Redskins Lose, Obama wins...

November 4, 2008 8:13 AM

There are a number of goofy "predictors" of U.S. Presidential elections, such as: when the Redskins lose their last home game prior to the election, the incumbent party loses the White House. Does the HiveMind know of any similar off-beat predictors?

Note that I'm not referring to anything remotely resembling science.

posted by mikewas to Law & Government (16 answers total)

There is also the 16 year Dixville Notch curse.

Whoever wins Dixville Notch wins the Presidency, except at 16 year intervals.

Election results:

1960 Nixon 9 Kennedy 0

1976 Ford 13 Carter 11

1992 Bush 15 Perot 8 Marrou 5 Clinton 3

2008 Obama 15 McCain 6

This would be a "curse" year election... for what very little it's worth.
posted by BobbyVan at 8:25 AM on November 4, 2008

The Kids Polls: Nickelodeon, Weekly Reader, Scholastic.
posted by ALongDecember at 8:28 AM on November 4, 2008

The Weekly World News has an alien that predicts the election.

October 30, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC - In a shocking reversal, the Alien has switched his endorsement from Barack Obama to John McCain.
With major implications for the U.S. presidential election, political kingmaker the Alien has changed his endorsement amid furor. Both political camps are buzzing about the implications, as the Alien has correctly predicted the winning president in every election for the past 28 years.
posted by bowmaniac at 8:28 AM on November 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

Steelers win ---> Democrats win
posted by JimN2TAW at 8:45 AM on November 4, 2008

I would like to see the relationship between money spent and victor.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 9:07 AM on November 4, 2008

There are a bunch of counties in the US that almost always vote in the winner. Considering its a 50% chance, I wouldnt call this too sciency.

Lucky charms in Obama campaign.

A few more examples here.
posted by damn dirty ape at 9:26 AM on November 4, 2008

The (U.K.) Times podcast called The Bugle did a long list of these in one of the last two episodes. It was pretty lengthy; one of them read the predictors aloud while the other writhed in agony.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/us_elections/the_bugle/
posted by wenestvedt at 9:28 AM on November 4, 2008

Somewhat related is Tecumseh's Curse, where any president elected in a year ending with 0 dies in office. Regan apparently was full of such powerful mojo that he survived his assassination attempt and broke the curse.

Personally, I've always assumed that since he missed Regan and Bush got elected in a year with three 0's, that Bush was going to suffer Tecumseh's full wrath and die in some spectacularly horrible way. Like being killed by a stampede of Native American ghosts on horseback or something. Looks like he'll be getting away, though, and the curse is broken.
posted by cimbrog at 10:18 AM on November 4, 2008

Best answer: Here's a list.
posted by Class Goat at 10:20 AM on November 4, 2008 [1 favorite]

Busken Bakery in Cincinnati sells cookies. Apparently they've been right and within 4% for the last many election cycles (not sure if that's just for ohio or for the country, though)
posted by dpx.mfx at 10:29 AM on November 4, 2008

A really loose stat was run during the World Series about the WS winner predicting presidential elections, but, like most of the FOX broadcast of playoff baseball, it was pretty much grasping at straws.
posted by sjuhawk31 at 11:22 AM on November 4, 2008

7-11 has one.

This Redskins one was right since 1936, except in 2004.
posted by girlmightlive at 11:36 AM on November 4, 2008

Whoops, didn't notice the Redskins mention in the question.
posted by girlmightlive at 11:40 AM on November 4, 2008

Via boing boing comes this.

I have to confess I thought of that myself.
posted by kindall at 3:37 PM on November 4, 2008

Someone told me that if a British driver wins the Formula One Championship, then the Democrats win. It works from 1972. (Jackie Stewart won in 1971 and 1973.) So.
1952 Alberto Ascari (Italy) / Adlai Stevenson loss
1956 Juan Manual Fnagio (Argentina) / Adlai Stevenson loss
1960 Jack Brabham (Australia, but based in UK - meh, half-point?) / JFK win
1964 John Surtes (UK) / Lyndon Johnson win
1968 Graham Hill (UK) / Hubert Humphrey loss
1972 Emerson Fittipaldi (Brazil) / McGovern loss
1976 James Hunt (UK) / Jimmy Carter win
1980 Alan Jones (Australia) / Jimmy Carter loss
1984 Niki Lauder (Austria) / Walter Mondale loss
1988 Ayrton Senna (Brazil) / Mike Dukakis loss
1992 Nigel Mansell (UK) / Bill Clinton win
1996 Damian Hill (UK) / Bill Clinton win
2000 Michael Schumacher (Germany) / Al Gore loss
2004 Michael Schumacher (Germany) / John Kerry loss
2008 Lewis Hamilton (UK) / Barack Obama
posted by philfromhavelock at 3:59 PM on November 4, 2008

Response by poster: Great answers, everyone... thanks.
posted by mikewas at 9:30 AM on November 5, 2008