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An Eastern Washington University professor, Grant Smith, has an interesting slant on the outcome of presidential races, according to a Seattle Times article by Nicholas Geranios. Smith, a nationally known specialist in onomastics, the study of names, predicts future presidents by looking at the “music” of their names, saying voters prefer comfortable-sounding names.

Smith looks at “twenty variables, awarding points based on sounds and rhythm,” with “singsong” names that alternate strong and soft sounds — Reagan, Truman, Clinton and Lincoln are the favorites.

Obama ranks ahead of McCain, but behind Clinton on Smith’s scale. However, Clinton relied more on her first name, “Hillary,” which weakened the appeal of her surname.

The candidate with the stronger name according to Smith’s system has won 84 percent of presidential races, and when Bush beat Kerry’s nicer-sounding name in 2004, it was the first time that had happened since Roosevelt defeated Landon in 1936.

Smith said his theory rated Romney and Huckabee higher than McCain, “but they split so much of the soothing-name vote that McCain was able to prevail.”

Then there’s the “Johnny Cash theory” raised in a New York Times article by Marion Tierney, who said Cash’s 1969 song “A Boy Named Sue” “proposed a paradigm shift in the field of developmental psychology.”

Tierney wrote, “(S)tudies have shown that children with odd names got worse grades and were less popular in elementary school. In college, they were more likely to flunk out or become ‘psychoneurotic.’”

Tierney also noted, “Prospective bosses spurned their resumes. They were over-represented among emotionally disturbed children and psychiatric patients.”

Tierney cited some doozies from the 2008 book “Bad Baby Names” by Michael Sherrod, which includes authenticated monikers like Emma Royd, Rasp Berry, Mary Mee and others named Ogre Ghoul, Lucifer and Wrath. “I can’t tell you how often I’ve heard guys who wanted their kid to be able to say truthfully, ‘Danger is my middle name’ But their wives absolutely refused,” she wrote.

Speaking of which, the name Sean Connery has always had a powerful affect on my wife. Clare will even watch the James Bond film series from the library, despite her strong antipathy against action films, so long as they feature Connery.

For my part, I’m already involved in Donaldism, a Scandinavian concept based on the fan culture surrounding Donald Duck and Disney comics in general. Those comics were created by Carl Barks, a self-taught genius, from the 1940s through the ’60s.

Barks combined whimsy with authentic settings and details as well as gentle humor that appeals to adults and kids. His 50-year-old books still sell in the millions every month in Northern Europe, where the people are absolutely ape over Barks’ ducks. They’re pretty popular in the U.S., too. In fact, Barks is the most popular author in our public library.

I have a pretty good collection of duck comics, and while Clare likes an occasional Uncle Scrooge story, Barks is no Connery in her eyes. At least we can both admire the Connery flick, “Name of the Rose,” a more literary movie based on the Umberto Eco novel about odd doings in a murder in medieval monastic library.

Most libraries back then had confusing floor plans designed to make locating specific books difficult, since monastic authorities wanted a tight grip on the information their books contained.

Some interesting movies are coming to Noel Wien Library’s International and Award Winning Film series. A subscription to the series allows us to have one public performance of each film, and they’ll be shown in the library auditorium every Thursday at 7 p.m. from Oct. 16-Nov. 6. These flicks are intended for adult audiences, and another series is being planned later with family-oriented films.

It’s part of the new library programming being developed as part of the “100 Years of Public Libraries in the Interior” celebration that will culminate with the 100th anniversary of the opening of the first public library in Fairbanks, which was paid for by a Philadelphia philanthropist: George C. Thomas.

The library named for Thomas opened Aug. 9, 1909, and if that old log building on First and Cowles could speak, it’d undoubtedly agree with Sean Connery, who said, “I’m incredibly lucky to still be around.”

Greg Hill is director of Fairbanks North Star Borough libraries.