'08's Grand Decision

If no one is elected and the 43rd president is gone, then you have yourselves leaderless presidentially.

What will you do then? What will your country do then? Can it operate without an executive leader?

Of course it can! Almost every organization that exists in accordance with the white 1950's overweight mother-fixated middle-aged flaccid management-style of those in power around the world are capable of surviving decapitation.

The pyramid of power analogy if flawed. The 'top' represents the lowest level of true 'contribution' to the functioning of the system as a whole. In fact, it is no the top at all..., it is the hindmost, and the 'bottom' is, in reality, the front-most, and most crucial element of the organization.

I'd go on, but my head hurts.

It would give the person below in rank the power of the president. As in.
President George W. Bush
Vice President Dick Cheney
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
Chief Justice John Roberts and so on, this list would go like this.

Speaker of the House of Representatives
President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Secretary of State
Secretary of the Treasury
Secretary of Defense
Attorney General
Secretary of the Interior
Secretary of Agriculture
Secretary of Commerce
Secretary of Labor
Secretary of Health and Human Services
Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Secretary of Transportation
Secretary of Energy
Secretary of Education
Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Secretary of Homeland Security

From the Speaker down, even if they permanently took the office, the would have the title of Acting President, no matter how long they had the job.