I found this excerpt of an article while I randomly surfed, researching the election and trying to grasp some of the facts.  I have said in a previous post that I was unsure as to whom I was voting for but leaning more towards Obama.  One of my concerns, as I have found many others worry as well, is something happening to John McCain while he were in office (after all, he is 72 years old) and Ms. Palin being sworn in as President of the United States.  Some say that it is not likely that that would happen. So my question is, how likely is it?  What are the odds of that happening?  Well, the question has been asked, and this is what I have found.  Apparently there are some statisticians out there concerned with the very idea.  This is an excerpt of the article that I found:

To put the question into a more helpful context, let’s look at everyday events that have about the same odds as soon swearing in President Palin:

-Kobe Bryant hitting two consecutive three-point attempts.

-On your next try, pulling a red M&M out of the bag.

-A rainy day in El Paso or San Diego. (A first-term President Palin would be twice as likely as a rainy day in Los Angeles.)

-That you will be delayed on two consecutive flights into Newark Airport.

-Escaping jail in Monopoly by rolling a double.

-That your birthday falls on a Wednesday.

-That, during a full inning of a Major League Baseball game, one of the teams hits a home run.

-That a hurricane hits Louisiana in any given year.

-That a flipped coin comes up heads three times in a row.

-That the next car you see will be black. A first term presidential funeral is more likely than the next car you see being blue, red, green or brown; it is only less likely than the next one being silver or white.

-That any three consecutive traffic lights you hit will all be red.

Speaking of red, if the country does go that way again, a first term Alaskan President is more probable than you are of catching the flu next winter or sharing a Zodiac sign with a stranger. It is also:

-Three times more likely than being dealt a 21 in Blackjack.

-Four times as likely as the next car you see being a convertible.

-Five times as likely as a woman having twins.

-Seven times more likely than meeting someone with green eyes.

-Eight times more likely than being waited on by a redhead.

Lastly, one unlikely-but-common analogy is particularly arresting. If the Republicans win, the odds of a first term President Palin would be about three times greater than the odds of a middle-aged man being left handed (the trait recedes in the population with age). Both candidates are.

Bob Rice

Bob Rice is the author of Three Moves Ahead: What Chess Can Teach You About Business, and the former C.E.O. of a tech start-up. He now runs merchant bank Tangent Capital, which he founded in 2005.

So, what do you think?  Are we ready for Sarah Palin to be President of the United States of America?