Yes, we can.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I who cares about VP?

Well, I read in the paper today there's a 1 in 5 chance of any sitting U.S. President dying in office. I have no idea what that stat is based on. It was printed in the L.A. Weekly.

But John McCain, if elected, would be the oldest serving president in U.S. History.


That combined with the absolute loathing I hold for his V.P. choice leaves me concerned about the Vice Presidency more than I ever have been for any other election.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Well, I read in the paper today there's a 1 in 5 chance of any sitting U.S. President dying in office. I have no idea what that stat is based on. It was printed in the L.A. Weekly.

But John McCain, if elected, would be the oldest serving president in U.S. History.


That combined with the absolute loathing I hold for his V.P. choice leaves me concerned about the Vice Presidency more than I ever have been for any other election.

That stat would be based on the fact that out of 43 Presidents, 8 have died in office (making it actually slightly less than 1 in 5).

And whether the odds are slightly increased or not remains irrelevant to me. I'm voting for the Presidential candidate and I have to assume that the one that makes it in there is going to be the one that is doing the job. Unless the VP is someone so entirely anathema to the reasons I'm voting for the primary candidate that it would be impossible for one to even understand why they'd choose to run together, it just doesn't matter in the least to me.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by innerSpaceman

Well, I read in the paper today there's a 1 in 5 chance of any sitting U.S. President dying in office. I have no idea what that stat is based on. It was printed in the L.A. Weekly.

But John McCain, if elected, would be the oldest serving president in U.S. History.


That combined with the absolute loathing I hold for his V.P. choice leaves me concerned about the Vice Presidency more than I ever have been for any other election.

(William Henry Harrison + Zachary Taylor + Abraham Lincoln + James Garfield + William McKinley + Warren Harding + Franklin Roosevelt +John Kennedy) divided by 43 presidents = ~ 18% or 1 in ~5.5

However, those are just the ones that died. I think you would have to add Nixon to that list since he did not finish his term. That brings us to 20% or exactly 1 in 5.

Of course I think it might be more accurate to count the number of terms rather than the number of presidents. We are currently in the 55th term. So that gives us ~ 16% or 1 in 6.25 chance of a VP becoming president on any given term.