Presidential Market 2004

January 28, 2004 6:59 AM

Presidential Market 2004 is an online game in which players buy and sell "shares" of the major 2004 presidential candidates.If you finish on Election Day with one of the two highest-valued portfolios — by executing savvy trades throughout the primaries and general election campaign — you'll win a trip to the inauguration next January.
posted by Brilliantcrank (5 comments total)

I would really love a free trip to Inaguration Day, but unfortunately this game looks like it suffers from the probem all of these stock-and-sports-based games suffer: you're screwed if you don't get in on the first day.

The site opened two weeks ago, and when you sign up, you get $2,500 in play money. Right now a share of John Kerry is going for $980 and the top players have portfolios worth over $250,000... so I just started and can buy 2 shares of what others have hundreds of. Not exactly a competition there.

Yeah, that's how the market works, but the difference is that this "market" has nine stocks and there won't be any new stocks entering the market. Basically, whoever bought $2500 worth of whoever wins in Novermber is getting the plane ticket.

Nevertheless, the site's kinda fun, I think it would be great if they added graphs and things metering the "success" of candidates.
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 8:49 AM on January 28, 2004

t would be great if they added graphs and things metering the "success" of candidates

You seek the Iowa Electronic Markets. They have markets for a variety of Bush-Vs-Foo races and for the Democratic free for all. There are graphs here for Bush-Vs and Democratic nomination.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 9:11 AM on January 28, 2004

I can't imagine anything I'd rather do less.
posted by internook at 10:22 AM on January 28, 2004

Woo hoo, I can win a trip to all of a block away! Is there any chance I can win a trip to be anywhere other than here on inauguration day?
posted by Pollomacho at 12:32 PM on January 28, 2004

Yeah, Washington DC in January... a lovely place to be, I'm sure.
posted by kindall at 1:29 PM on January 28, 2004