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David K. Israel
15 Recent Presidential Elections: A Matter of Inches
by David K. Israel - January 31, 2008 - 2:47 AM

shortbook1.jpgAs you know, it’s Zach Kanin week here at the _floss. Here’s a wonderful excerpt from his new book, The Short Book, that looks at the last 15 elections in feet and inches. (Winning presidents are in bold.)

U.S Presidents and Their Opponents Since the Ubiquity of Television

1948
Harry S. Truman (D) 5’ 9”
Thomas E. Dewey (R) 5’ 8”
Difference 1”

1952
Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) 5’ 10 1/2”
Adlai Stevenson (D) 5’ 10”
Difference 1/2”

1956
Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) 5’ 10 1/2”
Adlai Stevenson (D) 5’ 10”
Difference 1/2”

1960
John F. Kennedy (D) 6’ 0”
Richard M. Nixon (R) 5’ 11 1/2”
Difference 1/2”

1964
Lyndon Johnson (D) 6’ 3”
Barry Goldwater (R) 6’ 0”
Difference 3”

1968
Richard M. Nixon (R) 5’ 11 1/2”
Hubert H. Humphrey (D) 5’ 11 1/2”
Difference 0″

1972
Richard M. Nixon (R) 5’ 11 1/2”
George McGovern (D) 6’ 1”
Difference - 1 1/2 ”

1976
Jimmy Carter (D) 5’ 9”
Gerald R. Ford (R) 6’ 1”
Difference - 4”

1980
Ronald Reagan (R) 6’ 1”
Jimmy Carter (D) 5’ 9”
Difference 4”

1984
Ronald Reagan (R) 6’ 1”
Walter F. Mondale (D) 5’ 10”
Difference 3”

1988
George H. W. Bush (R) 6’ 2”
Michael Dukakis (D) 5’ 8”
Difference 6”

1992
William J. Clinton (D) 6’ 2”
George H. W. Bush (R) 6’ 2”
Difference 0”

1996
William J. Clinton (D) 6’ 2”
Robert Dole (R) 6’ 1”
Difference 1”

2000
George W. Bush (R) 5’ 11”
Albert Gore (D) 6’ 1”
Difference -2”

2004
George W. Bush (R) 5’ 11”
John Kerry (D) 6’ 4”
Difference -5”

The data shows the bleak possibilities for shorter candidate. Based on the statistical chances of George W. Bush defeating not one but TWO taller candidates, we can only conclude once and for all that he stole both elections.

Also from Zach Kanin week: check out my interview with the little man and be sure to enter our latest caption contest with our very own Kanin cartoon.

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Comments (11)

  1. Meaningless—Nixon and Carter were both shorter and won.

    posted by Dallas Hansen on 1-31-2008 at 5:06 am

  2. They look so beautiful. The tec on the
    cameras look as good, if not better than todays color photos. I love the one of the worker on the concrete with the big bold clouds behind him, very nice. A good find , Thanx for sharing

    posted by Juanita James on 1-31-2008 at 6:00 am

  3. Can you publish the current candidate’s heights?

    posted by Kevin McDonald on 1-31-2008 at 7:36 am

  4. JFK 6′0″ and Nixon 5′11 1/2″ but the difference is 0″? Good thing math isn’t a prerequisite for blogging.

    posted by james on 1-31-2008 at 8:36 am

  5. If she wins the general election, Hilary will be shortest president ever (at 5′6″)- what to make of that?

    posted by DanC on 1-31-2008 at 8:49 am

  6. Does anyone else remember how, during the 2004 election debates, the cameras zoomed in on GWB so he looked equally as tall as John Kerry when they showed the split-picture side-by-side shots? It was comical.

    posted by erin on 1-31-2008 at 9:29 am

  7. James Madison was 5′4″ (two inches shorter than Hillary Clinton!) and won the 1808 election in a landslide. (Then again, I don’t know how tall Pinckney was - he looks pretty short in his portraits.)

    posted by Jess on 1-31-2008 at 11:56 am

  8. Reminds me of the Monty Python sketch where John Cleese is the taller of two paleontologists on a talk show, and the host won’t even listen to the shorter, smarter one. Still, George W. defies that metaphor too.

    posted by Rich on 1-31-2008 at 1:46 pm

  9. some of these heights are way off. John Kerry is just about 6′2.5. I’ve seen him many times while skiing in Idaho, and at church, and he is just about my hight. And Bush is on the record saying he is 5′9

    posted by come on g on 1-31-2008 at 5:31 pm

  10. What about being short on 1. substance, 2. inquisitiveness 3. humility. 4 reflection 5. vocabulary?
    (G.W.B.)

    posted by C&N on 2-1-2008 at 8:07 am

  11. Random. And perplexing. The first thought would be that the taller of the candidates is the one that the voters (excuse the pun) look up to most. The second is that it is clear, peculiar and somewhat freakish coincidence. The third is most likely some random thought that I dont have the energy to create. I’d rather chalk it up to coincidence.

    P.S - The first Bush election was rigged, and the second was versus a clearly OLD senator that the general population knew nothing about. Who would you choose?

    posted by Tobias on 2-1-2008 at 9:38 am

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