The 2024 presidential election is shaping up to be one of the most consequential perhaps in the history of U.S. elections.
Never before has so much been at stake: a socialist takeover of the economy, border security, skyrocketing inflation, deterioration of the middle class, refugee crisis, military in shambles, medical authoritarianism — and the list goes on.
And we thought 2016 was intense!
However, cheating aside, Democrats really don’t have a shot defeating Donald Trump and the highly influential Republican Party at this point. If anything, Republican candidates could simply point to their opponent and say, “Hey, at least I’m not that guy!” That’s how poor the Democrat candidates are this election cycle.
As tradition goes, bookmakers are hedging their bets for 2024 hoping to make a quick buck off the winner — but there’s more to it than that.
These gamblers often have their finger on the pulse of America’s feelings about a certain candidate and they often correctly chose the winner of any given candidate they back. Now 2020 aside (we know what happened there), bookmakers put big money on Donald Trump only to be sorely disappointed.
Former President Donald Trump is the favorite to win the 2024 election according to two leading bookmakers, the first time this has happened since before the November presidential election last year.
BetOnline, which is headquartered in Panama, offers 11-4 odds on Trump capturing the presidency in 2024, with Joe Biden in second at 13-4, followed by Vice President Kamala Harris at 5-1.
Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is next with odds of 10-1, followed by Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg at 16-1, former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley at 18-1, and former Vice President Mike Pence at 20-1.
Immediately after Trump lost the November presidential election, BetOnline offered odds of 33-1 on him winning in 2024. Those odds changed to 12-1 in January this year.
Biden’s approval rating is in freefall, and it looks less likely than ever that he will be able to get his agenda through Congress. A defeat at the midterms (70% likely) would further tie his hands and likely make for a very uncomfortable couple of years after 2022. Running again, aged 81, may make little sense.”
Harris, meanwhile, isn’t cutting through as VP or a viable alternative. Thus the Democrats look set to have a weak hand in 2024.
On the other hand, one bookmaker pointed out, “while Trump may well still be indicted, the longer authorities wait, the more it will appear politically motivated and the more likely to get tied up in legal delays.”
He added that “it isn’t clear that the Jan. 6 Commission will deliver either. The effect may ‘detoxify’ Trump and the issue itself.”
The BetOnline political oddsmaker also pointed out that, among Republicans, no serious challenge is emerging to Trump. Liz Cheney looks likely to lose in Wyoming, and therefore deter others from taking him on.
Online bet setter Betfred has also placed Trump with the winning odds for the first time since before the November election, as he is now a 4-1 favorite to win in 2024, with Biden at only 9-2.
With these odds, let’s just say we hope these bookmakers make a boatload of cash!
Author: Sebastian Hayworth