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Forget the polls, go with the winning sports teams presidential predictions

November 4, 2012

Are the conflicting presidential poll numbers driving you crazy?

Forget 'em.

This is America, where athletic champions get invited to the White House to meet the president.

So I'm turning to sports for an indication as to whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney will win on Nov. 6 and spend the next four years lauding the accomplishments of U.S. athletes in special photo-op ceremonies.

Obama is a fan of the Chicago sports franchises, but since neither the White Sox nor the Cubs made it to the World Series, the prez probably was glad to see the San Francisco Giants win Major League Baseball's championship.

When the National League team wins in a presidential election year, most of the time so does the Democratic candidate. That's been the case in 11 of the last
15 elections, including each of the last three.

So sorry, American League Champion Detroit Tigers. Obama pushed through the automakers' bailout, but he no doubt was cheering for the NL Giants.

Obama got another sporting boost on Saturday night when Alabama pulled out a victory over LSU. It took a late-game drive to eke out the win. 

Given how tight this year's presidential match-up is, that game's ending is fitting.

The prez and his fans, however, don't care how close the game was. All that matters to them is the final score. And it was good for the Dems.

When Alabama beats LSU in an election year, the Democrat wins. This SEC trend has a perfect seven-for-seven record dating back to 1984.

So far, the sporting results are positive for the incumbent.

But hold on Romney fans. There's always the Redskins Rule.

For all but one of the last 17 presidential elections since 1937, a
Washington Redskins' victory just before the vote has signalled a win for the party in power.

When the NFL team representing the nation's capital lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Monday night game before the 2008 election, it was a bad omen for the GOP. And Obama did go on to a landslide victory over Republican nominee Sen. John McCain.

This Sunday, however, the 'Skins fell to the Carolina Panthers.

Was that the Romney campaign I heard cheering for the cats?

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It’s over! With October’s extended filing deadline behind us, it is now time to focus on year-end moves to reduce your 2026 tax bill. 

You’ll find ways to do just that on the Tax Tips page (see the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of the blog), as well as the separate tax tip pages for each month, notably October through December. If you’re on the Tax Tips page, you’ll find a monthly list at the end of this column. If you’re on another blog page, you can head straight to the October tips; at the bottom of that tips page you’ll find links to all the other 11 months’ collections of tax advice.

Not to spoil what you’ll find in that tax advice, but it does cover such things as tax deductions for charitable donations, investment moves that could reduce tax due, and ways to max out your tax-favored retirement savings. 

Finally, as the year winds down, things get hectic. There are lots of other things to occupy our time, like the much more fun upcoming holidays. But don’t lose sight of taxes, since timing is key. To be of use, most tax moves must be made by the end of the tax year. That’s Thursday, Dec. 31, which also is the last business day of the year. 

So that you don’t miss that final tax year deadline, also keep an eye on the countdown clock below. It will keep you on top of just how much time is left to make important, tax-saving moves. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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