Kerry Seizes on Redskins' Defeat as Election Omen

John Kerry declared the race as good as won after the Washington Redskins fell 28-14 to the Green Bay Packers on 31 October, citing a pattern that had held through 17 consecutive elections. The rule: when the Redskins lose their final home game before Election Day, the White House incumbent also loses. The streak dates to Herbert Hoover.

"The Packers have done their part, this Tuesday, we'll do ours," Kerry said after the final whistle at FedEx Field. Polls showed him and President Bush in a near-tie ahead of the 2 November vote.

Other unconventional indicators were circulating. The Dow Jones had fallen 0.52 percent in October, a level that has historically preceded incumbent defeats since 1904. A nationwide mock vote by Weekly Reader gave Bush more than 60 percent of student ballots, while Halloween mask sales put him narrowly ahead.

The Boston Red Sox's first World Series title since 1918 fed further speculation: their championships in 1912 and 1916 had each coincided with a Democratic win.

A Wisconsin footnote: Kerry had called Lambeau Field "Lambert Field" at a rally, a slip the Bush campaign publicized heading into Election Day.

Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this AFP wire report, first published in October 2004, in its own words.