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Has Powell batted in the winning runs for Obama?

Has Powell batted in the winning runs for Obama?

Click graphic to play video Bush’s former Secretary of State endorses the Senator from Illinois In a powerful appearance on Meet The Press which is well worth viewing, Colin Powell today set out the reasons why he will be casting his vote for Barack Obama, praising his steadiness, intellectual curiosity and vigour, and his depth of knowledge. He described him as a “transformational figure” of substance who had fought a campaign that was inclusive and inspirational, one that reached out…

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How does the Labour leadership market look now?

How does the Labour leadership market look now?

Is Ed now better value than David? In the light of all that’s happened over the last few extraordinary weeks, including Brown’s role in managing the economic crisis and even a Republican administration buying shares in American banks, now may be a good time to reconsider the Labour leadership market – especially as last night’s polls suggest that the party’s performance remains distinctly anaemic. The table above is courtesy of Shadsy and “The Magic Sign”, and there are one or…

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Who will fill these seats?

Who will fill these seats?

Where’s the value in the Senatorial betting markets? With most eyes on the Presidential election, and much of the value squeezed out of the White House political betting markets, it is easy to forget the glut of interesting Congressional and Gubernatorial races that offer to the political punter the opportunity to find a little extra value. House races are strange beasts, and the sheer number of races (435, of which maybe 150 are truly competitive) means that betting on individual…

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Was someone manipulating the markets?

Was someone manipulating the markets?

Was this political manoevering or simply very bad betting? One of the best sources for anyone interested in US politics, Congressional Quarterly, is running with a story that a single, unnamed punter has been responsible for the pricing anomaly on InTrade that has seen John McCain’s stock hold a higher price than on Betfair, or the Iowa Electronic Markets. Apparently, the ‘institutional’ investor purchased hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of McCain contracts, at inferior prices than were available elsewhere,…

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How will Canada look after the “credit crunch election”?

How will Canada look after the “credit crunch election”?

Click graphic for CBC results coverage Live coverage of Canada 2008 election results Welcome to live coverage on PB of the results from Canada, following PM Stephen Harper’s decision to call a snap election. Leading or elected: Conservatives 144 Liberals 74 BQ 50 NDP 38 Independent 2 Greens 0 Conservative minority government CBC Toronto Star Elections Canada Coverage via C-Span Double Carpet

Amid the turmoil, Canada heads for another hung Parliament

Amid the turmoil, Canada heads for another hung Parliament

Wikimedia Commons Jack Peterson looks at the world’s ninth-largest economy ahead of Tuesday’s election On Monday September 29, as the campaign reached its halfway point, Conservative PM Stephen Harper had reason to be satisfied with his party’s progress towards a majority government. A slew of negative advertisements had succeeded in portraying Liberal leader Stéphane Dion as a weak and indecisive figure, whose flagship Green Shift tax plan posed a threat to economic growth and national unity. As Conservative poll numbers…

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What will it take to beat Obama now?

What will it take to beat Obama now?

Which events could turn the tide this late in the game? On Thursday night, I recorded another 10-minute slot for ‘Inside City Hall’ on NY1 (the Time Warner Cable news channel for New York). To the astonishment of the host, Dominic Carter, I mentioned an InTrade market that assesses the likelihood of an Israeli or US attack on Iran. Though I don’t play this market myself (I actually find it in rather poor taste), I suggested that such a significant…

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Is everyone going to follow suit now?

Is everyone going to follow suit now?

Merkel announces private savings to be guaranteed in Germany Angela Merkel has announced today that Germany will guarantee all private savings accounts in the country. This follows the news that Hypo Real Estate, Germany’s second biggest commercial property lender, is in trouble after a 35bn euro rescue package fell through. Ireland and Greece have already taken their own action to protect savers’ deposits, moves that had received criticism from within the EU – including Merkel herself and the French Finance…

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