Superstition Regarding US Presidential Elections
For 17 of the past 19 United States Presidential elections, a win for the Redskins' last home game prior to Election Day coincided with the incumbent party winning re-election. The exceptions were in 2004, when the Republican Party incumbent George W. Bush won re-election despite the Green Bay Packers beating the Redskins, and again in 2012, when Obama retained the presidency on November 6, despite the Redskins losing to the Carolina Panthers on November 4, 21-13. Other than these exceptions, this "Redskins Rule" has proven true since 1936 when they won and incumbent Franklin D. Roosevelt won re-election, prior to the Redskins' move from Boston in 1937.
In 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Redskins on the eve of Election Day 23–6, and Barack Obama won the presidency the following evening.
The Redskins Rule was discovered by Steve Hirdt, executive vice president of the Elias Sports Bureau, while searching for discussion fodder in 2000 for a game between the Redskins and Titans.
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Famous quotes containing the words superstition, presidential and/or elections:
“A superstition which pretends to be scientific creates a much greater confusion of thought than one which contents itself with simple popular practices.”
—Johan Huizinga (1872–1945)
“Under a Presidential government, a nation has, except at the electing moment, no influence; it has not the ballot-box before it; its virtue is gone, and it must wait till its instant of despotism again returns.”
—Walter Bagehot (1826–1877)
“Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.”
—Gore Vidal (b. 1925)