Betting on democracy

This Tuesday is huge. It is a day that marks an annual tradition deeply rooted in history. It is a day you have likely been anticipating for a long time. Tomorrow is Día de los Muertos, also known as the Day of the Dead.\nI feel like there's something else going on tomorrow too, but I can't quite put my finger on it.\nOh yes, the elections are tomorrow. Election Day is a day where everyone makes altars covered in flowers, pictures, food and candy skeletons to honor and celebrate loved ones who have passed. Wait -- my bad. I'm still stuck on the Day of the Dead. \nLet me get back on track. Elections, elections ... oh I remember now. Election Day is a day where we exercise a sacred right to vote. It is a day where we can say, "I may only be one person, but I have a say in my country's government." It is a day where the silver bell of democracy rings true with the voice of the people. In short, it's suffrage-tastic.\nAmericans get to vote for lots of stuff. However, our founding fathers are probably turning over in their graves because in the eyes of America, one elected office has become more important than all the rest. All that anyone seems to care about on Election Day is which rich white guy gets to sit in the oval office.\nAll of the other elected officials can go cry in the corner because tomorrow night Americans will be glued to the television set, waiting to find out who the big commander in chief will be. The rest they can read about in the paper the next morning.\nThe president is the one who gets all the attention. Everyone is trying to predict where the presidential chips will fall.\nPolitical analysts have put themselves among the ranks of Nostradamus and Miss Cleo saying that this election is going to be a close one.\nI think we can all agree that it will be interesting to see which presidential candidate wins this year's elections. But have you ever considered making it a little more interesting? \nYou know what I'm talking about. Pink Floyd, among others, wrote a song about it. Money. Who wants to make a little bet?\nMany people feel that the future of our country and their own personal futures are at stake in this election. What if money were at stake as well? What if you could gain overnight wealth in the presidential election lottery?\nMSNBC reported that millions of dollars are being wagered on the U.S. elections this year via gambling Web sites. Experts speculate that the odds on the sites offer a more accurate prediction of election outcomes than public opinion polls.\nWhy? Because giving an earnest political opinion -- eh, not so important. But money? Way important.\nEconomists say that voters don't have any incentive to tell the truth about their intended vote in the polls, but when they're betting away the benjamins they'll likely try to make informed choices based on the best information they can get.\nExploiting the democratic process, a freedom that people have died for, may seem unwholesome, but it only makes sense. It's the American way. I would be shocked if people weren't betting on this election. Gaining prosperity is the embodiment of the American dream. Not placing a wager on democracy would be downright un-American.\nNow the next step is to find a way we can profit from the Day of the Dead. In the meantime, I'll put five bucks on Kerry, who's in?