort of like picking my ice cream flavor at the Howard Johnson’s. I mean, sure, Howard Johnson’s decided what flavors to offer, but again, it really seemed the choice was mine to make.

[DemocraticPatriot]

6. But at that point, I don't believe Nixon believed that he would ever be deposed..

so he did not believe that he was "selecting the next president"---
only a new vice president who would cause him no trouble....

[Effete Snob]

8. The possibility of needing a pardon was palpable

[3catwoman3]

3. 5 people chose the POTUS when the...

…Supreme Court stopped the Florida vote recount in the Bush-Gore election in a 5-4 decision.