There are a lot of different ways one could predict the outcome of the election coming up in the U.S. in November. You could throw the I-Ching, read some tea leaves, call Dionne Warwick or even pay close attention to carefully researched and compiled electoral maps. Or you can see whose mask is selling best on Amazon.com.

Should you employ the latter tactic, you will find that the Halloween mask straw poll favors Obama. O is winning 56% to 44%. Erick Schonfeld at techcrunch points out that McCain's number matches his actual poll numbers exactly. Which is weird.

We think, though, that many people pick their masks and costumes based on whether it will make them attractive to women dressed as sexy witches, sexy zombies or sexy Betsy Ross, and so the choice of an Obama mask seems like a no-brainer. But hey, don't let Halloween mask sales decide the election. Go and vote, whydon'tcha?