FUN TRIVIA FACTS about the Upcoming 2008 Presidential Election

[FrenchieCat]

The election will coincide with the 2008 Senate elections in thirty-three states, House of Representatives elections in all states, and gubernatorial elections in eleven states, as well as various state referendums and local elections.

The president-elect and vice president-elect are scheduled to be inaugurated on January 20, 2009.

The 2008 election marks the first time since the 1928 election in which neither an incumbent president nor an incumbent vice president ran for their party's nomination in the presidential election, and the first time since the 1952 election that neither the incumbent President nor incumbent Vice President is a candidate in the general election.

The 2008 election is the first in which the Vice President is not a candidate for either the presidency or the vice presidency since Nelson Rockefeller in 1976.

it will be the first time in history that the two main opponents in the general election are both sitting Senators. Therefore, it appears virtually certain that the 2008 election will mark the first time since the election of John F. Kennedy in 1960 that a sitting Senator will be elected President of the United States, and only the third time ever in American history, after John F. Kennedy and Warren G. Harding.

Either candidate would become the first president born outside the Continental United States, as Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii and McCain was born at Coco Solo, Panama Canal Zone, a US naval base.

McCain would be the oldest U.S. president upon ascension to the presidency at age 72 years and 144 days.

Obama, having a white mother and Kenyan father of the Luo ethnic group, would be the first president to be black and to be biracial.

McCain would be the first president from Arizona, while Obama would be the third president from Illinois, the first two being Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. Grant. The last candidates to run from these states were Adlai Stevenson (D) of Illinois, who ran and lost in 1952 and 1956, and Barry Goldwater (R) of Arizona, who ran and lost in 1964.

Barack Obama and John McCain are 24 years and 340 days apart in age. This is the largest age disparity between the two major party presidential candidates, surpassing Bill Clinton and Bob Dole (23 years and 28 days apart in age) who ran against each other in 1996.

Barack Obama is 6'1½" tall and John McCain is 5'7 inches tall.

Barack Obama has been married once, and never divorced.

John McCain has been married twice, divorced once, and would be the 2nd President that has been divorced, Reagan being the first.

[gateley]

1. Interesting stuff!

And I can hardly wait to see the 6'1 1/2" Obama and the 5'7" McCain meet on stage to shake hands, and pose together for a photo or two. :evilgrin:

[FrenchieCat]

3. I tried to capture that in the post. I just edited a minute ago.

Should look like that!

[gateley]

5. Ha! Looks good!

And WONDERFUL pic of Obama, by the way! :headbang:

[TlalocW]

7. Yes, and I can hardly wait to see Fox do this again

The two smaller photos of Kerry and Bush show their true heights. Bush's eyes barely reach the same level as John Kerry's philtrum (the groove/space in between one's nose and mouth), but in the Fox photo, their eyes are almost on the same level as they Photoshopped Bush to not look so short and puny while standing next to Kerry.

[FrenchieCat]

8. Now that is sad. Geeze!

and of course, no media story came of it, I presume!

[grantcart]

2. There is also this fact, which surprisingly no one seems to have picked up on:

This is the first time we have had one President of one party complete an 8 year Presidency to be followed by another 8 year Presidency by a President of another Party.

The only time that we have had fully completed 8 year Presiency's follow each other was Jefferson, Madison and Monroe but they were all of the same party.

[FrenchieCat]

4. That sure is interesting!

Thanks for the addition!

[FrenchieCat]

6. Kick for trivia's sake

[Gabi Hayes]

9. here's a trivia question that needs an answer:

how many women have both of them slept with since they've been married?

I'd love to hear that townhall meeting question for McCain