James A. Conrad

Omens in World Political History

An online resource for anyone researching the topic of political omens
by James A. Conrad, July 4, 2016

The definition of an omen is anything unusual interpreted as a sign that something good or bad may happen in the future. A political omen is one that concerns the outcome of an election, initiative, proposition, referendum, or recall; the birth or selection of a new leader; the health or career of a politician; or generally, anything to do with politics and government.

Truman Sees Omen in Wins. The Milwaukee Journal (newspaper), November 9, 1949, page 2 Should an omen be taken seriously? My personal opinion as someone who was an open-minded member of a skeptics organization for 15 years is that 99% of recorded omens throughout history are just coincidence or superstitious fantasy and are not of supernatural or divine origin. The skeptic Michael Shermer once wrote: "I estimate the probability that God exists is 0.02, or 2 percent" (Scientific American, July 2004). If there is a 2% chance that God exists according to Shermer, one would have to estimate further the probability that God would choose to communicate mysteriously to humans by the use of omens, in addition to other means. My estimate, or best guess, is that there is a 1% chance that an omen is of divine or supernatural origin. (This is a different discussion than attempting to estimate the probability of other classic paranormal phenomena.)

Leaving aside the question of whether or not there is a divine or supernatural existence that can interact with our world, from a scientific standpoint, even skeptics would have to agree that it is impossible to state with 100% certainty that all omens are, have been, and will forever be wishful thinking, just because we do not presently know for a fact that time travel of information into the past is unachievable (for example, see in theoretical physics, tachyonic antitelephone). Furthermore, as some scientists speculate, if we are living in a simulation, or if incorporeal information is able to cross over from a parallel universe by technological or psychic means, then anything is possible, even an omen that seems to warn about a particular political candidate or political family — so that we don't make the same mistake in our universe.

Regardless, for some, which could calculate to a decisive number when votes are counted, anything perceived as an omen may be just the extra little thing that influences a decision, such as which way to vote or whether to change plans and not vote at all. Some omens have more impressive features than others.


NEWS ARTICLES — GENERAL TOPIC, SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE, AND BREXIT

—  2012 U.S. Presidential election  —

"Election omens: costumes and cookies take the place of polls and statistics"
The Guardian
November 6, 2012
https://www.theguardian.com/world/us-news-blog/2012/nov/06/obama-romney-election-omens-polls
"The final polls are in. But there are hours to go before we get any results. So what's [a] nervous campaign team — and media organization with airtime to fill — to do before then? Turn to superstition, of course. Here are the best of the election omens."

—  Scottish independence  —

"'Omen' cloud cast shadows of doubt ahead of Scottish poll"
Daily Express (UK)
Sep 16, 2014
https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/511306/Omen-clouds-ahead-of-Scottish-poll
"A HOLIDAYMAKER believes Scottish independence is on the horizon after capturing this image of a cloud shaped like the UK — without Scotland. Gillian Degnan, 44, was basking in the sun in Sardinia this summer when she captured the picture, which she claims could be an omen."

—  2016 Brexit  —

"Dad spots Maggie Thatcher in CLOUDS – thinks it's a Brexit warning"
Daily Star (UK), Clara Strunck
June 5, 2016
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/520839/Margaret-Thatcher-appears-in-cloud-Portsmouth-EU-referendum-omen
"OMEN: Is this cloud an image of Margaret Thatcher? Phil Stevens spotted the silhouette of the Iron Lady in Portsmouth and believes the apparition could be linked to the referendum later this month. . . . Maggie was a die-hard protester against the EU and fought and won many times against what she believed were the excessive powers of the institution."

"IS BREXIT ON THE HORIZON? Cloud shaped like Britain is a 'good omen' for those wanting to leave the EU"
The Sun (UK), Felix Allen
June 22, 2016
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/1322471/cloud-shaped-like-britain-is-a-good-omen-for-those-wanting-to-leave-the-eu/
"The grey mass appears to show the outline of mainland Great Britain as the sun begins to break through the dark clouds on the horizon. Finance manager Nicola, who is voting for Brexit, said it could be seen as a 'good omen.' Nicola said: 'I went outside with my daughter Melanie and looked up and thought "Oh my god" as soon as I saw the cloud in the sky — I noticed it straight away and we started taking pictures. 'I'm not a superstitious person but it would be nice to think of it as a good omen for the Leave campaign. 'You could definitely look at it as a sign of Britain standing stronger and alone in the future.'"

The Drudge Report, top left links above the title, June 26, 2016, text linked to the next article below
Drudge Report, top left links above the title, Sunday June 26, 2016.

"Brexit is a bad omen for world commerce"
The Washington Post via Standard-Examiner
June 24, 2016 (Drudge Report linked June 26)
http://www.standard.net/Business/2016/06/25/Brexit-is-a-bad-omen-for-world-commerce
"It is clear from the results of the British vote, and from Trump's rise in U.S. politics, that there is a large backlash against the results of globalization so far."

"Brexit, Cameron quitting, and the omen that guarantees England will lose to Germany at Euro 2016"
Eurosport (UK/FR)
June 24, 2016
http://lebuzz.eurosport.co.uk/viral/brexit-cameron-quitting-and-the-omen-that-guarantees-england-will-lose-to-germany-at-euro-2016-15558/
"There's a lot of ridiculous stuff in the air this morning. . . . One of the weirdest things, for example, is this bizarre coincidence about British Prime Ministers losing their jobs — and the extraordinary link with England losing to Germany at major tournaments."


NAMES OF LEADERS CONNECTED WITH OMENS
A sampling focusing mainly on elections and leader selection.

Gaius Marius (157 BC–86 BC), Roman general and statesman.
Article: "Top 15 Roman Commanders — #9: Gaius Marius"
May 15, 2015
https://www.romeacrosseurope.com/?p=1004
"Since the eagle was considered the sacred animal of Jupiter, the supreme god of the Romans, it was later seen as an omen predicting his 7 time election as Consul. Later, as Consul, he decreed that the eagle would be the symbol of the Senate and People of Rome."

Cicero (106 BC–43 BC), Roman politician and philosopher.
Book: Terentia, Tullia and Publilia: The Women of Cicero's Family
Susan Treggiari, 2007, page 44
books.google.com
"Terentia's political involvement can be seen in the run-up to the elections of 64. According to a story which Cicero told in the poem he later wrote on his consulship, she had performed a sacrifice and was about to pour wine on the dying ashes when the fire flared up. This was taken as an omen that her husband would win the election."

Christ child / Jesus of Nazareth (circa 4 BC to circa AD 30–33).

Fortean Times cover, issue 270, January 2011. Artist: Alex Tomlinson.
Fortean Times cover, issue 270, January 2011. Illustrator: Alex Tomlinson.

Article: "Star of Bethlehem: The astronomical explanations"
BBC December 23, 2012
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-20730828
"The three kings were religious scholars known as the Magi — revered Babylonian astronomers and astrologists. They studied the stars and planets, interpreting the meaning behind cosmic events. Anything very unusual was considered an omen, so the star must have been both rare and visually spectacular. And, says Hughes, it would have had a very clear message for the Magi."

Vespasian (AD 69–79), Roman emperor.
Entry: Encyclopaedia Britannica / Britannica.com
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vespasian
"More important to him than any legal enactment, however, was the recognition of his extralegal authority (auctoritas) and the prestige of his upstart house. He carefully publicized the divine omens that portended his accession and also built up the titles surrounding his name."

Article: "The Histories by Publius Cornelius Tacitus"
Translated by Alfred John Church and William Jackson Brodribb
http://mcadams.posc.mu.edu/txt/ah/tacitus/TacitusHistory02.html
"After this speech from Mucianus, the other officers crowded round Vespasian with fresh confidence, encouraging him, and reminding him of the responses of prophets and the movements of the heavenly bodies. Nor was Vespasian proof against this superstition, for afterwards, when master of the world, he openly retained one Seleucus, an astrologer, to direct his counsels, and to foretell the future. Old omens now recurred to his thoughts. A cypress tree of remarkable height on his estate had suddenly fallen, and rising again the following day on the very same spot, had flourished with majestic beauty and even broader shade. This, as the Haruspices agreed, was an omen of brilliant success, and the highest distinction seemed prophesied to Vespasian in early youth."

Pachacuti (1438–1471/1472), Ninth ruler of the Inca state.
Book : Ancient South America
Karen Olsen Bruhns, 1994
Series: Cambridge World Archaeology
Publisher: Cambridge University Press; Paper edition
Chapter 17, "The Sixteeth Century," page 331
books.google.com
"The upshot of this defeat was a change in succession as Kusi put himself forward as the new heir, causing the priests to read the omens and then crowning himself as the new emperor under the name of Pachacuti, "earthquake." This was to set an unfortunate precedent among the Inca royalty, as Pachacuti was, in essence, an usurper.

Tecumseh (1768–1813), Native American leader
Pontiac (1720–1769), Native American leader
Article: "The Voice of Divination: Omens, Oracles, and the Symbolist Worldview"
Ray Grasse, Quest magazine, January–February 2005
https://www.theosophical.org/publications/quest-magazine/42-publications/quest-magazine/1245-the-voice-of-divination-omens-oracles-and-the-symbolist
"Native American lore likewise tells us of the dramatic omens accompanying the births of powerful leaders, such as the great shooting star seen at the birth of Tecumseh or the winds, lightning, and hail said to coincide with the birth of Pontiac."

Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), 16th President of the United States, from 1861 to 1865
Article: "Recollections of Abraham Lincoln," Noah Brooks
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 31, Issue 182, pages 224–225
July 1865
Cornell University Library
(Note: the excerpted quotation below is Brook's claimed memory of what Lincoln said, writing as if Lincoln were speaking. It should not be taken as a verbatim account of what Lincoln actually said. Following this is another version of the story.)
"It was just after my election in 1860, . . . I was well tired out, and went home to rest, throwing myself down on a lounge in my chamber. Opposite where I lay was a bureau, with a swinging-glass upon it . . . and, looking in that glass, I saw myself reflected, nearly at full length; but my face, I noticed, had two separate and distinct images, the tip of the nose of one being about three inches from the tip of the other. I was a little bothered, perhaps startled, and got up and looked in the glass, but the illusion vanished. On lying down again I saw it a second time — plainer, if possible, than before; and then I noticed that one of the faces was a little paler, say five shades, than the other. I got up and the thing melted away, and I went off and, in the excitement of the hour, forgot all about it — nearly, but not quite, for the thing would once in a while come up, and give me a little pang, as though something uncomfortable had happened. When I went home I told my wife about it, and a few days after I tried the experiment again, when (with a laugh), sure enough, the thing came again; but I never succeeded in bringing the ghost back after that, though I once tried very industriously to show it to my wife, who was worried about it somewhat. She thought it was 'a sign' that I was to be elected to a second term of office, and that the paleness of one of the faces was an omen that I should not see life through the last term."

Article: "Lincoln's Home Life in Washington," Leslie J. Perry
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Volume 94, Issue 561, page 354
February 1897
Cornell University Library
"Mr. Carpenter says that on the evening of his renomination Lincoln gave Mr. John Hay and himself a serious account of having seen a double image of himself in a mirror on the day of his nomination at Chicago, exactly alike, except one Lincoln was paler than the other. While this singular vision made but little impression on the President, Mr. Noah Brooks asserts that Mrs. Lincoln feared it was an omen that her husband would not live through his second term.

Article: "Here Comes the Sun: Seeing Omens in the Weather at Abraham Lincoln's Second Inauguration"
U.S. Library of Congress Blog, Erin Allen
March 4, 2015
https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2015/03/here-comes-the-sun-seeing-omens-in-the-weather-at-abraham-lincolns-second-inauguration/
"While we tend to remember the stirring words Lincoln spoke in his inaugural address, many who witnessed the event were also struck by the good omens seen in the weather. Accounts vary as to the exact timing of the sun's appearance, but observers noted that while Lincoln gave his address and took the oath of office, the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly on the ceremony."

Charles Stewart Parnell (1846–1891), Irish politician, member of the British Parliament
Book: Charles Stewart Parnell: a memoir
By John Howard Parnell, 1914, page 265
books.google.com
"It was during the desperate fight for Kilkenny in 1890, when his own candidate was opposed by Mr. Pope Hennessy. Charley was in the midst of addressing a meeting, when a space was made in the ranks of the crowd to allow a funeral cortège to pass. Stopping short in his speech, Charley pointed his finger at the hearse, and made the extraordinary remark, which was taken in very bad part, even by his own supporters, in many parts of Ireland: 'There goes the corpse of Pope Hennessy.' I think what he meant was that the fact of the funeral passing while he was delivering his speech was a bad omen for his opponents, towards whom, or towards the actual corpse itself, he intended no disrespect."

Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882–1945), 32nd President of the United States, from 1933 to 1945

Sinclair Visit to Roosevelt Political Omen. Chicago Daily Tribune (newspaper), September 4, 1934, page 6
Excerpt, Chicago Daily Tribune, September 4, 1934, page 6

Article: "Sinclair Visit to Roosevelt Political Omen"
Chicago Daily Tribune, Arthur Sears Henning
September 4, 1934, page 6 (excerpt above)
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1934/09/04/page/6/article/sinclair-visit-to-roosevelt-political-omen
"Washington, D.C. Sept 3 — With Socialist Comrade Upton Sinclair, Democratic candidate for governor of California, journeying to Hyde Park and Washington to consort and be photographed with his newly found Democratic bedfellows, the politicians hereabout are much engaged in discussion of political realignments. . . . California, however, is not the only part of the country in which the trend of the Democratic party to socialism has been causing unrest on the part of orthodox Jeffersonians. . . To what extent these and numerous similar developments betoken definite schism in the Democratic party it is too early to tell. The November election undoubtedly will show which way the political wind is blowing."
[JAC Comment: The midterm elections of 1934 were a win for the Democrats, who picked up nine seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, the latter which gave them and Democratic President Roosevelt a supermajority. Upton Sinclair lost the California governorship election, but continued his career as a writer, winning a Pulitzer Prize in 1943. One of his earlier novels, Oil! (1927) was adapted into the Oscar-winning film There Will Be Blood in 2007 starring Daniel Day-Lewis.]

Harry S. Truman (1884–1972), 33rd President of the United States, from 1945 to 1953

Truman Sees Omen in Wins. The Milwaukee Journal (newspaper), November 9, 1949, page 2
Excerpt, The Milwaukee Journal, November 9, 1949, page 2, upper right

Article: "Truman Sees Omen in Wins"
The Milwaukee Journal (newspaper)
November 9, 1949, page 2 (excerpt above).
news.google.com  |  Update: "Why Milwaukee's Online Newspaper Archive Vanished Overnight" August 24, 2016.
"WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) — President Truman, once again the leader of a triumphant party, welcomed Tuesday's election results as an endorsement of his 'fair deal' program and an omen of Democratic victory in 1950."

Book: Harry S. Truman: A Life
Robert H. Ferrell, 2013, page 280
books.google.com
"Down to the end, when the president's victory became clear as returns filtered in during the night after the election, the omens favored Dewey. Elmo Roper quit taking samples on September 9, with the comment that only a political convulsion could prevent Dewey from winning. On election eve he said, 'I stand by my prediction. Dewey is in.' . . . The Crossley poll had 49.9 percent for Dewey, 44.8 for Truman. Gallup was about the same. Newspaper editorials favored Dewey -- 65 percent of editorial writers, 78 percent of circulation. . . . The candidate refused to give up, putting his faith in the crowds, which were getting larger."

Book: Truman Defeats Dewey
Gary A. Donaldson, 2015, page 110
books.google.com
"Newsweek reported that Isacson's victory might be an omen for what was to come in November: 'If the special election in the Bronx can be taken as a test-tube event, then it is evident that President Truman will perform a miracle if he carries New York State next November.'"

Ronald Reagan (1911–2004), 40th President of the United States, from 1981 to 1989
Article: "Phillies' Victory: A Political Omen?"
New York Times News Service via The Dispatch newspaper (Lexington, North Carolina, USA)
"Red Smith" syndicated column, page 12
October 24, 1980
news.google.com
"NEW YORK (NYT) — Since 1908 the Republicans have never elected a President in a year when the National League team won the World Series. . . . In 1980 the Phillies won, and we are awaiting the returns on Carter's race with Ronald Reagan."
[JAC comment: The Philadelphia Phillies is a National League baseball team, which, if the interpretation of the omen was to be repeated, meant that the Republican candidate would lose. But Republican Ronald Reagan won the election 11 days later on November 4, 1980, beating Democratic incumbent president Jimmy Carter in his re-election bid. This is an example of an alleged long running bad luck omen coming to an end.]

Article: "Nancy Reagan obituary"
The Guardian
March 6, 2016
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/06/nancy-reagan
"During her Hollywood days, she had dabbled in astrology. After the shooting she became almost manic about its influence and seriously disrupted a number of international and other political gatherings with arbitrary changes in the president's schedule, made after she had consulted the astrologer Joan Quigley. In part this may have been a reaction to the psychological impact of Ronald's wounds, which was much greater than admitted at the time. He, too, was deeply superstitious and relied heavily on omens and instinct.

Gerald Ford (1913–2006), 38th President of the United States, from 1974 to 1977
Article: "Good political omen"
Register-Guard (Eugene, Oregon, USA)
January 6, 1976, page 3A
news.google.com
"WASHINGTON — President Ford got a good political omen from a fortune cookie Monday. At an American Farm Bureau Federation luncheon in St. Louis, Ford opened his fortune cookie to find a message: 'You should allow some period of time to pass before making a change of address.'"
[JAC comment: Ford, as Vice-President, became President on August 9, 1974 upon the resignation of President Richard Nixon the night before. He was running for President for the first time on his own in 1976 against Jimmy Carter and lost that November. This is an example of something thought to be a good omen not being so. Of course, the fortune cookie message could have been a staged event by Ford or his supporters.]

Jimmy Carter (1924–  ), 39th President of the United States, from 1977 to 1981
Article: "Political Omen?"
The Blade newspaper (Toledo, Ohio, USA), column: "I've Heard" by Don Wolf
July 23, 1980
news.google.com
"If four-leaf clovers actually signify good luck, President Carter will be pleased to hear this. Julia Hyter, who operates a souvenir shop on Alexis Road, displayed a plate bearing the picture of Mr. Carter. Behind the plate she had a four-leaf clover plant. In time the plant grew over the Carter plate, and now the face of the President is completely covered by four-leaf clovers."
[JAC comment: Carter was running for re-election in the summer of 1980 and lost to Ronald Reagan in November. If this was an omen, it should have instead been interpreted as a bad one: Carter's face on the plate was eventually hidden by the plant growth making him gone and the four-leaf clovers were then lucky for Reagan as the soon-to-be new face on commemorative presidential dinner plates.]

Bernie Sanders (1941–  ), United States Senator; candidate for U.S. President, 2016, Democratic Party

Bernie Sanders - Birdie Sanders tweet, March 30, 2016

Article: "Good or bad omen?: A bird's message for Bernie"
March 26, 2016
http://laurakryshtar.com/2016/03/26/good-or-bad-omen-a-message-for-bernie-sanders/
"A sparrow's visit to Bernie Sanders in the middle of a rally in Portland, Oregon has become one of the most famous omens in recent political history."

Article: "As Sanders Speaks an Omen Appears"
March 27, 2016
Link to YouTube video (no article)
https://readersupportednews.org/video/4-video/35995-as-sanders-speaks-an-omen-appears

Article: "OMEN: "Birdie Sanders" pays Bernie Sanders a visit as he makes speech to crowd"
March 28, 2016
YouTube video and link to another article, with excerpt
https://crisisforums.org/discussion/43340/omen-birdie-sanders-pays-bernie-sanders-a-visit-as-he-makes-speech-to-crowd

Twitter: Bernie Sanders / Verified account
@BernieSanders
March 30, 2016 (pictured above)
https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/715355756711714816
"We've only got a few #BirdieSanders stickers left. Grab yours before they fly away: bernie.to/Sticker (Sorry, Birdie Sanders stickers sold out. You can still contribute to our campaign.)"

Article: "Bye Bye Bernie"
Huffington Post politics blog, William O'Rourke
June 16, 2016
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-o/bye-bye-bernie_1_b_10510910.html
"In the early 1960s I was a big Ann-Margret fan, first associating her with the film version of the musical Bye Bye Birdie. Before that I was a Brenda Lee fan, who came to town to star in a road show production of Bye Bye Birdie at Kansas City's Starlight Theater. . . . As large as my disappointment was in not meeting Brenda Lee, I'm sure Bernie's disappointment is even greater. Far greater. . . . No longer a callow youth, Bernie's hair, toward the end of the primaries, began to be styled Julius Caesar-like, at least the usual Hollywood version. . . . I have always thought Bernie Sanders was likable enough, though he didn't turn out to be quite the over-achiever that Donald Trump has come to be. Close, but no cigar.

Ornithomancy
Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithomancy
"Ornithomancy is the practice of reading omens from the actions of birds followed in many ancient cultures including the Greeks, and is equivalent to the augury employed by the ancient Romans."

Donald J. Trump (1946–  ), candidate for U.S. President, 2016, Republican Party
Article: "Do Our Names Shape Our Destinies? Trump’s Might."
Slate, Theodore R. Johnson
March 14, 2016
https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/03/how-trump-s-name-is-an-aptronym.html
"This phenomenon of a person’s name being a fitting description of their appearance, actions, or accomplishments is called an aptronym. . . . The word trump is defined as a playing card of a particular suit that outranks cards of another suit. And in its use as a verb, it means to outdo or surpass. There is no question that every one of this year’s Republican candidates for president has been trumped. When Trump resorts to name-calling, holds raucous rallies that draw audiences in the thousands, and employs media savvy that makes him the subject of every conversation, he is playing the trump card. It’s a feat that none of the other candidates have been able to match, and not for lack of trying. . . . Aptronyms have long been a feature of mankind’s naming conventions. The ancient Romans used the phrase nomen est omen, which means 'name is destiny' or 'your name is a sign.' . . . Of course, the aptronym hypothesis is not without its misses. After all, rubio is a Spanish word for blond or fair-haired. But Donald Trump’s strong showing in this presidential election cycle, coupled with his business and media successes, seems to be an actuation of nomen est omen."

Article: "When Trump Won On Tuesday, Lightning Struck the Trump Tower: Bad Omen?"
Ring of Fire Radio Network, Sydney Robinson
March 17, 2016
https://trofire.com/2016/03/17/trump-won-tuesday-lightning-struck-trump-tower-bad-omen/
"Illinois, being one of the states that Trump won on Tuesday night, was given a strong warning from Thor, God of thunder, which seemed to say, 'Don’t make this mistake again.'"

Article: "President Trump? A 'Simpsons' omen"
Washington Post via StarTribune newspaper (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Michael Cavna
March 27, 2016
http://www.startribune.com/president-trump-a-simpsons-omen/373581631/
"In an episode 16 years ago titled 'Bart to the Future, the show predicted a Donald Trump presidency."

Article: "Donald Trump’s face in butter; a miraculous omen? Or hypermedia political superstition?"
Tabelog
April 7, 2016
http://www.tabelog.us/articles/donald-trumps-face-in-butter-a-miraculous-omen-or-hypermedia-political-superstition
"It seemed like a scene out of any suburban household in America, but on that fateful morning on December 8th, 2015, something very unexpected happened; history was made. Far from a serene religious icon appearing before an unsuspecting onlooker, this was something more — obscure. Removing the lid off her new, unopened tub of ‘Earth Origins Organic Spread’, Jan Castellano unveiled the face of front-running Republican candidate, Donald Trump. . . . Was this some peculiar happenstance, an act of serendipity, or perhaps a more foreboding, inauspicious omen?"

Article: "Why the Colorado Convention Is a Bad Omen for Trump"
Mother Jones, Pema Levy
April 8, 2016
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/04/colorado-bad-omen-donald-trump-ted-cruz/
"Colorado's process is unusual, but it still offers a preview of the trouble that could lie ahead for Trump. If the convention in Cleveland does move beyond the first ballot, it will look a lot like the Colorado process — with the preferences of the individual delegates determining the outcome. And if the outcome in Colorado is any indication, that doesn't bode well for Trump."

Article: "Is Brexit a Good Omen for Trump?"
RealClearPolitics, Carl M. Cannon
June 26, 2016
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2016/06/26/is_brexit_a_good_omen_for_trump_131004.html
"The question now is whether the Brexit vote is a harbinger of an even bigger electoral shock to come later this year on the U.S. side of the pond."

Hillary Clinton (1947–  ), candidate for U.S. President, 2016, Democratic Party
Article: "Early omens all good for Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign"
Newsday, OpEd Opinion, Dale McFeatters, Scripps Howard News Service
April 29, 2013
https://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/early-omens-all-good-for-hillary-clinton-s-2016-campaign-dale-mcfeatters-1.5163989
"Asked, as she must be dozens of times a day, Hillary Rodham Clinton issues the usual disclaimers about running for president in 2016. Nobody believes her. The odds in her favor are too strong, even this far out."

Article: "Another Bad Omen for Hillary Clinton"
Washington Free Beacon, the Editor's Blog, Andrew Stiles
February 26, 2015
https://freebeacon.com/blog/another-bad-omen-for-hillary-clinton/
"Aging star suffers fall during bizarre Satanic ritual. Madonna, 56, took a nasty spill Wednesday while performing at the Brit Awards in London, after her cape snagged on the horn of a dancing satyr. Ouch. Some observers have pointed out that Hillary Clinton, who is 11 years older than Madonna, also suffered a fall back in 2012 that left her with a brain injury. Clinton needed six months to fully recover, according to her husband. Since then, a serious debate has raged over whether or not Hillary requires the use of an old person’s walker to get around. Madonna’s misfortune certainly raises questions about Hillary’s ability to function as a candidate in the demanding setting of a presidential campaign."

Article: "Hillary's Terrible First Week Is A Bad Omen For Democrats"
Investor's Business Daily, Editorial
April 17, 2015
https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/hillary-clinton-president-campaign-off-to-rough-start/
"Politics: Anyone hoping that Hillary Clinton learned something from her disastrous book tour must be pretty worried right about now. Her first week as a presidential candidate was little short of a train wreck."

Article: "California's Marquee Senate Race: A Good Omen for Hillary Clinton"
Huffington Post politics blog, Dave R. Jacobson
May 26, 2016
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/californias-marquee-senat_b_10156938
"But, with such an historic opportunity to elect the first woman of African American and Indian American descent or the first Latina to such a high office as California's next U.S. Senator, the simple fact of having Harris and Sanchez in such formidable positions on the ballot will surely bode well for Clinton."

Article: "Is this an omen about Hillary Clinton’s chances?"
Liberty Unyielding, Howard Portnoy, quoting Kaitlan Collins of the Daily Caller
September 1, 2015
https://libertyunyielding.com/2015/09/01/is-this-an-omen-about-hillary-clintons-chances/
"The presidential candidate had just been introduced on the lawn of designer Tory Burch’s $38 million home when the sprinkler system turned on — drenching everyone at a party whose guests included Anna Wintour, Martha Stewart, Donna Karan and Barneys owner Richard Perry."

Article: "Brexit carries warning signs for Hillary Clinton"
The Washington Times, Seth McLaughlin
June 24, 2016
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/jun/24/brexit-carries-warning-signs-hillary-clinton/
"Analysts say the grievances that helped fuel the Brexit vote have also helped given rise to Mr. Trump on the other side of the Atlantic and could carry warning signs for Hillary Clinton four months out from the 2016 presidential election. . . . The Clinton camp dismissed the idea that Britain’s abandonment of the EU could be a bad omen, telling reporters the former secretary of state is in tune with working-class Americans and understands that many of them feel as if they have not gotten a fair shake."

Ayo Fayose (1960–  ), Governor of Ekiti State in Nigeria.
Article: "APC, PDP, LP battle for Ekiti"
The Nation (Nigeria)
June 4, 2014
https://thenationonlineng.net/apc-pdp-lp-battle-ekiti-2/
"The die is cast in Ekiti State. On June 21, the governorship election will hold in 16 local government areas. . . . Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP) counterparts Mr. Ayo Fayose and Hon. Opeyemi Bamidele are campaigning vigorously to gain an upperhand. . . . The collapse of a podium in Ifaki-Ekiti while Fayose and whole legion others were campaigning has been described as a bad omen."

Barack Obama (1961–  ), 44th President of the United States, from 2009 to 2017
(The reader is advised to do an online search outside of this website, as the number of omen-related search results was too large to sort through effectively. The large number may be due to Mr. Obama being the current U.S. President as of this writing and the large expansion of the Internet during the eight years of his two terms, resulting in more online articles and social media posts about his presidency.)

About the author: James A. Conrad is co-author of "Filmmaker's Dictionary" (2000) with Emmy Award-winning producer Ralph S. Singleton and author of "The Model-Actor's Dictionary" (1988). He is also an American telekinesis researcher with full-scale laboratory research experience. For 15 years, from 1993 to 2008, he was a published member of a skeptics organization in Florida, a time during which he enjoyed the educational experience and interaction with numerous open-minded skeptics (yes, there are some).
This is a point-in-time research project up to July 4, 2016. Updates to the page are not anticipated. If any links no longer work, try the Internet Archive.
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PUBLIC DOMAIN DECLARATION: The text on this web page and page appearance were placed in the Public Domain on March 20, 2022 by the author James A. Conrad. This page will no longer be updated (by him) from this date forward. Click on the Creative Commons Public Domain icon for additional legal information. All web pages on this website with this Public Domain Declaration have been saved in the Internet Archive.
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