Ex-presidents mentioned by candidates 109 times in presidential debates, Reagan tops the list

OPINION:

When in doubt, talk about Ronald Reagan.

“Ex-presidents loom large in the 2016 presidential debates,” says Eric Ostermeier, a University of Minnesota political professor who is keeping a tally of White House icons. “Fourteen ex-presidents have been mentioned 109 times collectively this debate season with two former commanders in chief accounting for more than two-thirds of them. Any guesses?”

Reagan was the winner, mentioned 45 times, with George W. Bush in second place with 30 citations, some not always in a positive light. Bill Clinton was in third place with 13 mentions, followed by George H.W. Bush (6), John Kennedy (3), John Adams (3), Abraham Lincoln (2) and with one mention each: Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Andrew Jackson, John Q. Adams, James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington.

So far, Republican hopefuls have invoked an ex-president 98 times, Democrats have done the same 11 times.

“There are no guarantees Presidents Chester Arthur, William Henry Harrison or Warren Harding will get shout-outs this debate season,” Mr. Ostermeier notes in his research.

“But with over 100 references to ex-presidents thus far and with at least nine more Republican debates scheduled and five more on the Democratic side, look forward to dozens more references to the familiar names mentioned above, as well the likes of Franklin and Teddy Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Dwight Eisenhower,” the professor says.