Will his popularity never be as high as this?

So we are here, January the twentieth 2009 when the 44th President of the United State will be sworn in at noon Washington time (5pm GMT)

As we have seen in the media build-up this is much more than an American occasion for the eyes and hopes of the world will be on the US capital today and there will be overwhelming goodwill towards the new man. It helps that he is replacing George W. Bush.

And if his speech is anything like others we have heard then we can expect extracts to be repeated time and time again in the coming days and even years.

And on the betting markets we can expect a lot of interest in the President 2012 market where Obama, even this far out, is odds on to do it again in four years time. My guess is that those prices will tighten in the next day or two which could present an interesting opportunity.

For surely as the reality of governing, of trying to solve America’s massive problems, starts to be the focus then the gloss of January 20th 2009 will wear off a bit and his price on doing it again next time will move out.

So I’m taking an inauguration day gamble – betting against Barack Obama on the betting exchanges where if you have predicted the way prices will move you can get your money back and still leave a risk-free bet in play.

I’ll be watching to see how the markets react and at an opportune moment will, as it is termed, LAY OBAMA. This means that I’ll be acting as a bookmaker taking bets from those on the exchanges who want to BACK him. Then as problems kick in, for they surely will in the coming four years, questions will start to rise over whether he can do it again, his price should ease, and I will back him thus closing my bet down.

All this is one of the joys of betting exchange gambling.

Other Obama bets are here.