How To Choose A President

It's that time again - time to choose a Democrat and Republican to go head-to-head for the Presidency of the United States. As Super Tuesday just passed, some things have become a little more focused - and others haven't.

Growing up in Canada, we learned a lot about US history. In Canada, we actually realize that there is a neighbor to the south and that it's only neighborly to learn about them, hence our studying of the US political system. Living within a mile of the US, I got my fair share of US television and US politics.

Fascinating stuff, when you're observing from afar!

Now, I am within it all ... and have been for years. It's still so very fascinating, but for so many different reasons.

I think that most Americans want the basic elements in life. The beauty of the American dream - live in freedom, be kind to your neighbor, work hard, put food on the table, have a roof over your head ... good solid apple-pie-kind-of-stuff. That is what makes this country so amazing - and why if our foreign policy reflected this, then so many people wouldn't hate us ... but, again, that's another article ...

I also think that the people want to keep things as simple as possible. And this extends to the name of their President.

You might think I am absolutely crazy ... but I am going to throw out a theory of Presidential politics that may in fact be far more simple than most of us care to believe.

It all depends on your name - and how many syllables it contains.

The fewer the syllables, obviously, the easier it is to remember - and support. Simple stuff.

Go back in time ... and you'd have to go back to John F. Kennedy in which the president's last name has had more than 2 syllables. Coincidence? Perhaps.

Yes, we'd have to factor in how many names (of all the names available) are, naturally, two syllables or less .... and I know there are a lot of them. Mine's not one of them, so, thankfully, I can be eliminated from the possible candidates for at least THAT reason ...

Bush. Clinton. Bush. Reagan. Carter. Ford. Nixon. Johnson. That takes you back to 1960 ... 48 years ago.

Is this a coincidence?

Of all 43 presidents, 31 of them have had one or two syllable names. That's 72% of all presidents. A total of 82% of all presidential candidates have had names with less than 2 syllables.

How about the list of famous three syllable presidents?

Washington - Jefferson - Madison - Van Buren - Harrison - Buchanan - Harrison - McKinley - Roosevelt - Roosevelt - Eisenhower - Kennedy

An intriguing list to say the least.

How about the list of infamous three syllable presidential election losers?

Adlai Stevenson. Barry Goldwater. George McGovern. Eugene McCarthy. Michael Dukakis.

Perhaps "infamous" truly is the correct word!

If you're a vice presidential candidate, it becomes even more obvious. 48 of 53 vice presidents - 91% - have had names with 2 syllables or less. I guess you have to keep that job pretty simple!

Still a coincidence?

Admit it, this theory is no crazier than any of the political pundits and prognosticators around our great land (and if it provoked a laugh or two, even better).

Let's look at the information we have to work with now. Good presidential candidates that remain (based on this theory) are Clinton and McCain. But what about Obama?

Interesting as it is, he may not be on the outside of this theory looking in. We're currently in the longest streak between three-or-more syllable presidents - 8 presidents since Kennedy. Prior to that, the longest streak was 7 - between Buchanan and Harrison. So it would appear that we are long overdue for that 3 syllable president.

So is it possible that Obama could indeed instill hope back into the population ... and be the first "greater than 2 syllable President" since Kennedy?

See you in November.