It’s our opinion here that the radio talks to us, commenting on our lives in ways that eventually seem to have been cosmically ordained. It happens on election days, too. Here’s a trip back to the first Tuesday after the first Monday in some selected years, featuring a few song titles from the Election Day Hot 100 that could have been headlines for the eventual result. (The year 2004 is missing because I haven’t got the Hot 100 for that week. If you don’t like that, get your own blog.)

2000:
Outcome: W “defeats” Gore
Potential headlines from the charts:
“Bent”/Matchbox Twenty (#20)
“He Wasn’t Man Enough”/Toni Braxton (#33)
“Kiss This”/Aaron Tippin (#51)
“It Wasn’t Me”/Shaggy (#57)

1996:
Outcome: Clinton reelected over Dole
Potential headlines:
“I Love You Always Forever”/Donna Lewis (#4)
“If It Makes You Happy”/Sheryl Crow (#12)
“If Your Girl Only Knew”/Aaliyah (#17)

1992:
Outcome: Clinton defeats Daddy Bush
Potential headlines:
“End of the Road”/Boyz II Men (#1)
“Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad”/Def Leppard (#12)
“How About That”/Bad Company (#40)

1988:
Outcome: Daddy Bush defeats Dukakis
Potential headlines:
“Bad Medicine”/Bon Jovi (#5)
“Finish What Ya Started”/Van Halen (#35)
“It’s Money That Matters”/Randy Newman (#85)

1984:
Outcome: Reagan reelected over Mondale
Potential headlines:
“Hard Habit to Break”/Chicago (#4)
“Out of Touch”/Hall & Oates (#13)
“Hello Again”/Cars (#46)
“Say Hello to Ronnie”/Janey Street (#93)

1980:
Outcome: Reagan defeats Carter
Potential headlines:
“Never Be the Same”/Christopher Cross (#31)
“I Could Be Good for You”/707 (#58)
“Bomb Iran”/Vince Vance & the Valiants (#101)

1976:
Outcome: Carter defeats Ford
Potential headlines:
“I Only Want to Be With You”/Bay City Rollers (#12)
“It’s a Long Way There”/Little River Band (#43)
“Do What You Want, Be What You Are”/Hall & Oates (#75)

1972:
Outcome: Nixon reelected over McGovern
Potential headlines:
“I’ll Be Around”/Spinners (#7)
“Everybody Plays the Fool”/Main Ingredient (#16)
“Starting All Over Again”/Mel & Tim (#19)
“Don’t Do It”/The Band (#34)

1968:
Outcome: Nixon defeats Humphrey
Potential headlines:
“Sweet Blindness”/Fifth Dimension (#21)
“Shape of Things to Come”/Max Frost & the Troopers (#22)
“Break Your Promise”/Delfonics (#45)

What about 2008? I think it’s safe to say that “Can’t Believe It” by T-Pain and Lil Wayne (#10) will work no matter how the presidential election comes out.

If you can vote early today, do it. If you can’t, stand in line as long as it takes and vote tomorrow. Your time will be a small price to pay for the good it can do.

“Shape of Things to Come”/Max Frost & the Troopers (out of print)