John McCain Veepstakes: More Than 56 Percent Favor Mitt Romney
While rumors continue to swirl that Republican US Presidential nominee, John McCain, will select former Secretary of State Colin Powell as his running mate, a survey conducted on AOL.com showed that well over half of Americans would like to see Mitt Romney be chosen as his running mate.
129,026 people had taken part in the poll. "Other" (and it can be assumed that Colin Powell would be considered within this category since he is not named directly) received 19 percent of the vote. Joe Lieberman 15 percent. Tom Ridge 7 percent and Tim Aplenty a mere 3 percent.
Some insiders are pressing McCain to make a strategic selection, one that beefs up his economic strength, enhances his chance to grab a state or amps up the partisan firepower, following Democratic candidate, Barack Obama‘s, selection of Delaware Senator, Joe Biden.
"McCain knows Biden well. He knows how good he is as a knife fighter. He'll take McCain apart," said one Republican operative.
Romney is seen as one of the most experienced political figures in handling the troubled economy.
A Politico.com, however, points out an ironic twist.
A McCain gaffe over how many homes he owns - he told Politico he didn't know the exact number - would take on new life if multimillionaire Romney became his running mate, the popular political website suggests.
Democrats already have calculated that the two men own a dozen homes between them, valued at a total of about $35 million.
That message could hurt McCain in two ways: It undercuts his argument that Obama is an out-of-touch elitist and would make Romney a poor match to Biden's middle-class upbringing and common-man appeal on the stump.
Meanwhile, Barack Obama's chances of becoming the next US President continued to slip away on Wednesday, down another quarter of a line to -175 at BetUS.com. On average, Obama was listed closer to -300 odds heading into August (-275).
For gamblers believing Obama will win, the reduced odds mean less of a risk. One would need to bet $17.50 to win $10.00 today on Obama (the $17.50 bet is also returned if he were to win the election).
John McCain's value for gamblers, meanwhile, is eroding. The payout on Tuesday would be $135 for every $100 bet, down from just over $200 prior to August.
Heavier gambling action was more likely following the Republican convention and - more specifically - John McCain's selection for VP.
The 2004 US Presidential election remains the single most bet on nonsporting event ever. Millions of dollars will be bet on Election Day alone, making November 4 one of the year's biggest days in terms of single day betting action along with the Super Bowl, Kentucky Derby and Academy Awards, according to Gambling911.com.
US-facing online gambling websites tend to be tight-lipped about their handle following passage of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act in October 2006.
Despite John McCain's assurance that prohibition of Internet gambling is not among his priorities, the gambling community has taken much of their wrath out on the Republican party. On Wednesday, it was announced that the GOP platform will include an amendment related to prohibition of online gambling.
The powerful million plus member Poker Players Alliance - many of whom proclaim to be steadfast Republicans - demanded the party to remove the issue of Internet gambling prohibition from its platform. On Tuesday, it appeared as if they had been successful. Following reports that the provision had been stripped, the GOP reinstituted the language condemning Internet gambling as part of a platform amendment later that day.
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Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
