Politics / Ari Last / 30 October 2008 / Leave a comment

There is under a week to go until The U.S. Presidential Election and with his odds of victory as long as [8.2] on Betfair, John McCain is currently far behind with time fast running out...

The conventional methods of campaigning seem to have left the Republicans some way short of the White House, and it's therefore time to have a look at what radical occurrences are now needed to swing the vote their way.

A Terrorist Attack:

An attack on US soil would spread fear amongst US citizens and allow the experienced "war hero" John McCain to capitalize on the widespread panic bound to be present amongst voters. Obama is certainly seen as a milder, more diplomatic character and his greater tolerance for dialogue with America's "enemies" and his lack of experience on the battle field would count against him if national security were to come under threat.

Perhaps we've been watching too much 24, but should something, heaven forbid, happen between now and Tuesday, conspiracy theories involving Republican die hards desperate to save the country from Democratic rule would be prevalent in the minds of most.

It emerges that Ahmadinejad and Obama are old friends:

His lead according to the Betfair markets looks unassailable, yet it may well be whittled away if some old photos of a young Barack Obama sipping tea and playing chess with Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad suddenly surfaced.

Granted chances of this happening are slim but in all seriousness Obama's relationship with the controversial Pastor Jeremiah Wright could have been more damaging if it wasn't so expertly swept under the carpet, and another incident such as this could prove more fatal to his election hopes.

Bush finds Osama Bin Laden:

Timing has never been the current President's forte yet if he could get his hands on Osama Bin Laden between now and Tuesday, his old Republican pal would be much obliged. The Republicans' running of the country over the last eight years will be remembered has disastrous on the foreign affairs front and downright catastrophic in terms of the economy.
It would take the capturing of the world's most wanted man days before the election to restore some pride and belief in a Party deemed by many to have drastically let the county down.

Hollywood changes its mind:

The widespread support for Obama amongst those political analysts otherwise known as Hollywood actors has certainly hindered the Republican cause. Should Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt start sporting matching jewel encrusted John McCain tracksuits over the next few days, American voters may begin to change their minds.

Extreme weather conditions:

A snowstorm on election day could prevent hundreds of thousands getting out to vote. Obama is certainly relying on multitudes of the usually political ambivalent, who intend to vote for him based on the fact that in the United States, particularly amongst the young, it is undoubtedly a fashionable thing to do. How many of these voters would risk frostbite to cast their ballot?

The economy recovers:

A full recovery in three working days may be a bit much to ask, but a stock and housing market surge could dispel the depression engulfing much of America, and dilute the Democrats' most deadly campaign weapon which has been Obama's superior grasp of the economic crisis.