Today's starter topic: Rick Perry. He's continuing to generate buzz in the context of the 2012 Republican presidential primaries and now for the first time, the Texas governor is favored by bettors on the oddsmaking site Intrade to actually get the nomination:
Texas Gov. Rick Perry may not have formally declared his presidential candidacy yet, but bettors on the news-futures website Intrade already are giving him the same chance of becoming the 2012 Republican nominee as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumed front-runner.
Mr. Perry’s nomination odds reached a high of 33 percent Thursday morning, eclipsing Mr. Romney for the first time. Mr. Romney, trading at 32 percent, had been Intrade’s 2012 favorite since betting on the GOP nomination began in 2008 and had even consolidated his front-runner status in recent months as his opponents stumbled and other would-be challengers opted not to run.
But the reportedly imminent entry of Mr. Perry, a popular politician in his third term in office, has altered the equation for those seeking to profit from their ability to predict the race’s outcome.
Mr. Perry’s surge seems to have come primarily at the expense of Rep. Michele Bachmann, Minnesota Republican, who is another tea party favorite. Mrs. Bachmann’s odds have dropped from highs of 22 percent a few days ago to slightly less than 10 percent after a report by the Daily Caller revealed that she suffered from debilitating migraines.
Will Perry run or is all this talk of him entering the race so much nonsense? Share your thoughts and comments on this thread.
