Barack Obama Favored In 2012 Presidential Betting Odds

Barack Obama has had his hands full this past year, but it could have been a lot worse. With the current in-party fighting going by the GOP, Obama hasn’t felt the heat of a singular competitor from the Presidency.

Sure, Mitt Romney has been labeled the favorite all along on Bovada’s Political Prop Betting Page. But until now, Romney has been forced to devote some of his time towards Rick Santorum, the former Pennsylvanian Senator, who has somehow stuck around in the primaries.

That’s not a problem anymore after Santorum dropped out of the Republican race, paving the way for Romney’s imminent nomination. And now, Romney’s propaganda campaign will be aimed solely on Obama for the next seven months, paving way for one of the messiest race we’ve seen in a while.

Obama, still a favorite to retain the presidency at -210 according to Bovada, is spending a lot of his time prepping for the attacks by Romney.

This week, he addressed his take on “The Buffett” tax rule, pushing for it to be called “The Reagan Rule”. The general idea is that America’s wealthier should be called to pay more taxes than the working-class. It’s a liberal though in general, but something Obama says even the most iconic Republican president pushed for.

Romney, a poster child for big business, will probably use this for fuel, giving his strong business ties. This is a small point but one that will linger into larger ones as the fall approaches. The working class will be the focal point of the presidential race. Romney is considered an elitist and Obama a radical liberal.

“It’s clear that, one-on-one, [Romney’s] not going to be able to relate to them,” Clemson political science professor David Woodard told US News. “Even when he takes off his coat and he’s in his shirt, he looks too pristine compared to what the working class guys wear.”
The republican candidate has +170 odds to win the presidency, according to Bovada.

Obama also struggled with the working class during the 2008 campaign, and will have a harder time proving that his policies aren’t to blame for high gas and food prices.

“He doesn’t have to be sympathetic, but learn how to be empathetic,” Gerald Shuster, communications professor at Pittsburgh also told US News. “Like, I may be wealthy but that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why you feel the way you feel. And that’s the difference.”