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. Will Michelle Obama's latest victory over Ann Romney continue the trend, or did Cindy McCain's 2008 win break the streak?

By
Jessica Testa
by Jessica Testa

BuzzFeed News Reporter

1992: Clinton v. Bush

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

1996: Clinton v. Dole

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

2000: Bush v. Gore

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

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.

2008: McCain v. Obama

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

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%

Skip to footer