Emily Kay does a nice job examiningthe an interesting and maybe revealing Presidential electoral trend. WIth Barack Obama winning reelection Tuesday and becoming the ninth consecutive golfer since 1980 to take up residence in the White House, there seems to be a fairly substantial link between 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and golf.
• 1980: Ronald Reagan (golfer) defeats Jimmy Carter (non-golfer)
• 1984: Ronald Reagan defeats Walter Mondale (non-golfer)
• 1988: George H.W. Bush (golfer) defeats Michael Dukakis (non-golfer)
• 1992: Bill Clinton (golfer) defeats George H.W. Bush
• 1996: Bill Clinton defeats Bob Dole (non-golfer)
• 2000: George W. Bush (golfer) defeats Al Gore (non-golfer)
• 2004: George W. Bush defeats John Kerry (non-golfer)
• 2008: Barack Obama (golfer) defeats John McCain (non-golfer)
• 2012: Barack Obama defeats Mitt Romney (the anti-golfer)
Ron Sirak makes the case that golf can bridge political bridges.
Quote:
No matter where you stand on the political scale -- the left side, the right, or somewhere in between -- the nation now, with so many challenges ahead, needs to find a balance. I'm not smart enough to know where the balance resides, but I am willing to trust that both the Democrats and Republican have people smart enough and noble enough to find it.
Golf gives us a perfect road map to follow. Presidents Eisenhower and Ford were both passionate golfers and they were both Republicans. Presidents Clinton and Obama, both Democrats, share that passion.