Final table of presidential poker

October 26, 5:30 PMElections 2010 ExaminerTony Campbell

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Elections 2010 Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

The tournament that started with almost twenty players has wound down to three people with significant chips in play at the final table: John McCain holding A-J, Sarah Palin holding 10-10 and Barack Obama holding K-K. Why do I mention Palin when she is not on the top of the ticket? I mention her because she has more to gain or lose over the next ten days than John McCain.

Senator McCain has run his last campaign for the Presidency. After November 4th, McCain will go back to his office on Capitol Hill and try to regain his credibility. The sad thing is that it is not even his fault. Any Republican, even Sarah Palin, was going to lose in 2008. It is George W. Bush, not McCain, that is to blame for the electoral mess the Republican Party finds itself for the next 8 years.

However, there is talk that Governor Palin may be setting herself as early favorite for the 2012 nomination. Palin’s pocket tens is a good hand. I don’t see how it would help Palin’s political future by backing off from attacking Barack Obama. McCain can afford to wear a non-partisan face while going down with the ship. Palin can use this opportunity to bluff her way into the hearts and wallets of the Republican base early in 2009 as the voice of the Conservative opposition. If she continues to be in the public eye, she will be fully insulated from attacks in 2012.

For Senator Obama, the next ten days is going to be an experiment of aggressive patience. He holds the best hand but has to keep the pressure on his opponents while not being seen as a bully. Folding is not an option, but if you know your opponents will probably go all in, it is still a difficult call.

It is time for the heads up moment of this two year tournament. High Stakes, Inflated Egos, the Fate of the United States is on the table and everyone is finally watching…WSOP (World Series of Poker) eat your heart out.