LANDOVER, Md. -- When the Steelers played the Washington Redskins on Monday night, Pittsburgh's one-game lead in the AFC North Division wasn't the most important thing at stake.

Before Monday, the result of the Redskins' final home game before Election Day had accurately predicted the winner in 17 of the past 18 presidential elections.

But now, that number is 18 of 19, because the Steelers beat the Redskins at FedEx Field and Sen. Barack Obama defeated Sen. John McCain on Tuesday night.

Here's how the tradition works: If the Redskins win, the incumbent political party stays in the White House, but if they lose, the incumbent party is voted out.

The streak began in 1936 -- back when the Redskins were still playing in Boston -- and continued every four years until 2004, when President George W. Bush defeated John Kerry to win a second term after the Skins had lost at home two days earlier.

So, the Redskins tradition boasts a 94 percent accuracy rate -- which means the Republican McCain was most likely rooting for Washington, even though he's a self-professed fan of the black and gold.

On the other hand, the Steelers' victory was welcome news for the Democrat Obama -- not to mention Pittsburgh football lovers.

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