Bush's Legacy: He Survived!

[ASTalumna06]

http://www.slate.com/id/2208520/?GT1=38001

...Also curious as to whether anyone has any info regarding the "curse" and where it originated.

[AGDee]

I was always under the impression that the curse was broken by Reagan but that there was no real origin of the curse, just the fact that every president from 1840-1960 who was elected in a year ending in 0 (which happens every 20 years) died while in office. When Reagan was shot, there was a lot of talk about it, but then he survived it, thereby breaking it.

[DaemonSeid]

anyone see the Farewell Speech?

....just 5 more days

[moe.ron]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I was always under the impression that the curse was broken by Reagan but that there was no real origin of the curse, just the fact that every president from 1840-1960 who was elected in a year ending in 0 (which happens every 20 years) died while in office. When Reagan was shot, there was a lot of talk about it, but then he survived it, thereby breaking it.

Same here

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I was always under the impression that the curse was broken by Reagan but that there was no real origin of the curse, just the fact that every president from 1840-1960 who was elected in a year ending in 0 (which happens every 20 years) died while in office. When Reagan was shot, there was a lot of talk about it, but then he survived it, thereby breaking it.

I've heard talk that, with his Alzheimer's increasing by leaps and bounds during his term in office, Reagan - or the main part of him - did die while serving President.

I watched the speech. It was short, sweet, and sentimental.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by AGDee

I was always under the impression that the curse was broken by Reagan but that there was no real origin of the curse, just the fact that every president from 1840-1960 who was elected in a year ending in 0 (which happens every 20 years) died while in office. When Reagan was shot, there was a lot of talk about it, but then he survived it, thereby breaking it.

According to The Wiki, the first "widely noted" mention of the curse was in a Ripley's Believe It or Not book published in 1931. (Snopes lists the publication date as 1934, and notes that question marks appeared in place of a name for the upcoming 1940 election.)

[DrPhil]

Originally Posted by DaemonSeid

anyone see the Farewell Speech?

He made what is called a "tiger prevention" policy statement.

He said "...in the past 7 years we have not had another terrorist attack....."

Well, the absence of an attack can be for a number of reasons that have little to nothing to do with the war in Iraq and other things that it will be credited to. Maybe there wouldn't have been another terrorist attack, anyway.

So it's like saying "we banned tigers on city streets and there haven't been any tigers. This means our policy worked." The probability of tigers on city streets is low with or without a policy.