Can A Cookie Contest Predict The Election?

In four of the last five elections, the husband of Family Circle’s First Lady cookie contest winner has become president.

1. 1992: Clinton v. Bush

Hillary Clinton’s oatmeal chocolate chips beat out Barbara Bush’s classic chocolate chips.

2. 1996: Clinton v. Dole

Elizabeth Dole’s pecan rolls also fell to Clinton’s oatmeal chocolate chips. (Because duh, they’re pecan rolls.)

3. 2000: Bush v. Gore

Laura Bush’s Texas cowboy cookies dominated Tipper Gore’s gingersnaps.

4. 2004: Bush v. Kerry

Laura Bush won again, but this time with oatmeal chocolate chunks. Teresa Heinz Kerry’s pumpkin spice cookies didn’t stand a chance.

5. 2008: McCain v. Obama

Shake up! Cindy McCain’s husband lost, but her oatmeal-butterscotch cookies won over Michelle Obama’s shortbread cookies.

6. 2012: Romney v. Obama

Mrs. Obama wised up, ditching shortbread for white and dark chocolate chip cookies. But Ann Romney’s M&M cookies only lost narrowly —
Michelle Obama’s cookies: 51.5%
Ann Romney’s cookies: 48.5%

Incidentally, Obama and Romney are pretty close in the polls, too. The latest numbers from Huffington Post:
Barack Obama: 48.7%
Mitt Romney: 44.4%