knapplc wrote:This is going way too far, I'd say:Irish bookmaker pays out early on Obama victory
DUBLIN (Reuters) – Ireland's biggest bookmaker Paddy Power said Thursday it would pay out early more than 1 million euros (782,776 pounds) on bets that Barack Obama will be the next U.S. president, three weeks ahead of the election.
The Dublin-based bookmaker said it made the "unprecedented decision" to pay on bets taken so far, following Wednesday's final campaign debate between Obama and his Republican rival John McCain, which polls judged the Democrat to have won.
"We declare this race well and truly over and congratulate all those who backed Obama," Power said.
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I wouldn't count McCain out of this yet, not by a long shot. There's 3+ weeks of tomfoolery left. Obama hasn't wrapped anything up at all.
That is odd. I think McCain is toast, but I certainly wouldn't pony up that kind of cash earlier than I had to. Do they have to pay off standing bets in order to stop taking wagers or something? Weird. Anyway, turns out, Joe the Plumber is also related to the Keatings, and was a registered Republican, not an undecided independent, or whatever it was he told Obama the other day. At this point, I don't think he was a plant either, at least not by anyone with the actual campaign, but it's certainly looking like he had an ulterior motive.