I used to gamble on football, but lost too often.
I’d bet with my heart and not my head. I never could bring myself to bet against England or Chelsea.
But politics, especially US politics, is another matter. I love the US presidential elections. From this side of the Atlantic, distant from the fight, I can make dispassionate bets. For the second presidential election running I amused myself by trading on the Intrade political futures markets.
You trade contracts with other members of the exchange. If a candidate wins the contract is worth $10 if he/ she lose it is worth nothing. You do not have to hold a contract till the end, so you can change positions whenever you want.
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Posted in: Breathing In
Barack Obama is President elect.
This is a truly historic moment for the US and the world. I have avoided any analysis on TV or on-line. I want to get my own thoughts in order first. This could be one of the most important election results in my lifetime.
I stayed up until 02:30 this morning watching the results come in. I went to bed shortly after Pennsylvania was called for Obama, then a senior Republican strategist all but conceded, so I figured it was all over.
I have been a fan of Obama since I saw an early appearance of his on The Daily Show. A charismatic, able young African American, but what impressed me most was that he sounded reasonable. Missing were the straw man arguments, the false choices, the mysticism and the bullying.
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Posted in: Soap Box
