Skip to main content

Can the ‘Redskins Rule’ predict outcome of the presidential election?

By Valerie Bonk

WASHINGTON — The theory is that if the Redskins win their final home game before Election Day, the party currently in the White House stays in the White House. If they lose, the other party wins the presidency.

Well, the Redskins beat the Philadelphia Eagles Sunday, 27-20, meaning, if you’re into superstitions, it seems the White House will go to the Democrats in November.

Since 1940, the outcome of the final Redskins’ home game before the presidential election has predicted the result 17 out of 19 times.

But after being right for 60 straight years, the rule has in fact been wrong for two of the past three elections. The Redskins Rule failed to predict the winner for Barack Obama’s victory over Mitt Romney in 2012 and George W. Bush’s win over John Kerry in 2004.

According to the latest WSJ/NBC News poll, Clinton has opened up an 11-point lead over Republican Donald Trump.

Washington’s next two games are on the road. The Redskins have a bye week before Election Day.

Quarterback Alex Smith’s grueling road to recovery chronicled in ESPN program

By CNN
NFL quarterback Alex Smith suffered a gruesome leg injury that put his career in jeopardy and had him fighting for his life, and his long and grueling road to recovery is chronicled in an upcoming one-hour program from ESPN called "Project 11." The leg injury occurred Nov. 18, 2018, in the third quarter of a game between the Washington Redskins and Houston Texans. After being sacked by the Texans' J.J. Watt and Kareem Jackson, Smith suffered a spiral and compound fracture of the right tibia and fibula.
Read Next Story

Related News

Washington Redskins add reggae legend’s heir to their roster

Grading the Redskins’ 2017 NFL Draft

Redskins’ first-round pick in the NFL Draft is Alabama DE Allen