Can Halloween Sales Predict the Next President?

(AP Photo)

October 29, 2008--Political Figures like Sarah Palin, John McCain, and Barack Obama are all getting face time this Halloween. If you want to be John McCain this season, you could still get a mask at several Halloween stores in Syracuse. But, if you want to be Barack Obama, you are out of luck.

Stores like Dougherty's Masquerade, and Party City have sold out of all Barack Obama masks. Jennifer Ortiz, manager at Dougherty's Masquerade says, "they sold out literally within a couple of weeks." She adds that the store has people on a long waiting list for these popular masks. Buycostumes.com, which is a national costume retailer claims, "it has successfully predicted the winning presidential candidate since 2000, based only on mask sales." This Halloween, Obama is outselling McCain in New York State 63 percent to 37 percent. Nationally, Obama Masks lead McCain, 55 percent to 45 percent.

Even though Obama masks are hard to find, many retailers say Sarah Palin is the number one costume for the season. Boom Babies, a local Halloween store, doesn’t carry masks, but they have dressed several customers in Palin customs. Salesperson, Stefanie Sigirist says, "You can have a lot of fun props. You can have a shot gun, a dead moose, a bulldog and the lipstick."

According to a Washington Post ABC News Poll out this week, Obama is leading McCain 53 percent to 43 percent. Similar to the 10 percent lead Obama has in national mask sales.

Want to be Sarah Palin for Halloween? Sefanie Sigirist from Boom Babies shows you how.