If you like any of the candidates running for President as people you may want to hope that they don’t win:

• A study has found that those who are elected head of state live an average of 2.7 years less than those who were runner ups to their land’s highest office.
• By comparing against runner ups, the study helped control for things like the superior health care that a person running for the Presidency likely gets.
• The study assessed the lifespans of 279 election winners across 17 countries.

Read more about the study here.

Centives did its own analysis and found that US Presidents age at about twice the rate of normal people. Read it here.

Source: The Economist

As the battle for 2016 heats up, Stephanie Stamm looked at how Obama managed to burn through a billion dollars in running for President:

• In 2012 Obama spent over $700 million on advertizing alone.
• A few media industry giants got a lion’s share of the revenues from the campaign. Obama’s top advertizing firm got close to $400 million.
• Consultants also raked in the cash. A direct marketing consultant group made $30 million from the campaign.
• And then there are administrative services. American Express provided $2.3 million worth of services.
• The life of a candidate and their team is hectic. United Airlines was team Obama’s carrier of choice and made $1.1 million even though the President has access to his own jet.
• And there are, of course, the late night strategy and debate prep sessions. Domino’s catered for these, getting close to $10,000 in the process.
• The campaign staff was, however, dangerously uncaffeinated, spending only $500 at Starbucks.
• Kitty Purry – Katy Perry’s production company – was paid $128,000 though it’s unclear why.
• This analysis doesn’t even count the amount spent by “Super PACs”. In 2012 they spent $580 million. In 2016 that’s projected to increase to $1.8 billion.
• With the incredible number of Presidential candidates this election cycle, 2016 is likely to break all fund raising records.

See some really well done charts, and read more details here.

Source: National Journal

The comedic geniuses over at Cracked explained why winning a second Presidential term in America isn’t all that great:

• Being President is so physically demanding that those who lose re-election live longer. Most of the longest living Presidents in history led one-term administrations.
• The second term President’s party does badly which means a difficult Presidential term. For reasons that are unclear Americans vote against the President’s party in mid-terms during their second year, making it harder to get legislation passed.
• It hurts the chances of the President’s favoured successor. After a two term President leaves the White Office somebody from another party is usually voted in.
• The scandals begin to pile up and leak out. Watergate, Iran-Contra and Monica Lewinsky were all scandals that began to emerge during the second terms of administrations.

Read the full list of reasons, and the humour that makes articles from Cracked so entertaining over here.

Source: Cracked

The 2012 American Presidential election was keenly watched by people across the world. Dawn looked at how Barack Obama’s victory is likely to transform the economics of one industry in Pakistan: American flag making.

• Obama is a fairly unpopular figure in Pakistan due to his use of drone strikes in Pakistani territory.
• With his reelection, Pakistani flag-makers are expecting to see a surge in demand – for American flags – as disaffected citizens buy them to publicly set them on fire in protest of the strikes.
• This isn’t the first time this year the flag makers have seen a boom in demand. Something similar happened when an anti-Islam film made in the United States surfaced on YouTube.

Find out how much an American flag costs in Pakistan, and the varying quality of the flags you can purchase over here.

Source: Dawn

Via: Marginal Revolution

Let’s face it: the biggest reason to run for President is that you get to travel around in a private jet while you campaign. (It’s mostly a tease for the sweet ride you get if you actually win.) But what happens with the private jet after the candidate no longer needs it? Nick Summers reported:

• The plane will have to be cleaned out. During the campaign it’ll have carried hundreds of people thousands of miles without much of a break. Things will be messy in there.
• Governor Romney had fairly simple requirements and didn’t change things around on his jet much – but for the candidates that do, the plane must be reconfigured to its original layout.
• The custom campaign paint job on the body of the jet will also have to be removed.
• Luckily the owners of the plane have the experience to do the job well. The plane that flew Romney across the country has also flown musical group U2 and the hockey team, Boston Bruins.

Read more about how Romney acted as a passenger, and the other aircraft that he used over here.

Source: Business Insider

In the United States it is Election Day today. Robert Evans, Kristi Harrison, Jim Avery, and Jared Whitley dispelled some of the most popular myths about American elections. Highlights include:

• It matters who you vote for. Studies suggest that candidates keep 75% of the promises they make. Your vote is your voice about which promises you would like to see fulfilled.
• It’s not all about the swing voters. In fact, swing voters aren’t really who the candidates are targeting. Instead, it’s about the candidates convincing their own base to come out on Election Day to give their vote.
• Money does not rule the election. While the amount of money spent in this election is eye-opening, this money is going towards advertizements that help to create a better informed electorate. The auto industry will spend far more this year, trying to court your dollars in exchange for one of their cars. We should hope that candidates spend a comparable amount courting your vote.
• It’s not all about the gaffes. This election will not be determined by the person who made the biggest slipup – studies suggest that they don’t matter. Informed people, voting for meaningful reasons will decide the individual who will become the next President of the United States.

So if you’re eligible, go vote! And then read the rest of the article which covers several other election myths with Cracked’s signature mix of excellent writing, well researched information, and touches of humour over here.

Source: Cracked