As I have said before, a bookies' numbers represent the perceived reality only, and as time goes on, it also represents the cumulative effect of betting that has been taking place all season, which will naturally skew any result. Even then, the odds are such that if we ran the election ten times, the bookies think Romney would win three times. The problem is that we don't run the election ten times, only once.
Nate Silver has written about this extensively on his blog. When he says, for example, that Obama has a 62% chance of carrying the state of Iowa, that means that Romney still has a 38% chance. So if you ran the Iowa election ten times, Romney would win about four of them.
Your assumptions also ignore the fact that sometimes bookies take hits on bad calls. Just like the miraculous sports game that blows through the point spread can sometimes leave the bookie exposed (though theoretically they're hedging their loss well), the same can happen in an election.
You're essentially doing nothing more than stating the "more likely than not" outcome from the bookies' perspective.
Nate Silver has written about this extensively on his blog. When he says, for example, that Obama has a 62% chance of carrying the state of Iowa, that means that Romney still has a 38% chance. So if you ran the Iowa election ten times, Romney would win about four of them.
Your assumptions also ignore the fact that sometimes bookies take hits on bad calls. Just like the miraculous sports game that blows through the point spread can sometimes leave the bookie exposed (though theoretically they're hedging their loss well), the same can happen in an election.
You're essentially doing nothing more than stating the "more likely than not" outcome from the bookies' perspective.
Political correctness is the pettiest form of casuistry.
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
ἡ δὲ κἀκ τριῶν τρυπημάτων ἐργαζομένη ἐνεκάλει τῇ φύσει, δυσφορουμένη, ὅτι δὴ μὴ καὶ τοὺς τιτθοὺς αὐτῇ εὐρύτερον ἢ νῦν εἰσι τρυπώη, ὅπως καὶ ἄλλην ἐνταῦθα μίξιν ἐπιτεχνᾶσθαι δυνατὴ εἴη. – Procopius
Ummaka qinnassa nīk!
*MySmiley*
Is the election over? NEW GALLUP - ROMNEY +6% - 51% to 45% -
17/10/2012 06:50:26 PM
- 545 Views
why do you hate america so much? *NM*
17/10/2012 06:57:23 PM
- 177 Views
That is an absurd statement no matter what your politics are.
17/10/2012 09:57:59 PM
- 349 Views
It was no less absurd all those years that the Conservatives asked that of Liberals
17/10/2012 11:17:45 PM
- 382 Views
I'm not Rush Limbaugh. I responded to moondog's specific statement. *NM*
17/10/2012 11:27:26 PM
- 161 Views
I think that we can all agree on....
17/10/2012 07:16:01 PM
- 391 Views
Agreed - even for someone that enjoys politics, it gets old after a while. *NM*
17/10/2012 09:39:33 PM
- 172 Views
Yeah the elections over all right, a slam dunk to Obama, check with the bookies
17/10/2012 07:35:14 PM
- 582 Views
You persist in this fiction
17/10/2012 10:06:07 PM
- 354 Views
obama still has the easier path to victory
17/10/2012 10:22:58 PM
- 331 Views
I wouldn't dispute that for an instant.
17/10/2012 10:25:46 PM
- 370 Views
I think Silver's model tries to account for historical turnouts
17/10/2012 10:32:24 PM
- 359 Views
Debate results won't be clear for a few days, and the average of polls is still a statistical tie.
17/10/2012 07:43:57 PM
- 383 Views
It ain't over till the fat lady sings, and all that.
17/10/2012 10:07:11 PM
- 366 Views
It is interesting how partisan faith in polls is directly proportional to their candidates numbers.
17/10/2012 11:56:49 PM
- 360 Views