It does not say that. it says that if you take the model and apply it retroactively it works. It's oh so obviously a correlative analysis of the variables they found to be significant. It's hindsight and not predictive.The state-by-state economic data used in their model have been available since 1980. When these data were applied retroactively to each election year, the model correctly classifies all presidential election winners, including the two years when independent candidates ran strongly: 1980 and 1992. It also correctly estimates the outcome in 2000, when Al Gore won the popular vote but George W. Bush won the election through the Electoral College.

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