Gallery: 8 Highly Unscientific Ways of Predicting the Next President
01busken-cookie-poll
*Busken Bakery's "cookie poll" predicts which candidate will win the White House based on purchases of baked goods in Ohio.* Screengrab: Wired
027-election-2
7-Eleven's 7-Election --------------------- The [7-Election stunt](http://www.7-eleven.com/7-election/), which has customers choose a candidate based on which cup they pick to hold their coffee, has been right in the [last three elections](http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2012/10/02/7-eleven-election/). Will it be right in the fourth? Obama currently has a piping-hot lead. __Winner:__ Obama *Screengrab: Wired*
03redskins-rule
Redskins Rule ------------- The superstition goes that if the Washington Redskins win their last home game before the election, the incumbent keeps the White House. It's been an accurate predictor [in 17 of the last 18 elections](http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/05/does-the-redskins-rule-mean-that-mitt-romney-will-be-the-next-president/), and the Redskins just lost to the Carolina Panthers. __Winner:__ Romney
04world-series-rule
World Series Rule ----------------- Much like the Redskins Rule, there is a superstition that if an American League team wins the World Series, a Republican will win the election, and if a National League team wins the championship, [then a Democrat will prevail](http://www.thepostgame.com/features/201211/washington-redskins-world-series-presidential-election-forecast-obama-romney). The San Francisco Giants, who just won the Series, are in the National League. __Winner:__ Obama *Photo: [rickbradley](http://www.flickr.com/photos/rickbradley/4552677707/sizes/l/)/Flickr*
05spirit-halloween-masks-2
Halloween Mask Poll ------------------- Much like sales of presidential coffee cups, seasonal store Spirit Halloween tracks which presidential candidate masks sell the best. The retail chain currently has Obama holding [60 percent of sales](http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/23/news/economy/halloween-masks-presidential-election/index.html). __Winner:__ Obama *Screengrabs: Wired*
06gnocchi-the-squirrel-2
Gnocchi ------- This is Gnocchi the squirrel. He picks the winner based on whose nuts he eats. Last election cycle, he picked Obama. This time around, he [ate more Romney nuts](http://www.wtvm.com/story/19906084/obama-or-romney-ask-the-squirrel-or-the-washington-redskins). __Winner:__ Romney
Dario Cantatore07stock-market
When All Else Fails, Watch the Stock Market ------------------------------------------- According to [a report from Kiplinger](http://www.kiplinger.com/columns/value/archive/how-stock-market-can-predict-who-will-win-presidential-election.html), Jim Stack, editor of investment newsletter *InvesTech Research*, crunched some numbers and found that a rising stock market in the two months before voters go to the polls indicates an incumbent's re-election. Lately, the market's been up. __Winner:__ Obama *Photo: AP Photo/Dario Cantatore, NYSE*
08scholastic-kids-vote-2
Scholastic Student Vote ----------------------- They're not old enough to vote yet, but they're still good at predicting outcomes. Students in the [Scholastic Student Vote](http://magazines.scholastic.com/Election-2012/Vote) have been able to predict the actual winner in all but two elections since 1940. This year, [they chose Obama](http://magazines.scholastic.com/election-2012/breaking-news/2012/10/Students-Pick-Obama). __Winner:__ Obama *Screengrab: Wired*
