Candidates Gore and Bush Are Tied in the Name Game
Another indicator of presidential election results (“May the Best, or Tallest, Man Win,” Oct. 30) is the length of the candidates’ last names. The candidate with the longer moniker is more than twice as likely to win.
However, this year, Gore and Bush are tied for the number of last-name letters, so we get little help there. (Such name equality also occurred in eight other elections, from Polk-Clay and Lincoln-Douglas to Reagan-Carter.)
It’s also true that no president with four letters in his last name has ever been reelected: Polk, Taft, Ford, Bush. So maybe this year’s winner will lose in the long run?
THOMAS RISCHE
Torrance
Get the L.A. Times Politics newsletter
Deeply reported insights into legislation, politics and policy from Sacramento, Washington and beyond. In your inbox three times per week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
