For the longest time, the US had the curse going about every President elected in a year ending with zero not living through his term. Reagan kinda broke that by his assassin’s bullet missing by an inch or so.
Now, with the recent events, it has come back on my mind. Bush is certainly a candidate for an Al Queda assassin. Is he going to make it? Or will the streak start back up again?
As for me, I have a nagging feeling that there will at least be an attempt on his life.
Jeez, if there hasn’t already been a (failed, obviously) attempt on his life, I’d be surprised. I bet there’s a lot that the Secret Service doesn’t release to the public.
It’s just an overblown coincidence, and it was actually broken a long time ago, when FDR was elected in 1940 and survived that term.
Yeah, as Fiver points out, Roosevelt survived his zero-year term. So did Lincoln, for that matter. And the men elected in 1800 and 1820 survived their whole presidencies very nicely, thank you, along with Reagan. And other presidents have died in office despite their not having been elected in a zero year; see Zachary Taylor for an example. Overblown, absoutely, and not even all that much of a “coincidence.”
One of the great things about the human mind is its ability to find patterns and construct meaning from relatively scanty evidence.
That ability is also one of the problems with the human mind.
For the record, it is known as “Tecumseh’s Curse” and like all Indian curses, it’s a crock o’ bull. Incidentally, the curse was pronounced by Tecumseh’s brother “Tenskwatawa, the Prophet”, and not by Tecumseh himself, who dies long before the 1830 election in 1813.
I’m just glad he didn’t get whacked while he was here in China last week.
Jeeze, you make me feel old. This one came around when Reagan was in office, and no doubt 20 years from now it will resurrect itself.
First, the supposed curse was originally placed on Harrison, who was not elected until 1840. So it could hardly affect the Presidents elected in 1800 or 1820.
Second, it does not say that the President will die during that term, but while in office. Both Lincoln and Roosevelt did that.
Third, yes Zachary Taylor is an example of a President who died in office without being elected in a 0 year. But he is also the only President that fits that description.
Fourth, Reagan’s survival would certainly seem to have ended the curse once and for all. Although I have heard reports that his heart stopped during the operation. (No cites, just rumors. Snopes doesn’t say anything one way or the other.)
I hate to tell you this but according to Snopes, the pattern was pointed out in 1934 by a Ripley’s Believe It or Not book. So the fact that it has shown up again is not at all surprising. Although if Bush survives until he is out of office that may put and end to it.
Ironically, what could be saving George W. Bush right now is the perception (far from undeserved, IMHO) that he’s a weak leader. If I were an enemy of America, I’d want someone like him in charge of the opposing forces.
The thing I could never understand about this “curse” is why an Indian would strike out at the President…who automatically has an immediate successor…and only one out of every five, at that.
Eight posts, and no one thought to include a link to Unca Cece’s classic column on the topic, Was there an Indian curse that presidents elected in “0” years would die in office?", from Return of the Straight Dope. For shame. I suspect those presidents are the only ones cursed – all of you should avoid standing beneath tall trees during thunderstorms for awhile.
Opps, that should have read aren’t the only ones etc. And I’m not planning on standing next to any of you guys for awhile either.
That should have read 1840 election.
Lok, I’m surprised. A Snopes reference but no link? For shame. 
Reagan came very close to death after being shot. His medical records from the emergency surgery still have not been released. I hope that the family will some day include them in the Reagan library. Nancy Reagan is, however, terribly protective of RR’s image and it may not happen while she is still alive.
:o [sub]I know. I am not worthy. Please forgive me.[/sub]
Actually, the page was on a frame and I didn’t think of opening it in a new window. D’oh!
Lok
No need, just copy & past the direct URL at the bottom of the page.
[sub] no disrepect to RR, but…[/sub]
anyone see a Monty Python skit here?
RR: He shot me dead!
You're not dead now.
RR: Well, um, I got better!
Not to get political or anything, but there were quite a few people who suspected that Reagan was actually a newt the whole way through both of his terms… 
jayjay
Okay, that is even worse. I never noticed the URL at the bottom of the pages before. And I have only spent hours and hours reading that site. I may be beyond help here. :rolleyes:
Now that is just mean. You get out there right now and apologize to all the newts you can find! 
Lok