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Bush has Edge Over Kerry -- Geographically Speaking
SKOKIE, Ill. -- Forget electoral votes. If history is any guide, predicting the 2004 presidential election isn't a numbers game, it's a name game. And you only have to look at a map to see who the winner will be.An in-depth survey of the 2005 edition of the Rand McNally Road Atlas reveals more place names contain the words George or Bush (as in Georgetown, Colo.) than John or Kerry (Johnstown, Pa.).Despite Bush's advantage, Republicans shouldn't start celebrating quite yet. Kerry has an ace in the hole in his running mate: Place names in the 2005 edition Road Atlas that contain the word Edwards outnumber those that contain Cheney by a factor of three.Don't think a candidate can win based on name alone? A review of the past three elections attest to the 2005 edition Road Atlas' value as a flawless outcomes predictor.For the 2000 election, for instance, place names that contain the words George or Bush outnumber those that contain Albert or Gore by a factor of almost eight and Ralph or Nader by a factor of 25. And consider the outcome in 1996: There are more than five times as many William or Clinton place names as there are Robert or Dole place names -- and almost 15 times the number of Ross or Perot place names. Similarly, more locations have William or Clinton in their names than George or Bush (think George Sr. in 1992)."The 2005 road atlas has a perfect 12-year track record of forecasting who will win the presidency," said Laurie Borman, editorial director of Rand McNally. "Look to the book to reach your own conclusion about who will end up in the White House. And no, I don't mean Whitehouse, Ohio."Here are other geographic items of note from the new road atlas in this election year:We know Kerry's sport is windsurfing, but what's Edwardsport? The answer: a town in Indiana.Although politicians can be rambling at times, it's easy to see Cheneys Point, N.Y., from Interstate 86. Even so, folks in Edwards, Colo., might not agree.John Edwards is the best-known Democrat in his home state of North Carolina. Slightly lesser known is Republican, N.C., just off Highway 308.Thought there was only one George W. in Texas? Think again. The community of George West, Texas, appears in the road atlas index as "George W."<>Some states really worship our politicians. In fact Indiana, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, North Dakota and Washington all have a Saint John. While most people honor President's Day on the third Monday in February, they can observe John Day, Ore., any day where U.S. 26 meets U.S. 395.In a face-off between the two major parties' mascots, the GOP wins. Elephant Butte, N.M., is the only place name containing either the word elephant or donkey.The 2005 edition of the Rand McNally Road Atlas is now available at retailers nationwide. Rand McNally & Company, founded in 1856, produces print and electronic products featuring national and local maps for the United States and Canada.Visit Rand McNally: www.randmcnally.com "