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Heading into election day, President Obama and Mitt Romney are nearly deadlocked in the polls, yet both sides appear confident — too confident — that victory is at hand. Obama has a slim
lead in several key swing states, so political analysts say he has a better chance of piling up the 270 votes needed to win in the Electoral College. Meanwhile, Mitt Romney still has plenty
of viable paths to the White House. Luckily, several prognostication systems that enthusiasts consider more effective than polling have reached emphatic conclusions. Here, four
not-quite-airtight omens: 1. THE REDSKINS LOST, SO ROMNEY WINS "It's called the Redskins Rule," says John Lauinger at the New York _Daily News_. If the Washington, D.C.,
professional football team wins its final home game before the election, the incumbent party holds onto the White House. The rule has held true in 17 of the 18 election-year seasons since
the team moved to the nation's capital in 1940. That's bad news for President Obama, since the 'Skins lost, at home, to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, 21-13. "If Mitt
Romney defeats President Obama, he should send every member of the Carolina Panthers a thank-you card." SUBSCRIBE TO THE WEEK Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news,
plus analysis from multiple perspectives. SUBSCRIBE & SAVE SIGN UP FOR THE WEEK'S FREE NEWSLETTERS From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of
The Week delivered directly to your inbox. From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox. 2. IN THE ANCESTRAL
KENYAN VILLAGE OF OBAMA'S FATHER, THE PRESIDENT GETS POSITIVE SIGNS Pollsters use "interviews, statistical analysis, and technology to predict the outcome of the election,"
say Joe Mwihia and Ben Curtis at _The Associated Press_. In Kogela, Kenya — the ancestral village of Obama's father, Barack Obama Sr. — a 105-year-old traditional healer named John Dimo
has other methods of foretelling the future. After tossing shells, bones, and other items, Dimo says Tuesday's result isn't in doubt. "Obama is very far ahead," he says,
pointing to a white shell, "and is definitely going to win." 3. THE "FLIP RULE" SAYS OBAMA LOSES One time-tested omen is creating a dark cloud over Obama's
re-election bid. Let's call it the "Flip Rule," says blogger QSClues at _RedState_. "No incumbent has ever won a second term without winning a state that he did not win
in his first election." George W. Bush, for example, flipped New Mexico and Iowa, carrying them in 2004 although he lost them in 2000. In 1984, Ronald Reagan won five of the six states
that he lost in 1980. By this metric, things aren't looking good for Obama. "Frankly, he's not even competitive in any state McCain won." The competing argument: The
president had such a big cushion in 2008 that, even if he merely holds onto most of the states he carried four years ago, he can win. A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the
day – and the best features from TheWeek.com 4. DICK MORRIS PREDICTS A ROMNEY LANDSLIDE, SO OBAMA WINS Obama fans who fear defeat should cheer up, says David Neiwart at _Crooks and Liars_.
Fox News-contributing, nonsense-spewing hack Dick Morris is predicting that Romney will win in a _landslide!_ "Anything he predicts [turns out] to be not just wrong, but laughably,
head-shakingly so, whether it's his advice on handling the democracy uprising in Egypt, his prediction of impeachment hearings for Obama, his claims Obamacare would bring about
'euthanasia,' or whether Bill Clinton should have negotiated the release of two hostages in North Korea." The man is "the perfect reverse barometer." If he's
predicting Obama is in for a drubbing, it's time for the president to put some champagne on ice. Read more political coverage at _The Week_'s 2012 Election Center.