A Sure Sign?

Repeat after me, social scientists: correlation is not causation.

Senator John Kerry declared victory in the US presidential election, staking his claim on a historical quirk linking past White House races and the Washington Redskins football team.

The National Football League's Redskins lost 28-14 to the Green Pay Packers at home on Sunday and, if tradition holds, this means President George W. Bush is bound to lose the White House.

The legend surrounding the Redskins' last home game before Election Day is simplicity itself: If they win, the White House incumbent will remain president. If they lose, the incumbent loses.

Going into the 2004 vote, the Redskins' electoral barometer has held true for 80 years or 17 straight elections -- a record that professional pollsters can only dream of.