“Zero Election Year Syndrome”

Stunning Action Of Pete Buttigieg, But He Saw Handwriting On The Wall!

Ronald 2 Comments

This author and blogger was truly stunned by the sudden decision of Pete Buttigieg, after a fourth place showing in South Carolina’s Presidential Primary on Saturday, to announce his withdrawal from the Presidential race.

After recovering from the shock, however, it makes total sense, as it is clear after the massive victory of Joe Biden, that the only legitimate alternatives left are Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Michael Bloomberg.

And even Bloomberg, if he does not perform well on Super Tuesday, should withdraw, and give his financial support to Biden, to stop Bernie Sanders.

One would think that Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar will withdraw after Tuesday, but hoping they win their home states’ primaries in Massachusetts and Minnesota, and deny support to Bernie. But even if they do win, they have no realistic chance of being nominated, and as moderates, should join Pete Buttigieg in support of Joe Biden as the best hope for the party.

Having stated the above, it is still disturbing that the final three choices are all to be octogenarians in the next Presidential term, so the importance of who is Vice President under any of the three is extremely crucial.

And also, the Zero Election Year Syndrome, which led to seven Presidential deaths, one President shot, and one President seriously threatened on September 11, will rear its ugly head again in 2020. With three candidates, all being far older than Ronald Reagan or Donald Trump, this is a worrisome matter. So we must have the best possible VP choice, because the odds grow that such person might very well end up in the Oval Office at some point!

New Presidential Record Of Survival In Office, Surpassing 1789-1841!

Ronald 2 Comments

For the first nearly 52 years of the Republic, every President survived his term of office, from George Washington until William Henry Harrison.

Once Harrison died in office, we had a President die in every generation, with seven of the eight dying, having been elected in a zero election year–Harrison 1841, Abraham Lincoln 1865, James A. Garfield 1881, William McKinley 1901, Warren G. Harding 1923, Franklin D. Roosevelt 1945, and John F. Kennedy 1963, and joined by Zachary Taylor, dying in 1850, a zero year after being elected in 1848.

This became known as the “Zero Election Year Syndrome.”  It occurred seven straight zero election years from 1840 to 1960.  It was finally overcome when Ronald Reagan survived an assassination attempt in 1981, and when George W. Bush avoided tragedy on September 11 and throughout his Presidency, despite some serious threats.

Since JFK died, we have not had a Presidential death since, almost 52 years, although Richard Nixon did resign from office in 1974, even that being 41 years ago.

The question is how long can this new record of Presidential survival last, in a time of international terrorism and domestic turmoil.

There have been more death threats against Barack Obama than any President since Abraham Lincoln.

The last President to have a serious threat was Ronald Reagan, shot and seriously wounded in 1981, 34 years ago.

But every living President has had death threats, before, during, and after being in office.

A discussion of all these assassinations and threats are covered in my new book, ASSASSINATIONS, THREATS, AND THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY: FROM ANDREW JACKSON TO BARACK OBAMA (Rowman Littlefield), out since August 15, and available at the R & L website with a 30 percent discount offer, or at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books A Million websites.

This author has done more than 25 radio interviews, and will be interviewed by C Span Q & A Brian Lamb next week, and the hour long interview will be available to be seen on C Span One a few weeks later at 8 pm, 11 pm on a Sunday night and 6 am the next Monday morning Eastern time, and will become part of the permanent interviews of Brian Lamb at C Span.org, available for interviewing anytime!