-The Race42012 staff was asked to take look ahead and share their predictions for the coming new year. Our readers are encouraged to post their own predictions in the comments.
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Adam Brickley
Sarah Palin continues her recovery and cements herself as de-facto leader of the GOP after vigorously campaigning through 2010, after which she begins work on a second and more issue-oriented book. Mike Huckabee decides that he rather likes being a media figure and veers away from presidential politics – he pursues either a nightly show on Fox News or a daily radio program. Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty both lay low in “traditional pre-presidential mode” – Romney loses his status as the “establishment candidate” as party bigwigs bleed into the Pawlenty camp. Rick Santorum begins to look more serious as he moves to assert leadership of the hard-core SoCons after Huckabee’s exit.
The Republicans run the table in competitive Senatorial elections but fall short of retaking the chamber. John Boehner becomes Speker of the House after the Republicans eke out a razor-thin majority. This victory comes in spite of the massive intra-party spat caused by Rep. Parker Griffith’s primary loss to tea-party candidate Les Phillip. Phillip joins Rep. Martha Roby (AL), Rep. Ryan Frazier (CO), Rep. Allen West (FL), and Sen. Michael Williams (TX) in an impressive crop of newly elected African-American Republicans – who announce in December that they play to form a “Congressional Equality Caucus” to counterbalance the Congressional Black Caucus. The Democratic Party is also frustrated from the left as liberal independent candidates Oscar Goodman and Tim Cahill win governorships in Nevada and Massachusetts.
David Cameron’s Conservatives storm to power in he UK as Labour falls into a near-tie with the third-place Liberal Democrats. Gordon Brown resigns as Labour Party leader, but the implosion continues under new leader Ed Miliband. By the end of the year, Labour is seen as a spent force, while Nick Clegg’s Liberal Democrats cement their status as Britains dominant left-wing party. In Israel, the Kadima Party ceases to exist as members defect back to the conservative Likud or join a breakaway party founded by Shaul Mofaz. Japan’s new leftist government is embarrassed in elections to the nation’s upper house, while the anti-establishment, anti-bureaucracy “Your Party” scores big gains. Guantanamo Bay is finally closed by the end of the year – but remains an issue as former detainees reintegrate into al-Qaeda.
The 1980s have officially returned as electropop divas Lady Gaga, Little Boots, and La Roux dominate the charts. Gaga’s dominance is challenged mid-year as British teen sensation Pixie Lott crosses the Atlantic and cements herself as a global celebrity. Simon Cowell leaves American Idol to launch the American Version of “The X Factor” – which flops.
Adam Graham
Top Line: U.S. Senate: +6R, U.S. House +32R, Governors; +12R.
Governor Predictions: Republicans take over the Governor’s Mansions in Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Democrats pick up the Governor’s Mansions in California, Hawaii, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Republicans deserve to lose in South Carolina and Nevada. The SC GOP will be saved by an anti-Democrat tide and Harry Reid will be a millstone around the Democratic’s Party’s neck in Nevada.
Senate Predictions: Democratic Incumbents defeated–Blanche Lincoln, Michael Bennet, Chris Dodd, and Harry Reid; Democratic Open Seats going Republican–Illinois, Delaware. Marco Rubio beats Charlie Crist in Florida. Jason Chaffetz defeats Bob Bennett in a Republican Primary for Utah’s Senate Seat.
House Predictions: In a three way race, Parker Griffith will finish first in the Republican Primary in June, but lose the primary runoff to Les Phillip in July.
Conditional predictions: If Wyoming Governor Dave Frudenthal (D-Wyo.) doesn’t run for re-election, this will be another Republican pick-up. If North Dakota Governor John Hoeven runs for the Senate, this will be another pick-up. However, Hoeven won’t run.
2012: By the end of 2010, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty will have formed exploratory committees to run for President. Huckabee will follow soon thereafter but will stretch his talk show gig into early 2011 to maximize the platform and limit the personal economic damage. Sarah Palin will continue to demur until early-to-mid 2011.
Obamacare: Obamacare will collapse after the Christmas recess. Too much has been made of the Clyburn statement. What Clyburn’s statement signals is the willingness of the House leadership to accept a public option-free bill, not that of House backbenchers. The Senate plan as written will attract Republican opposition, opposition from pro-life Dems, opposition from liberal Dems like Louise Slaughter, and opposition from Blue Dogs who may like the Senate plan but know they’re dead dogs if they support him. All of which is to say that getting two chambers dominated by Democrats to agree on seperate health care bills was easy. Getting a coherent bill is what’s hard.
The Economy: Economic growth will be stagnant throughout the year with an annual growth rate of 1.3%. Unemployment will be 11.2% by the end of 2010.
Sports: Cincinnati Bengals win the Super Bowl over the Minnesota Vikings 24-9. Brett Favre announces his retirement after the game. After a Summer of Speculation, Favre announces he’s coming out of retirement to play for the Seahawks. Atlanta Hawks win the NBA Title. Dodgers win the World Series. Tiger Wood skips the Masters but returns to Golf to defend his title at the Memorial Tournament. He looks rusty and loses the tournament, but two weeks later wins the U.S. Open.
Alex Knepper
Scott Brown loses, Mike Castle wins, Richard Burr wins, David Vitter wins, Pat Toomey barely wins, Marco Rubio wins, Rick Perry wins handily, Meg Whitman wins, Carly Fiorina loses but not by much, Kelly Ayotte wins, Robin Carnahan wins, Mark Kirk wins but not by much, Sue Lowden wins, Rob Simmons wins but not by much, Rand Paul wins, Jane Norton wins, Blanche Lincoln loses. Kirsten Gillibrand holds on because nobody bothers to challenge her. Democrats +1, Republicans + 7, Swing of Republicans + 6, Senate going into 2011: 54 D 46 R. In other words: GOP makes big gains in the House, but not nearly enough to take it back. Best-case scenario: Pataki runs and wins, Blunt wins, Fiorina ekes out a win. 51 D 49 R. The odds of us gaining back the Senate are about 5%.
JD Hayworth does not run for John McCain’s seat, George Pataki does not run for Kirsten Gillibrand’s seat; Sarah Palin refuses to endorse Mark Kirk in the primary, but endorses him in the general.
A watered-down version of health care reform passes and reaches Obama’s desk in January, which he promptly signs and announces as a sweeping victory for “everyday Americans” against big insurance companies. Expect to hear Ted Kennedy’s name invoked.
The big 2010 issues, barring unforeseen circumstances: Jobs, the economy, the debt, the deficit. Because of this, the Democrats announce a new plan to reduce the deficit, “modernize our economy,” create new “green jobs,” give “all Americans equal access,” and things like that. They use center-right rhetoric for a left-wing plan — like they always do when they want to be popular with voters.
Staples on the 2010 trail: Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Tim Pawlenty. Sarah Palin will be more selective.
Mitt Romney’s book sells only moderately well; comparisons to Sarah Palin will be made by prognosticators. The conventional wisdom will be that Romney doesn’t excite the base like Palin does and that 2012 will be between them: the establishment’s pick who is only moderately exciting, and the wildcard who excites the base.
Sarah Palin endorses an anti-establishment candidate in hopes of using her power to sway an election. This will be a test of her influence. Marco Rubio will also gain her endorsement in the spring of 2010. Don’t rule out an endorsement of Peter Schiff in Connecticut, either.
Mitt Romney announces his presidential bid in December 2010, along with Gary Johnson and Tim Pawlenty. Sarah Palin waits until the spring or summer of 2011.
Alex and flamboyant female icons: Attends a Lady Gaga concert in the winter, purchases the new Britney Spears album in the spring, and gets excited about a new Ann Coulter book in the summer.
Rightosphere is a fantastic, sweeping success, turning the blog world on its head and turning Kavon W. Nikrad into a household name.
Aron Goldman
January/February: Obama orders air strikes on Al Qaeda training camps in Yemen. Peyton Manning, for the 4th time in his career, is named the NFL’s MVP; leads Colts to Super Bowl victory over Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. Senate approves sanctions on Iran. 4th Quarter GDP numbers come in at 4.2% growth; part of short-lived spurt in W-shaped recovery. Obama signs health care reform bill into law.
March/April: Rick Perry defeats Kay Bailey Hutchison in GOP primary. Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens announce their retirement. Obama selects Leah Sears Ward and Diane Wood to replace them on the Supreme Court. The St. Louis Rams select Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh with the first pick in the NFL draft.
May/June: Specter shellacs Sestak, securing Democratic nomination for Senate seat. Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets defeat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the NBA Finals. LeBron announces after the series that he’s joining the Brooklyn-bound Nets.
July/August: Charlie Crist edges out Marco Rubio in GOP primary. Obama pre-empts Netanyahu; drops bunker-busters on Iranian nuclear sites at Bushehr, Natanz and Qom.
September/October: In Subway Series, Yankees repeat; sweep Mets. Unemployment falls under 9 percent; too little/too late for Dems in Congress.
November/December: Republicans gain 35 House seats, pick up 6 spots in the Senate (Castle, Kirk, Lowden, Norton, Baker, Simmons). Californians legalize marijuana. With signs of double-dip recession upon us, and sporting an anemic 39 percent job approval rating, Obama announces he won’t allow Bush tax cuts to expire in January 2011.
Bob Hovic
The Republicans will net 42 seats, sufficient for a narrow 220-215 majority.
I’m not sure if Hayworth will challenge McCain or not, but if he does, I’ll predict that McCain survives the challenge (possibly with help from Huckabee and maybe Palin making campaign appearances for him).
Marco Rubio easily defeats Charlie Crist and wins the general in a walk.
Republicans pick up 10 seats, winning Connecticut, New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Arkansas, North Dakota, Colorado, and Nevada. The shocker of the night is Carly Fiorina’s narrow win over Barbara Boxer in California (okay, maybe this one is wishful thinking, but I won’t rule it out). The Republicans lose none of their seats.
The remainder of the year is consumed by the two parties trying to outbid each other for Joe Lieberman’s vote.
After losing to Rick Perry, Kay Bailey Hutchison changes her mind about retiring from the Senate.
Republicans pick up a net of two seats, taking Tennessee, Arkansas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Kansas, and Wyoming. The Democrats, however, offset this by taking Connecticut, Vermont, Minnesota, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Dan Hynes will defeat Pat Quinn in the primary and (in a squeaker) Jim Ryan in the general to hold Illinois for the Democrats in the biggest disappointment of the election cycle for Republicans.
Meg Whitman will hold California for the Republicans, but by election night it won’t be seen as a surprise, since support for Moonbeam Brown had begun to fade in mid-summer as the state slid deeper into financial crisis.
The Republicans probably would lose Rhode Island, but Lincoln Chafee does his old party an inadvertent favor by making an ego run as an independent, letting the GOP hold on.
Obama will hit a low of 37% approval in mid-March, but stabilize thereafter. He’ll be at about 40% in the last poll before election day, after which he takes a hit among Democrats because of the election debacle.
Talk of a Hillary challenge ensues, and the Kos/MyDD types begin urging a run by Howard Dean. Dean does nothing to quiet the talk.
By late in the year, it will be obvious that Mitch Daniels is running for president, while Gingrich and Giuliani will have withdrawn (perhaps formally, but at least de facto).
That leaves five serious candidates, who will be ranked as follows by most observers at year-end: Romney, Huckabee, Palin, Pawlenty, Daniels – though there will still not be enough separation among the top three to declare a true front-runner.
Rick Santorum will be claiming to be a serious candidate.
There will be much discussion after the election about the ‘rebirth’ of the Republicans in the northeast quadrant of the country, with important wins in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, and Connecticut, added to the 2009 win in New Jersey.
Since most of these will be won by moderates, there will be a slight shift in the ideological balance of power in the party, as well as the geographic blance.
The USA will make it to the quarterfinals in the World Cup. Brazil will win it all, defeating Spain easily in the final.
Newsweek will announce suspension of publication in late summer.
DaveG
A final health care bill will be approved by both houses of Congress in January. The end result of ObamaCare will pretty much be the Senate bill, with a few tweaks here and there (e.g., slightly more generous subsidies, more taxes on the wealthy).
Democrats will nix plans for immigration reform in 2010 and will instead focus on deficit reduction, probably though tax hikes.
President Obama will replace both Justice Stevens and Justice Ginsberg.
Mitt Romney, after enjoying crown prince status for most of 2009, will see his potential 2012 candidacy begin to fade due to the aftermath of the health care debate, which has pushed the national political center of gravity on health care rightward and which transformed Romney’s once centrist position on health care into a center-left position given the Democrats’ passage of a bill that essentially amounts to a national version of RomneyCare. With Romney’s signature piece of economic legislation now considered left of center, and with Romney continuing to enjoy suspicion among red-state cultural conservatives, Mitt will begin to look like the candidate of the Republican Left, with his nomination seeming less and less likely.
Tim Pawlenty will continue to seem more and more like Lamar ’96: another regular guy Republican whose presidential campaign goes nowhere fast.
Mike Huckabee will poll just as well as he did throughout most of 2009, but will continue to seem a bit too comfy doing the talk show thing to be taken seriously for another presidential run.
Mitch Daniels will continue to deny any interest in the presidency. Rudy Giuliani will launch an exploratory committee after the midterms.
Tea Partiers will divide between dueling revolutionary candidates in Sarah Palin and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson. The latter will appeal to many of the same groups that Ron Paul did, only on a broader scale, including social libertines and America First types.
There will be whispers of a McCain 2012 candidacy based on McCain’s disgust with Obama’s fiscal liberalism and foreign policy cluelessness, and the Arizonan’s belief that the re-emergence of fiscal calamity as a national issue bodes well for a mavericky McCain/Lieberman fiscally conservative, socially disinterested, hawkish third party ticket. This becomes doubly true if McCain’s 2010 re-election bid starts to become less than a sure thing, especially given Lieberman’s almost certain electoral travails in just two more years.
Sarah Palin will continue her ascent among Republican primary voters due to her status as a symbol of rebellion against President Obama and the present political establishment and economic and cultural elites. Pundits will begin to wonder whether anti-Palin Republicans will be able to coalesce around a single alternative to the Alaskan, or whether the rest of the party will fracture a dozen different ways, leaving Palin with a small but determined plurality in 2012.
Republicans will win 7-10 Senate seats in November, along with 30-40 House seats. The result in each house will most likely be a bare Democratic majority, though a 218-seat GOP House is possible, as is a 51-seat Senate thanks to a Joe Lieberman party switch.
Dustin Siggins
New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl.
Frank Mir wins the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title.
Republicans win 22 seats in the House and five seats in the Senate.
President Obama hits the lowest approval ratings ever at this point in a presidency.
Republicans get 2/3 of the races in New Hampshire- definitely the Shea-Porter seat, and one of the other two.
Republicans split between the Tea Party/Erick Erickson/Club for Growth and strategist/Gingrich/Beltway portions of the party, and lose at least 10 seats Republicans should have won nationwide as a direct result.
Bart Stupak is the key to healthcare reform passage- the pro-life coalition in the House.
Sarah Palin drops out of the running for the Republican nomination.
Third-party candidates and Ron Paul-style Republicans make huge gains in influence and power.
Kavon W. Nikrad
Republicans gain 6 seats in the Senate and fall just short of retaking the House in November. The GOP’s significant gains nationwide are mitigated somewhat by going 0 for 6 in the CA, NY, and IL Governor/Senate races.
If he remains in the contest, Charlie Crist will lose by a solid margin to Marco Rubio. Chuck Devore will defeat Carly Fiorina in the California Republican senate primary. Jason Chaffetz will defeat Bob Bennett in the Republican Primary for Utah’s Senate Seat. Rick Perry soundly defeats Kay Bailey Huchison in the Texas Republican Governor Primary.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will serve out her full-term.
Continued civil unrest in Iran means no Israeli airstrikes this year.
Mike Huckabee announces that he will not run for president sometime after the Midterms.
The rumblings of a Mitch Daniels presidential run grow louder as the year goes on.
Kristofer Lorelli
Dem’s keep control of house (220-215) and Senate (49-49-2), or (50-48-2) if Pataki runs, with Biden as tie-breaking vote.) The GOP gains the following Senate seats; NV, AR, CA, CT, CO, DE, IL, and PA. With Harry Reid’s is defeat, Dick Durbin is sworn in as Majority Leader, and Pelosi retains control by surviving a challenge to her leadership.
Perry defeats Hutchison in TX primary.
Crist defeats Rubio in a dirty campaign. Some high profile republican leaders refuse endorsements to help avoid an intra-party civil war.
Vermont elects its first African American governor (a Republican).
New Mexico elects its first Hispanic-female governor (a Republican).
The new national health care death panels will outlaw male circumcisions, based on a constitutional opinion written by Cass Sunstein; that the foreskin of all U.S. citizens are protected under the Bill of Rights.
Record foreclosure rates will hit the United States.
President Obama will not produce his original birth certificate.
Two Supreme Court Justices retire and are replaced by liberal-activist Judges.
The Rightosphere becomes a little more competitive with the cyberspace-dominating left-roots.
Aron Goldman will not warm up to the idea of President Sarah Palin.
Newsweek declares bankruptcy….assets are purchased by the New York Times.
Unemployment rate finishes year at 9.7%.
A second stimulus package is signed by President Obama.
High-end retailers sell-off assets as a last-ditch effort to avoid bankruptcy.
One member of Race42012 gets married (hopefully not me!!!), another announces an impending birth (definitely not me!!!).
Huntsman resigns as Ambassador to China, begins to build a campaign machine for 2012.
It is discovered that Saudi Arabia has escalated a secret nuclear arms program, in defiance of the Obama administrations failure to destroy Iran’s uranium enrichment program.
Robert Mugabe passes away at age 86. Kim Jong-Il passes away at age 69.
British tabloids uncover that COL. Muammar al-Gaddafi son, Saif al-Islam, had been secretly married to Israeli actress, Orly Weinerma.
Civil war breaks out in Yemen, along the similar political lines of the 1994 war. The United States, Arab nations and Al-Qaeda fight a proxy war in this conflict.
Conservatives re-gain control of Chile’s Presidency, after the run-off vote of January 2010.
Iceland declares bankruptcy.
President Obama imposes dozens of trade restrictions on imported goods from China.
Several 2nd and 3rd world nations begin to match their currency to the Yuan, instead of the USD. Industrial nations dump U.S. dollar and purchase gold.
Facebook reaches 400 million users, $400 million in revenue, and Mark Zuckerberg is named Time person of the year.
Casualty rates in Afghanistan (May-September) reach record levels.
Colts will the Super Bowl. Phillies win the World Series. The Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup. The Orlando Magic win the NBA Championship. Canada/US finish 1-2 at Winter Olympic games. Tiger returns to golf in July. Nets are sold to Russian Billionaire, do not move to Brooklyn, but instead move into the Prudential Center. Brett Favre is injured, sells condo in downtown St. Paul.
Richard Murray
On February 12, 2010, the House and Senate will pass some version of healthcare reform. There will be much fanfare over passage, but nobody will like the final bill.
Keeping true to form, the New Orleans Saints will make it all the way to the Super Bowl, only to lose in a shootout to Indanapolis. Final score: 42-40.
Early in the summer, further cracks will appear in the strategies being employed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Tough talk will ensue, but no concrete actions to correct the problems.
Despite a late season threat, the Atlanta Braves will once again fail to make the baseball playoffs. The New York Yankees will make the playoffs, but lose before making it to the World Series.
Shortly before the elections, the situations in both Iraq and Afghanistan deteriorate significantly, and Osama Bin Laden publishes another video of himself.
Leading into the elections, with Pres Obama’s approval ratings hovering in the low to mid 40′s and unemployment at 12%, predictions will be that Democrats narrowly hold the House. Election night reality will be that, with defections and election losses, Democrats drop to 205 seats. Republicans swell to 220 seats, but the news of the night will be that third parties take 10 seats. Consequently, third parties began to seem more of a viable option for the future.
After the elections, sensing a weakened President, North Korea will announce that the US is not negotiating in full faith, and will openly continue nuclear arms production.
Despite promises of cooperation, China and Russia will continue to obstruct any and all efforts by the US to calm international tensions.
Turmoil in Iran will grow in intensity, with threats of revolution against the Mullahs. No international aid will be forthcoming, and the uprising will be ruthlessly fought against.
Sec Clinton will resign after the elections, fueling speculations of a White House bid. No indications will be made as to whether she wants to run or not.
Tommy Boy
Mike Huckabee will formally announce that he is not running for President on “Huckabee.”
Michele Bachmann will win re-election by a double-digit margin.
Mitt Romney’s book, No Apology, will not break down the top 5 of the NY Times best-seller list for non-fiction hardcover books (and if it does, the NY Times will place the “dagger” symbol next to it).
GOP gains 5 seats in the Senate (we hold all of our seats right now while winning in CO, CT, PA, NV, and AR). Republicans win back the House (including Hoffman in NY-23). Parker Griffith will win re-election as a Republican.
Trey Greyson and Marco Rubio win their respective primary contests by double-digit margins. Meg Whitman loses in the Republican primary. John McCain defeats J.D. Hayworth by a margin under 10%.
Barack Obama will be a net negative in terms of approval at one point in all of the following pollsters (Gallup daily tracking, Rasmussen, USA Today/Gallup, Washington Post/ABC News, NBC/WSJ, Quinnipiac). His favorability rating, for those who buy the distinction, will fall to an average of 48% while being propped up by the weekly joke, Daily Kos/Research 2K. His approval rating among miltiary families in the Quinnipiac poll fall to a low of 33/58 approval/disapproval. The narrative that “Michelle Obama’s favorables are so much lower than Laura Bush’s” will commence.
Sarah Palin will win the “most admired woman” Gallup poll in 2010.
LeBron James will win the MVP award but Kobe Bryant will repeat as NBA Finals MVP. Either the Dallas Cowboys or Arizona Cardinals will represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
Race42012 will score an interview with Sarah Palin.
A scientific poll will show Sarah Palin tied or leading Barack Obama in a hypothetical 2012 contest.
Scott Rasmussen will nail the 2010 elections but is not able to defeat the narrative that he changes his results at the very end. The NY Times/CBS News poll will fail miserably at anything it does.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:25 am
Glad to see Richard Murray back and I like the fact that TommyBoy made the list. And yes “LeBron James will win the MVP.”
December 31st, 2009 at 7:35 am
No way that T/Paw becomes the “establishment candidate” over Gov Romney. Pure crazy talk.
Also no way Sarah (her ghost writer) writes another book. She had the chance to stay as governor and become a serious player (or even attempted to after her infamous quitting) but decided she preferred the celebrity and money.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:46 am
Agreed; the establishment has become too nutty to abandon Mr. Romney. BTW, when will intrade start to take bets on who will be Mr. Romney’s Ghost writter.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:03 am
Quite a few of us — Aron, Adam, me, Kavon — predicted a six-seat pick-up for Republicans in the Senate, although we disagree on the road map there.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:04 am
3 – Romney won’t have a ghostwriter. He writes his own books. Matthew E. Miller says he read Turnaround. Comment: “Romney wrote it himself, and it shows.”
December 31st, 2009 at 8:07 am
Reminder: Rep. Jason Chaffetz is not running against Senator Bob Bennett.
It is very possible that Sen. Bennett will not make it out of State GOP Convention in May, and not even be in any primary election.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:13 am
Prediction:
Things will continue to move my way!
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!
December 31st, 2009 at 8:19 am
Obama signs the HCR legislation on 2/1/10. Unpopular but strangely not a great issue in the elections.
Romney’s book is a fizzer (for all but the purists) and like the National Council for a New America is never heard of again. Yet he impresses in interviews and his book tour and becomes THE establishment candidate and finally decides to run again at the thanksgiving dinner with the family (this time not captured on film) before announcing in Feb 2011.
T/Paw sets up an EC and decides to run and announces before Mitt Romney in Jan 2011 (but gains no traction in 2010 and may not even survive Ames).
Huckabee flirts with a run before announcing in Dec 2010 that he will be a key observer but doesn’t intend to run unless drafted.
Palin continues to be loved and hated and honestly doesn’t decide one way or the other (before jumping in in April 2011 and becomes the only alternative to Romney).
Johnson is the first to announce in Dec 2010 and is under-estimated.
Thune hasn’t made a decision to run by the end of the year but will jump in if Daniels doesn’t.
Newt doesn’t jump in and intends to keep his options open till mid 2011.
There is a draft Daniels movement which begins in earnest in October 2010. Daniels doesn’t decide till April/May 2011 whether to run. If he does the 2 “man” Romney v Palin race becomes an interesting 3 man race.
Barbour gives strong consideration to a run after a lot of press stories in Sept/Oct 2010. May announce but end campaign after Ames.
Rudy confirms in mid 2010 that he has no desire to run for President again.
In non 2012 news Crist “recovers” in the polls sufficiently that Bush doesn’t endorse and he wins the primary 53 v 47 before winning easily in Nov. If Bush endorses Rubio Rubio wins both and is annointed the next big thing and front runner for 2016/2020.
Boxer and Brown win in California (Brown by less than 1% from a fast finishing Meg).
Toomey beats Spector by 1%.
The republicans don’t win back nearly as many house seats needed to retake the house (and only 2/3 senate seats) despite Obama’s rating only just exceeding 50% (helped by unemployment remaining around 9.2 – 9.8% and the Dow Jones back to 12,500 and a half-hearted asassination attempt).
Iran & Afghanistan became the two FP hot spots with sanctions against Iran announced in April and AFTER the mid-terms Obama confirms the virtual withdrawal from Afghanistan in late 2011.
New Orleans win the Superbowl.
Woods announces his comeback in the lead up to the Masters but only comes 12th. He reclaims his popularity though and finishes 7th/2rd in the remanining 3 majors).
Federer wins the Australian Open but doesn’t win another grand slam in 2010.
Perry smashes Kay who stays in the senate. Perry wins by 5% in Nov.
David Cameron becomes PM but doesn’t win a majority with a late surge to Labor and the Lib Dems and some stumbles in the campaign.
There is no revolution in Iran.
Aussie PM Rudd wins but only with the same majority as more and more Australians (and people of the world) became climate change sceptics.
Harper calls an election and wins but with a reduced majority.
The Pope dies in September
. An Italian is elected to replace him.
Obama gets to appoint 2 more Supreme Court judges. One is lauded, one is very unpopular.
Twitter almost becomes obsolete and Facebook goes from strength to strength.
Glenn Beck is forced to resign after a scandal in October 2010.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:26 am
Kim and Fidel also pass
.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:27 am
The biggest political event affecting 2010 will be a California default on its debt and an emergency federal “bailout” of a blue state socialist paradise. Fears of New York failing next will abound. This event will cause the Chinese and other international lenders to threaten the United States over fiscal incontinence.
The second wave of foreclosures will hit, sucking commercial real estate into the vortex.
Following a high-profile terrorist attack (low casualties, but brazen technique), Robert Gates, Napolitano, and/or Panetta will resign (be pushed out) as the sacrificial lamb(s) to save face for Obama.
Lackluster recruitment by the RNC will prevent the Republicans from retaking the House; Dems hold on in a squeaker, with the final votes tallied through litigation lasting into 2011.
Fiat will dump Chrysler to save itself; humiliation for the administration will be huge.
Alex will dump Palin, leave this site in disgrace, return with a new-fanlged admiration for something Palin says or does, rinse, repeat, etc., and so on.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:33 am
“Wanna go golfing?” will become the barroom pickup line of the year.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:40 am
I want to know, why Kris thinks he will not have a kid…. stranger things have happened….LOL
December 31st, 2009 at 8:41 am
I’ve said for many months that 2012 will be between Romney and Palin, even though the general train of thought around here has been that Huck is the real threat to Romney, and that Palin won’t want to run – which is just silly if you look at everything she does.
It’s not rocket science. Palin is so much more palatable than Huck. But I do think he will run again in 2012.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:46 am
“Harper calls an election and wins but with a reduced majority.” Huh?
December 31st, 2009 at 9:00 am
Palin’s book was a snore. I stopped reading after chapter 3, and flipped through the rest to try to find something interesting. It was just too much self-serving nonsense.
Romney’s book will not enjoy the same type of success as Palin’s, but who cares? It just doesn’t matter. Palin is a soap-opera star, Romney isn’t. He’s all about the issues, and how to solve problems. That’s not most exciting reading material. I’m glad Romney writes his own books, even if “it shows”.
Heath, I do think Woods will regain some of his image back, but it will never be what it was no matter what he does from here on. I hope he decides to choose a better path. I think he has some real psychological issues. He was never allowed to just be a normal kid. Anyway, I think he will do much better than 12th at the Masters – he will be in contention. Golf will survive him, but in the short term, he really hurt the game.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:04 am
“Romney isn’t. He’s all about the issues, and how to solve problems. That’s not most exciting reading material. I’m glad Romney writes his own books, even if “it shows”.” You and Alex can continue to believe that Martha. Let me know when he actually solves some problems.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:09 am
I don’t see Mike running unless Sarah is looking so strong that Mitt offers the VP/running mate job to Mike, in which case he’d sap enough of Sarah’s support away to give Mitt the nomination.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:11 am
Heath – I think Cameron will win a narrow majority due to a strong anti-Labour mood. Harper doesn’t have a majority at the moment but leads a minority government.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:28 am
Wow, there aren’t many writers here are Race anymore are there? Glad to see Richard still here.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:46 am
-GOP picks up 5 senate seats and 30 in the house. Dodd and Reid are casualties, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio dominate the headlines.
-Michael Williams is the first black senator elected in the Confederacy since Reconstruction. Rick Perry becomes an icon and 2012 frontrunner after winning blowouts in the primary and general election.
-Millions of Americans still won’t realize Sarah Palin is a moron, and her popularity will continue unabated until the debates begin in 2011 and she can’t argue any issue beyond talking points. She avoids talking about foreign policy.
-The Iranian mullahs continue to blunder by savaging too many prominent dissenters. Protests commemorating the one year anniversary of the rigged election explode and topple the regime.
-Pakistan implodes with the assassination of Zadari, a military coup ushers in a state of de facto civil war.
-Mohammed ElBaredei announces his intention to run for Egyptian president, focusing the spotlight on Egypt for 2011.
-Turkey continues its ascendancy and shows its effectiveness as a peace-broker, successfully negotiating a treaty between Syria and Iraq, as well as Azerbaijan and Armenia.
-Hugo Chavez continues to lose influence in Latin America and starts to face massive internal dissent.
-Greece and Spain go bankrupt, European banks are forced to bail them out.
-Weakness of 2009 recovery becomes apparent when a new shock sends U.S. into a double dip recession and unemployment hits 13%. This is caused by either the China bubble bursting, European bankruptcies, or crisis caused by low U.S. interest rates.
-Facebook IPO and Apple tablet dominate tech sector news.
-And finally, Texas Longhorns defeat Alabama Crimson Tide for 2nd BCS Championship in 5 years and become team of the decade.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:51 am
A good set of predictions, I’d say Cameron gains 10 Downing by a thin majority, but he seems Ed Heath for the 21st Century. The Republicans take the House, they’ll be a seat short in the Senate. Huckabee won’t run, it will be increasing clear that Sarah’s predictions, on everything from “Victory in Afghanistan” to “Miranda Rights” for Terrorists” will make her the leading candidate.
The administration will still push to disband Gitmo, despite another atrocity either her or in the Europe.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:55 am
“The Pope dies in September. An Italian is elected to replace him.”
First, I think Benedict’s ticker is a little stronger than that – I giver hime at least another year or two.
Second, I did my entire undregraduate thesis on the electoral dynamics of the election to replace Benedict – and I can almost guarantee you that it will NOT be an Italian. Too many Thrid World Cardinals (especially Latin Americans) redent the Italian power base and feel ignored. They comand enough votes to stop any attempt to move the papacy back to Italy.
It will not be an Italian, It cannnot be a Germanic European (because of Beneidict), it cannot be an American, it cannot be a Slav (because of JP2), and it likely will not be a Latin American (becasue most of them lean too far laeft for the rest of the cardinals to stomach).
This leaves Africa, Asia, France, Spain, and the Angloshpere (UK, Canada, Australia) as the probable pope-generating regions. There are a total of 37 potential candidates after you factor in all of the dynamics, and those elections are screwy – but I were a betting man I would tell you to put it oneither Cardinal Toppo from India or Cardinal Oullet from Canada.
Sorry – you hit my academic soapbox
December 31st, 2009 at 10:13 am
22
Adam,
“cannot be an American”
Because of politics?
December 31st, 2009 at 10:17 am
23 – Unspoken rule since time imemoriam, never elect a pope from a superpower. That rule has been long established since the Spanish Borgia popes mucke things up bak in the day (and before that, when the French popes moved from the Vatican to Avignon). That, and pure politics, and the fact that many American cardinals are a little far to the left. That said, I think there may be a desire to go out of Europe with out ging it to the third world. This would theoretically bode well for the Americans, but given the unwritten rulle I am watching the Canadian and Australian cardinals very closely.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:19 am
It would seem that Africa would be the next choice, because of the growth of Catholicism there, as well as it’s role as a bulwark against Islamism. Americans for many of the above reasons, wouldn’t get the slot, plus who’s a really worthy candidate, the Archbishop of Denver
December 31st, 2009 at 10:27 am
Some of mine:
Nancy Pelosi will not be in her last year as Speaker and last year as leader of the Democrats in the House
Harry Reid is in his last year as Senator
Republicans have a great election night, winning over 30 House seats, 6 Senate seats and over 5 Governorships. The success of the RGA spurs talk of Haley Barbour as a potential presidential candidate
Marco Rubio beats Charlie Crist in the marquee primary of the year
David Cameron leads the Tories to their greatest victory since 1983. No one hears from Gordon Brown again.
Mitch Daniels will continue to deny that he is running for President… while gearing up to run for President.
At least 2 unserious and 1 sem-serious contender for the Republican nomination who no one is talking about will appear
There will be rumors of a primary challenge to Obama, but none materalizes. At least in 2010
At least two new Senators from New England will be Republicans, helping end the nonsense of the GOP as a “regional party”.
Moderates and conservatives within the Republican Party squabble in the primaries, but eventually unite over the desire to beat the Democrats.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:28 am
Correction to #26:
Nancy Pelosi WILL be in her last year as Speaker and head of the House Democrats.
December 31st, 2009 at 10:59 am
24
The way things are headed we won’t be a superpower for long, so maybe there will be an American pope sooner than you think?
December 31st, 2009 at 11:06 am
I think the GOP will make net gains in 2010 but I think retaking Congress is being a bit over-optimistic, eg I can see the GOP winning Colorado, Nevada and Connecticutt in the Senate but where are the other gains coming from? Even Rasmussen predicts the Democrats pick-up Missouri. In the governors races I would also be a bit concerned about Bill White winning Texas for the Dems although I think there should be progress there too.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:12 am
#29:
The Missouri race is incredibly tight. The average from RealClearPolitics has Carnahan up by only 2 points. Blunt and Carnahan are two of the biggest names in MO. It will probably be one of the closest races of the year.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:13 am
Prediction: Levi Johnson and palins daughter go through a messy child custody case. Levi calls ex brother in law as a witness showing the world Palin abused her power as Govenor. Palin fades as a potential canidate. Huckabee anounces he is not running for Pres and finally interviews Romney, and the two make up. Democrates barely hold senate but lose house.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:29 am
“The way things are headed we won’t be a superpower for long,” True, but the European sons of guns still do not want a POPE from the new world.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:34 am
Despite all of Obama’s efforts, we will still be a superpower. although the next few years will test that proposition.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:41 am
Good point narciso, Mrs. Palin will ensure that we stay # 1 in 2013.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:53 am
32 – Dirty little secret that everybody seems to have missed is that Benedict is stacking the deck to push power away from Italy and Europe. People like Cardinal Dias (India) and Cardinal Levada (USA) are being moved into power-player positions in the Vatican while Italo-Centric people like Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe are being “promoted” to head Italian archdoiceses OUTSIDE Rome. This is how Pope’s typically get rid of people they don’t like – the old Vatican proverb is, “let him be promoted, that he may be removed.”
By the time the next elections role around, the Italians will have lost their grip on the proe-election meetings that determine who the candidates are – as these secret discussions will now likey fall to Cardinals Dias, Levada, and Arinze (Nigeria). The only big Italian with significant mainstream pull in the next Conclave will be Benedict’s right-hand man, Tarcisio Bertone. So unless Bertone is himself elected rather than playng kingmaker, the power will shift.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:55 am
31 – Yeah, the taser-wielding, four-times-diviorced (at 35!) deadbeat brother in law would definitely be a stellar character witness.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:57 am
There is no doubt about that Adam Brickley, the current POPE realizes that The Church needs to branch out to the new world, but that is not making the Europeans happy.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:59 am
31
“Huckabee anounces he is not running for Pres and finally interviews Romney, and the two make up.”
I’ll be disappointed if you’re incorrect about them making up, but I think they will patch things up. Gov. Romney has been very classy/gracious in his response to the Clemmons ordeal.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Shhhhh, Adam Brickley, the anti-Palinites will hitch their train to drunken taser-wielding engine if it means they can sabotage Mrs. Palin. The whole Bimbo card is not working as well as it did a while ago so it is time to try a different stunt.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
US Prediction:
-Republicans pick up 41 seats in the House, winning a bare-bones 219-216 majority. John Boehner decides to run for Majority Leader instead of Speaker, and Eric Cantor becomes SOTH.
-New Senators elected in November: Carly Fiorina (barely), Sue Lowden, Cherilyn Eager, Mark Kirk, Mike Castle (Beau Biden shocks everyone and doesn’t run), Roy Blunt, Todd Tiahrt, Rand Paul, Kelly Ayotte, Marco Rubio, Rob Portman, Gilbert Baker, Jane Norton, Linda McMahon (edges Simmons in primary) and Pat Toomey. This equates to an 8 seat pickup, bringing the 2010 Senate breakdown to 52 D 48 R. McConnell remains Minority Leader, while Dick Durbin becomes the new Majority Leader.
-Republicans win Governors races in Kansas, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, New York (Lazio beats Patterson) and Ohio. They retain every Governor’s mansion already held.
-Mitt Romney’s book flops (in comparison to Palin).
-Sarah Palin stays surprisingly quiet until the Spring of 2010, when she shockingly endorses Cherilyn Eager in Utah. Not long after she announces a second book, this one a broad-based policy manifesto, due out in September, 2010.
-Bob McDonnell becomes the front-runner for the Republican VP nomination for 2012.
World Predictions:
- Yulia Tymoshenko is elected President of Ukraine. Volodomyr Lytvyn becomes Prime Minister.
- Pope Benedict XVI passes in the Summer. Cardinal Scherer of Sao Paolo becomes Pope John Paul III.
- Pakistani President Zardari resigns amid unrest, calling snap elections. Fehmida Mirza leads the PPP to a renewed majority and becomes the first female President of Pakistan.
- Noynoy Aquino (son of former Presidents Nino and Corzon) is elected President of the Philippines.
- Hugo Chavez is overthrown in a bloodless coup in the Spring. Ahmadinejad and the Ayatollah fall in Iran in late Januray.
SPORTS:
- The Dallas Cowboys defeat the New Orleans Saints for the NFC Championship, and the San Diego Chargers beat the Indianapolis Colts for the AFC Championship. In Super Bowl XLIV, the Cowboys win 24-20.
- Alabama beats Texas in the final BCS Championship game. In 2010, Congressional action leads to a playoff system for the 2010 season.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Well she’ll be speaking at the Tea Party Convention, just next month, and there will probably be some facebook posts, and op eds, re Gitmo, missile defense, (seeing Putin’s latest demands) Pope Benedict seems pretty hale and hearty so I don’t think that there will be transition anytime soon
December 31st, 2009 at 12:23 pm
39. OJ,
No one is hitching to Wooten.
Listen, Palin provides enough ammo all by herself, almost every time she opens her mouth.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:25 pm
“No one is hitching to Wooten.” You guys could have fooled me Martha.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:40 pm
“You guys could have fooled me Martha.”
It doesn’t take much OJ…case in point, PALIN!!!
December 31st, 2009 at 12:41 pm
As for Hugo, Venezuelan military regimes last an average of ten years (Vicente Gomez, Perez Jimenenz)
so it is possible that circumstance obtains.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
I think Senate Republicans will pick up seats in Connecticut (Simmons), Delaware (Castle), Pennsylvania (Toomey), Illinois (Kirk), Arkansas (Baker), Colorado (Norton) and Nevada (Lowden). Picking up California is just a dream. We will lose badly with DeVore, but could make it close with Fiorina. Republicans will hold all of their open seats except in Missouri.
As for the governor races, I think the GOP will win races in Connecticut (Fedele), Pennsylvania (Corbett), South Carolina (McMaster), Georgia (Oxendine), Alabama (Byrne), Tennessee (Wamp), Ohio (Kasich), Michigan (Hoekstra), Wisconsin (Walker), Iowa (Branstad), South Dakota (Daugaard), Kansas (Brownback), Nebraska (Heineman), Oklahoma (Fallin), Texas (Perry), Wyoming (Simpson), Colorado (McInnis), Idaho (Otter), Utah (Herbert), Arizona (Arpaio), and Alaska (Parnell). Democrats will win races in Vermont (Markowitz), Maine (Mitchell), New Hampshire (Lynch), New York (Cuomo), Maryland (O’Malley), Florida (Sink), Illinois (Hynes), Minnesota (Rybak), Arkansas (Beebe), New Mexico (Denish), Oregon (Kitzhaber), California (Brown) and Hawaii (Abercrombie). Independents will pick up the governorships in Rhode Island (Chafee) and Massachusetts (Cahill).
Republicans will probably fall just short of picking up the House of Represenatives.
December 31st, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Now, now IG, I know you do not think Mrs. Palin cuts the mustard, but you shall be pleasantly surprised in 2013.
On another note, I cannot seem to post this on Kristofer’s article, so I’ll post it here:
http://www.averroespress.com/AverroesPress/Main/Entries/2009/12/28_Watch_this_video._Ordinary_Iranians_free_two_men_from_public_hanging_and_then_get_shot_at_by_Islamist_thugs_of_Ahmedinejad.html
December 31st, 2009 at 1:06 pm
47. OJ,
I shall not be surprised, but it will indeed be pleasant to see America back on track with the turnaround expert, Governor Romney, in the White House!
December 31st, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Here’s my off-the-head take, before I head out for vacation.
– Sarah Palin will continue to rebound, and will be the solid frontrunner. Her fundraising will be huge – head and shoulders above the rest of the field. Huckabee will decide not to run, and instead focus on his TV show, book writing, and a new radio program. His eye will turn to 2016. Romney will fade a bit, and become the moderate/centrist Republican candidate.
– Rubio crushes Crist, becomes new senator. Rand Paul wins in a squeaker, becomes new senator. Toomey cruises to victory over Benedict Arlen. Ben Nelson announces that he won’t run for reelection in 2012. Harry Reid, Chris Dodd lose. Illinois goes Republican. Gilbert Baker defeats Blanche Lincoln. GOP comes close, but doesn’t take over the Senate this cycle.
– The Democrats lose the House, barely, but the new Republican Speaker is not Boehner.
– Israel strikes Iran’s nuclear program, after the GOP takeover of the House. Iranian regime collapses, as protesters blame the Ayatollah and gang for Israeli strikes.
– Gilad Shalit is freed, either by Israel releasing 1000-2000 prisoners, a military operation, or by Bill Clinton playing chess with Hamas gurus.
– Tea Party movement continues to grow, sending a slew of new conservatives to Congress. Another March on Washington, twice as big as the 9-12-09 one.
– Putin continues to act belligerently toward the US, Poland, Georgia, and eastern Europe.
– Oil crosses $150 in summertime, nears $200 when Israel strikes Iran.
– Glenn Beck becomes most influential and most watched TV host, and displaces Hannity as the number two radio show.
– Texas wins the BCS, Colts win the Super Bowl, Yankees don’t make the playoffs.
– Obama approval rating hits the 20′s.
– ObamaCare is passed, over the outrage of the nation, leading to the disastrous midterms for the Democrats. Cap and Trade, Card Check are not brought up.
– Race 4 2008 finally officially changes to Race 4 2012.
December 31st, 2009 at 1:15 pm
All the Palin hype will vaporize during the GOP primary debates when she can’t hold her own. GOP primary voters almost always settle on the more electable general election candidate. A majority of them will recognize that an embarrassing lightweight in the debates who’s main theme is “look I’m cute” is not the candidate to run to unseat a sitting President during an economic crisis.
December 31st, 2009 at 1:19 pm
i predict the Chicago cubs will win the World Series in the fall of 2010
December 31st, 2009 at 1:34 pm
-Republicans will pick up 5 in the Senate, and 45 in the House.
-Iran will have a protest-government crack down crisis, putting their government in jeopardy. Obama will do nothing, thousands of protesters will die, and Iran will become even more of a police state.
-Most of western Europe starts placing greater restrictions on 3rd world (esp. Muslim) immigrants.
-The House will pass the so-called Freedom of Choice Act in a desperate attempt to try to rally their base, which is disappointed with a hugely watered down health care bill.
-Of the 5 largest daily newspapers, at least one will not survive.
-Unemployment will hover around 9.5 at election time, and inflation will begin creeping up by the 3rd quarter. The Fed will respond with rate hikes and we will begin the 2nd dip of the recession by 4Q ’10.
-By the end of ’10, Romney will be polling in the mid teens, starting his fade into obscrurity. TPaw will begin lining up some big name supporters, a small draft Daniels movement will begin, and speculation about Palin and Huck will reach fever pitch, keeping them (especially her) in the limelight.
-Chargers beat the Cardinals in a Super Bowl shootout. ‘Bama blows out Texas for the BCS championship, the Marlins win the World Series, following their now well established pattern, and nobody cares about the NBA or Hockey. Canada breaks its own medals record in the Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
December 31st, 2009 at 1:40 pm
blue,
“i predict the Chicago cubs will win the World Series in the fall of 2010″
C’mon now. We’re all making serious predictions here.
December 31st, 2009 at 1:43 pm
ARG New Hampshire poll
http://www.americanresearchgroup.com/nhpoll/nhp04.html
Among all adults:
Obama approval/disapproval: 40/44
Among registered voters:
Obama approval/disapproval: 39/47
December 31st, 2009 at 2:01 pm
MWS,
Do you have any predictions for Pawlenty or Huck? Pawlenty seems to be a little budget hot water right now – and it could get worse.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:02 pm
That indicates the gap is easier 12 or higher among likely voters, Rasmussen has him at -16, which is being charitable. Don’t remind me of the inept foorerall that was last year’s primary campaign
December 31st, 2009 at 2:10 pm
#56
ARG gets a bad rap. Nate Silver effectively destroyed this pollster’s reputation.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Heath care finally passes in January, which gives much needed momentum to the President. That, coupled with unexpectedly high GDP growth in the last quarter of 2009 and the first of 2010. The media narrative becomes how the Democrats are gaining popularity again.
Final result: 15 House seats gained by GOP, 0 Senate seats. One main reason for the low gains is a massive purge in the summer primaries.
GOP gains:
Reid
Dodd
Bennet
Lincoln
Democratic gains:
Crist (yes, party switch)
Carnahan
Brunner
New Hampshire (er, I forgot the name)
Mike Castle and Fiorina are purged, costing the GOP two Senate seats.
Afghanistan continues to worsen. Pressure to pull out increases on Obama.
Huckabee announces that he will not be a candidate for President.
Unemployment rate will be 8.9% a year from now.
Palin and Romney will be tied in a dead heat in most polls – someone unexpected is quickly gaining support.
Finally, Farve and the Vikings squeak out a Super Bowl win. (yeah right
)
December 31st, 2009 at 2:12 pm
Heath Says:
December 31st, 2009 at 7:35 am
Agreed. And with all of the lies and inconsistencies in $$$arah’s current book, a second book would never be taken seriously except by the far-right elderly who only get their news from Fox. The more savvy voters will begin to see $$$arah for the gold digger, Me 1ST, shady opportunist that she is.
Say It Ain’t So
By: Donna Scott
Posted: October 9, 2009
~Snip~
“My guess is that Lynn wanted to get the story about Sarah Palin out. She might have wanted to tell a woman’s story because it seemed like too many men were piling on. She might have bought Palins viewpoint, but from my experience, I bet she wanted to tell a side no one was seeing. She’s like that. She tries to get it right. Is she successful? Sometimes, sometimes not. But the Lynn Vincent I got to know is unafraid to do the controversial story.
I have talked to her from time to time since she did the article on clergy abuse. When I heard she did Palins book, I sent her an email and said, ” Sarah Palin… Big Fish.”
Sarah Palin seems flaky and unreal to me. Lynn — I never felt that way about her.I do not agree with her positions, but she can write, even if you do not agree with what she pens. I do know this. If she gives her world she will try to keep it. She did not try to ambush me, talk sweetly and wait to get the “gotcha quote.” So she must have felt this was a story worth telling. Is Sarah Palin using the evangelicals, using Lynn? Only God knows. I know I don’t trust Sarah, I don’t care who writes her story.
…I do not get the Palin thing. I do not care for Palin. It’s not because I am drinking POTUS koolaide. I disagree with my president on several issues. My opinion of Palin is not based on what others have said. It’s based on what I have heard from Palins mouth. All I thought when I heard Lynn helped write the book was the line Palin used at the debates, “Say it ain’t so Lynn. Say it Ain’t so.”
Whether you agree with Lynn Vincent or not, I think we can disagree without being disagreeable. She tries to be a journalist in a world where that is a bit of a dinosaur. My my advice to Lynn would be to keep digging, keep seeking, the real truth will set you free.
Years before she exposed the man who abused me, World had done a flattering article on his church and his work. My hope is that if Palin turns out to be a charlatan, Lynn and World magazine will get that story straight as well.”
Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/donna-scott/say-it-aint-so_b_315895.html
December 31st, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Sorry for some bad grammar…I’m on an iPhone.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:26 pm
Martha,
“Do you have any predictions for Pawlenty or Huck? Pawlenty seems to be a little budget hot water right now – and it could get worse.”
I think TPaw will try to straddle the movement/establishment divide with limited success. He will end the year a little stronger than he started. Huck will continue to have success with his show, continue to poll strongly, but will remain noncommital throughout the year and end 2010 about where he started.
I suspect that some little known or little talked about candidate (Daniels?) will exit 2010 in the 1st or 2nd tier.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
Most of you are going to be in for a shock vis-a-vis Huckabee.
The only way Huckabee isn’t running (frankly he has never STOPPED running from 2008) in 2012 is if Obama is unbeatable in 2012.
I agree wholeheartedly with Adam G — he will probably be the last to come in so that he can maintain media exposure on his show and radio reports — as well as build up the buzz. The only announcement he will make on “Huckabee” is that he is running. If he thinks Obama is basically guaranteed a second term, he will not make such an announcement on his show. And he will bide his time before he decides the “unbeatable Obama” stance, because, as we all know, events turn quickly.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Kevin,
I know you’re a Democrat, but them there’s some mighty bold predictions for the midterms. That requires an unusually strong showing from the incumbent party, as they typically lose 20-35 seats in the midterms. That fact that Obama and the Congressional Democrats are in free fall right now makes that a highly unlikely prediction. It would require a truly historic turnaround.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
Is there an upset brewing in MA?
http://www.redmassgroup.com/diary/6298/scott-brown-has-raised-over-600k-in-december
December 31st, 2009 at 2:35 pm
That was deeply incoherent, no wonder it was published in the Huff Po, she already had the book contract before her resignation, the book is in her voice, The same people that bought Obama, despite a paucity of evidence.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:42 pm
Well, the party doesn’t always lose big. 1998, 2002, for example.
December 31st, 2009 at 2:44 pm
#64 No according to Sean Trende:
http://realclearpolitics.blogs.time.com/2009/12/31/can-republicans-win-ted-kennedys-senate-seat/
December 31st, 2009 at 2:45 pm
#66:
Those were unusal years though. In 98, the country was embroiled in the Clinton Impeachment drama and the public backlashed against the GOP for delving into it. 2002 was just a year after 9/11 and President Bush’s approval rating was still sky-high (upper 80′s maybe even higher).
It’s possible that the Dems do better than expected, if there is a major, narrative altering event, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:11 pm
62
Voter,
I hope you’re right.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Kevin,
If 2010 were a “neutral” midterm with average ratings, an average electoral mood, etc… one could expect a Republican pickup of around 20, just because they’re the party out of power. However, when you factor in:
1. The Democrats are coming off of large pickups in ’06 and ’08, and have lots of freshmen and sophomores.
2. The Democrats have large majorities and an apparently unwieldy coalition. There are lots of Democrats in red districts.
3. Obama is setting unapproval records for a first term President.
4. Congressional Democrats have made their legislative centerpiece a bill that people oppose about 40-60.
5. The economy is in reeeeeeeally bad shape, and polls show that people are starting to blame Obama more than Bush.
The only two things that mitigate against a historic washout of the Democrats:
1. The GOP is particularly well liked either, exiting the Bush years.
2. The Senate map is otherwise favorable to the Democrats, with an unusual number of defending Republicans, considering there are only 40 in the Senate. 2012 and 2014 will be much tougher years for Senate Democrats, all else being equal.
So short of a big economic recovery (which few are predicting) or some major event to change the narrative (as Jonathan notes) the Dems are set up for a very bad cycle, especially in the House.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:30 pm
I ought to have another child sometime in 2010.
I predict we net 3-5 Senate seats and 25-30 House seats.
I’m bullish on our Gubernatorial prospects. I predict we net 4-5 Governor’s seats.
I expect unemployment to fall to ~9.1% in 2010 before rebounding later in the next year.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:36 pm
Predictions:
-Governor Sarah Palin will continue to impress with her leadership and passionate appeal. Comparisons to Reagan and Thatcher will abound and most of talk radio will promote her behind a rejuvenated Rush Limbaugh. She will cement her place as titular head of the GOP filling a large leadership void. She will assemble a top notch team including Randy Schuenemann, Dick Wadhams and Jeri and Fred Thompson setting the stage for a robust virtual front porch strategy building on Fred’s 2008 run and fundraising infrastructure.
-Mitt Romey’s electoral glass jaw will become increasingly apparent but he will continue to consolidate support in the Establishment wing, however Jim Demint will jump to Governor Palin’s side.
-Rudy will very publicly convert to the Pro life position (maybe even officially in Rome), flirt with a Presidential run but ultimately endorse Gov. Palin in hopes of ascending to the Presidency via Sarah’s Veep slot.
-After the 2010 elections, Chairman Steele will be seen as one of the greatest leaders of the RNC and the GOP will be seen as the Party of Diversity and future permanent home to African Americans, Hispanics and women voters.
- The electoral map will be a bright red and some mainstream media networks will try to alternate the colors back to Dem red, GOP blue but will create a firestorm of controversy in doing so and will ultimately return to the current red/blue structure.
-Matt Drudge will noticeably turn on several top GOP primary contenders but will remain favorable to Gov. Palin, boosting her chances.
-Charlie Crist will become a Democrat but will still lose in the General.
-Dick Cheney will support the Military in a public dispute it has with the Obama administration.
-GOP takes back the House and Senate with huge gains and a triumphant Party switch of Joe Lieberman.
-Puerto Rico, with the explicit backing of the Dems and Sotomayer, will make a bid for Statehood but will be denied.
December 31st, 2009 at 3:40 pm
71
Doug,
“I ought to have another child sometime in 2010.”
Congrats!
We recently found out that my wife is expecting twins in late July!
December 31st, 2009 at 4:01 pm
mac and Doug,
Conrats, guys!
I also just found out over Christmas that my only brother (actually his wife) will be having his first child next year. The baby will be my first blood niece/nephew. They’ve been married 12 years and we’d pretty much given up on them.
December 31st, 2009 at 4:04 pm
74
MWS,
That’s awesome! Like your brother I started late, but we’re finishing strong;0)!
December 31st, 2009 at 4:47 pm
Congrats all!
December 31st, 2009 at 5:46 pm
Congrats to the participants in the R4’12 Baby Boom.
Congrats also to Kevin for this: “15 House seats gained by GOP, 0 Senate seats.”
I thought the one about the Cubs winning the Series would be the funniest prediction in the thread, but Kevin managed to top it.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:24 pm
“Noynoy Aquino (son of former Presidents Nino and Corzon)”
Ninoy (the father) was never president — he was assassinated (the hit was apparently ordered by Marcos or those around him). Corazon was elected in his place.
The Philippines really needs to move past dynastic politics, but I doubt it will happen anytime soon.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Thanks OJ and Bob!
I’d like to predict the Vikings leaving the Bills behind as the only 0-4 team in Super Bowl history, but they haven’t been the same team since EJ Henderson went down…sigh.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:37 pm
Mac,
Congrats on the twins coming.
December 31st, 2009 at 6:41 pm
Kristofer, what black Republican are you referring to in Vermont? If you’re referring to former State Auditor Randy Brock, he has said he will not run for governor if Lt. Governor Brian Dubie decides to run. Dubie’s announced his candidacy and Brock won’t run.
In New Mexico, are you referring to Susana Martinez? It’s a huge long-shot…but I guess we have a chance.
Also, I don’t know why people think Governor Charlie Crist will switch parties. He’s staunchly conservative on social issues but wavers on fiscal issues. I agree, Rubio will probably win the primary, but Crist won’t run as a Democrat. The Democrats would never nominate him.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:02 pm
80
Thanks Tommy Boy!
We’re heading out to Carrabba’s for some truly stellar Italian food.
Happy New Years to all!
December 31st, 2009 at 7:12 pm
I don’t like to make predictions no matter how fun it is. I do hope Mitt Romney makes a run for President. I hope he doesn’t have too much opposition because we need to stand united in order to win the Democrats. We need a serious, strong candidate with the experience and background who can bring back respect for our country.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:50 pm
Huckabee just won’t go away.
Mike continues to poll on top.
No one knows why.
Romney’s camp implodes.
Sarah’s camp rejoices.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I’ll probably fall asleep on the couch before 10 PM. Wife’s having a ladies party with her girlfriends in the front room.
December 31st, 2009 at 7:52 pm
In reply to Adam Brickly: I like what you have to say, especially as a friend of Les Phillip. You might want to google some pictures of Martha Roby though, as she’s very much a Caucasian. You also might want to keep an eye on Rick Barber, the small business owner and Tea Party activist/leader that is making his formal public announcement next week. He’s been filed for a little over a month now, and his campaign manager came to Montgomery after the Doug Hoffmann end-run that took him from 12% to 46%. Independent candidate Rob John has already dropped out and endorsed Rick Barber.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:31 pm
I could easily see MA-SEN turn into a repeat of NYC-MAYOR, where low turnout due to an expected Bloomberg blowout almost turned into an upset win for Thompson. If the Democrats don’t turn out enough, Brown will win.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:40 pm
2012 Prediction Formula =
US President (yrs x 5) + Governor (yrs x 11) + US Rep (yrs * 1) + 4/5 Star General (+110) + Univ Pres (+110) + Child of Senator (+110) + Divorced (-110) + Prosecuter (-110) + Lobbyist (-110) + Etc (-110)
Mike Huckabee, Governor of Arkansas (11 x 11 = 121 pts)
All other potential Republican candidates discussed would score a max of (110 pts)
2012 Republican nomination winner = Governor Mike Huckabee
General Election Match Up (Huckabee vs. Obama)
Barack Obama, US President (4yrs x 5 = 20 pts) + US Rep (3yrs x 1 = 3 pts) = total of 23 pts
Mike Huckabee, Governor (11yrs x 11 = 121 pts)
Governor Mike Huckabee will win in a landslide over the incumbent President Barack Obama.
Reference: This is the same outcome the United States seen when the great Ronald Reagan came back with his decisive win over Jimmy Carter in 1980. Ronald Reagan’s superior communications skills was too much for Jimmy Carter seen not strong on National Defense and Carter’s struggles to overturn the Recession with un-employment up to 12%. Ronald Reagan’s Intrade electibility was also high being a TV celebrity and Radio Talk Show Host.
Jimmy Carter President (4yrs x 5 = 20) + Governor (4yrs * 11 = 44) = total 64pts
Ronald Reagan Governor (10yrs x 11 = 110) pts
Conclusion:
Gov. Huckabee will clinch the Presidential nomination in 2012 to become the United States 45 President. Thousands of Huckabee Fans around the nation are energized and ready for a full court press in 2012.
December 31st, 2009 at 8:54 pm
Yeah sorry – of course Harps is just hanging on – meant to say that he calls an election so that he has an increased majority but not much changes (he could even lose
).
December 31st, 2009 at 8:56 pm
Thanks Adam I love the papal elections about as much as the presidential ones!
Still give Italy a shot as they won’t want 3 in a row from outside Italy – but you are probably right.
December 31st, 2009 at 9:05 pm
My 2010 predictions:
-The Democrats healthcare “reform” stalls in Congress after the Christmas/New Year recess and is ultimately defeated
-Republicans gain 35 in the House and between 6-8 in the Senate
-Texas defeats Alabama in the BCS championship game
-The San Diego Chargers win the Super Bowl.Atlanta Braves win the World Series in Bobby Cox’s final year
-Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup. Team USA finishes 2nd in the World Cup
December 31st, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Bob,
“The Philippines really needs to move past dynastic politics”
So does the U.S. Do you realize 2008 was the first Presidential election since 1972 that did not have a Dole or a Bush on the ticket?
December 31st, 2009 at 11:19 pm
- 2010 = 1994 with moar powa!
- 45 seat gain for the pubbies in the House (all but one of the Nooengland seats held before 2006 comes back to the fold. GOP racks up big in CT and NH and become the poster states for the “GOP comes back” stories.), +7 in the Senate (Reid goes down spectacularly. Dodd not renominated by the Dems, replacement still lost.).
- Sex scandals galore from both parties. Includes release of the first sex video (think one night in Paris) starring a known politician. It will be disgusting.
- Either Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson meet their maker. It’ll be the happiest day in America.
- Economy collapses in October as China’s bubble deflates
- Global cooling continues unabated.
- Al Gore’s worst PR year.
- Hillary resigns as S.o.S. this winter.
- Michigan continue it’s unassailable reign as the worst state in the country.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:21 pm
Dynastic politics is a particular bugaboo to me, especially now that I live in its US capitol — Chicago. But it has always bothered me — Kennedys, Tafts, Bushes, etc.
But the Philippines makes the US look perfectly meritocratic. One of the people running against Noynoy Aquino is his cousin — both are scions of the powerful Cojuangco clan (as was Noynoy’s mother, Cory Aquino). Ninoy Aquino was the son of a former VP. Cory’s VP, Salvador Laurel, was the son of Jose Laurel, who was the president when Ninoy’s father was VP. Cory was succeeded as President by Fidel Ramos, who was a cousin of Marcos. The current president is the daughter of a former president.
The congress is generally about 50% members of a few dozen families who own/control everything (most of the rest are movie stars and athletes).
The place is a mess.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:45 pm
Much depends on whether the economy gets better next year. If it gets worse, incumbents of either party are in deep trouble. I predict Republicans pick up 15-20 House seats, maybe 5 in the Senate. Rand Paul will win, so will the young Tea Party/Ron Paul candidate in New Mexico. Californians don’t like rich candidates with no political experience and I can’t think of a single instance where one of those, of either party, has won a major election. DiFi is rich but started out on the Board of Stupidvisors (as the locals call them) in San Francisco, then was Mayor of SF. Pelosi is also rich but was a local rep for years. Tom Campbell will do better than expected in the Republican primary. Brown will win the election. The dude has more than a million twitter followers already, meaning he is mobilizing Obama’s army. Carly will narrowly beat Devore in the primary. One or more currently unnoticed Republicans will emerge as candidates for the 2012 Presidential election, at least one of them will be an RP type of Republican. The wrestling lady McMahon will beat Chris Dodd. Al Franken will become very popular.
December 31st, 2009 at 11:46 pm
OK, so I forgot about Arnold. His approval rating is about 27% right now…
December 31st, 2009 at 11:59 pm
One thing that really ticks me off is that major television stations are targetting Carly Fiorina and are zeroing in on the 2010 California Senate election. The media is scrutinizing Fiorina every chance they get, just like they did to Palin in 2008. They must really hate female candidates.
January 1st, 2010 at 12:47 am
BEST PREDICTION:
People in this blog who are under Romney’s payroll will get more money from him in 2010 as multi-millionaire man Romney continues to lay out his presidential ambition by making as many American voters as possible his paid staff.
Huckabee 2012! All the way!
And oh, Sarah P. no one can really guess… perhaps she would include in her new year’s resolution an admittance that she mothered a fornicator and thus she can also be called a “FORNICATOR’s-MOM” among the social conservatives and evangelical Christians.
January 1st, 2010 at 3:21 am
“I hope he [Romney]doesn’t have too much opposition because we need to stand united in order to win the Democrats.”
I support Huckabee, others support Palin, Giuliani, Daniels or others and they hope so, too. Not gonna happen. There will be a knock-down, drag-out fight in 2011 and the winner will emerge strong, not weak, as the conventional wisdom has it, whoever he or she may be.
January 1st, 2010 at 3:28 am
All for Huck, unless I misunderstood your post, you are a disgrace to us Huckabee fans. I think Palin’s daughter’s sins are irrelevant, especially to “conservative and evangelicals”.
January 1st, 2010 at 7:32 am
All for Huck!
According to fairly consistent statistics, around 80% or more of mothers of teens or older have raised fornicators.
Secondly, I don’t know what your particular religion is, but the Christian faith teaches that all people have free will, even teenagers.
Finally, you are an embarrassment to Huck and his supporters. I suspect you are actually an anti-Huck troll.
January 1st, 2010 at 7:58 am
The last person around here who gave himself a Huckabee sounding name was actually Romneyite, but Huckabeeites have pulled similar stunts. I do not expect either of the M & M tag team to cut Mrs. Palin any slack and if we Palinites need to take on both our rivals at once, we will do it. Fortunately most Huckabeeites do not stoop nearly as low as this new character on the scene.
January 1st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Top Line: U.S. Senate: +6R, U.S. House +31R, Governors; +6R.
Governor Predictions: Republicans win back the Governor’s office in CO, IA, KS, MA, MI, OH, OK, PA, TN, WI, amd WY. Democrats pick up the Governor’s Mansions in CA, HI, RI, NV, and VT.
Senate Predictions: Democratic Incumbents defeated: Blanche Lincoln, Michael Bennet, Chris Dodd, and Harry Reid; Democratic Open Seats going Republican–Illinois, Delaware. Marco Rubio defeats Charlie Crist and Kendrick Meek in Florida.
House Predictions: Democrats lose lots of seats, but retain narrow control. Pelosi out as House Speaker.
2012: By the end of 2010, Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty will have formed exploratory committees to run for President. Huckabee will follow soon thereafter. Sarah Palin will continue to demur until early-to-mid 2011. Newt Gingrich flirts with running, but decides on not running. Huckabee, Romney, Pawlenty will be the frontrunners, with Huck and Mitt the main frontrunners there. Palin remains the unknown wildcard that if she jumps in, shakes up the race and makes T-Paw virtually out of contention for anything except a VP position.
Obamacare: ObamaCare does pass, but narrowly. But not w/o a huge political price for Dems to pay down the road in the midterm elections.
The Economy: Economic growth will be stagnant throughout the year with an annual growth rate of 2.5%, positive but not enough to really dent the UE rate and forestall another hit to the economy in the record number of foreclosures and commercial real estate bust. Most will blame Obama, way more than W., for the bad economy. Unemployment will fall to 9.5% by summer, only to rise by 11.8% by the end of 2010, due to the commercial real estate bust. Should be around 10.3% on Election Day.
President Obama: Faces most resistance of his young presidency so far in terms of public opinion. Flirts with 50-55% approval with the short-term drop in the UE Rate in the spring, but falls back down to 37-40% around election day. End of the year: Obama reaches 38% approval rating.
Sports: The San Diego Chargers defeat the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship Game (the 3rd steaight year they knock Indy out in the playoffs) 27-20. The Philadelphia Eagles beat the New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game on a last-second FG by David Akers, 40-37, in an instant classic. The Chargers defeat the Eagles in Super Bowl 44 by a score of 27-23. The Orlando Magic beat the Boston Celtics in the East. Conf. Finals and the Denver Nuggets beat the LA Lakers in the West. Conf. Finals. Magic beat the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Yankees fall to the LA Angels in the ALCS. The Dodgers beat the Phillies in the NLCS. All LA World Series results in the Dodgers winning.
Movies/Music: The Oscars are a snorefest compared to last year. Who cares who wins. I dont know any of the movies up for Best Picture yet. Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga dominate the Grammy’s. Kanye West protests in interviews that follow and goes into hiding for a while. Taylor wins Album and Song of the Year, Gaga wins Record of the Year. Beyonce just wins some in the R&B category. Taylor Swift wins in the country section of awards. Lady Gaga probably puts out another album that will dominate the charts. Swift and Gaga have top tour sales of all artists in 2010. Swift releases her third album in December.
January 1st, 2010 at 7:38 pm
To all Palin-bots: Don’t you remember? Remember how awesome her first national speech was? I was a huge fan of Palin! But then… we all found out what a meathead she is. Interview after interview. Debate after debate – what a disappointment! Please dont kid yourselves!
Huckabee and Romney will simply embarass Palin throughout the interview and debate circuit.
It will come down to Romney and Huckabee. Romney will win the republican nod.
January 1st, 2010 at 8:48 pm
Come on, this website is an arena of vicious and unfounded attacks… I am just joining the fray.
Hypocrites (paid rombots) here finds Romney a god, faultless (open support for TARP, flip flops on social issues such as same sex marriage and abortion), omnipotent (delusion of him being a frontrunner in spite of romneycare)… Yet they always win the debate. always win the debate no matter what the issues are and no matter how negative it is for their candidate.
And oh,
“MWS Says:
January 1st, 2010 at 7:32 am
All for Huck!
According to fairly consistent statistics, around 80% or more of mothers of teens or older have raised fornicators.
Secondly, I don’t know what your particular religion is, but the Christian faith teaches that all people have free will, even teenagers.
Finally, you are an embarrassment to Huck and his supporters. I suspect you are actually an anti-Huck troll.”
Please, have some backbones my friend MWS. You are much like thunder who accuses Gov. Huckabee a cop-killer because he has made a commutation (not even a release) yet he himself was part of an organization who kills soldiers (civilian deaths in vietnam, thunder was part of the organization who slaughtered those innocent people therefore in his reasoning the blood is also all over his hands yet he pretends being innocent and much worse attacks someone who shows compassion to a fellow american).
MWS, to be real with you what i’m trying to say is that people here have a twisted version of morality. Palin is a champion because she prevented abortion in her own body, how could she impose a Biblical lesson to anybody when she herself tolerated a Biblical sin with her own daughter.
I am a Christian, i consider the Bible all true and infallible. You? Who you are? Double standard.
January 1st, 2010 at 8:54 pm
The truth hurts isn’t it?
I am using the same reasoning and line of attacks as most people here do… If you consider me as an embarrassment to Gov. Huckabee, please feel free to think that I also think of you to your respective candidate or employer (for rombots here).
January 1st, 2010 at 9:02 pm
Of course in rational debates, i am also rational… here, there is no rational debate so expect me to be as uncivilized as you people are.
-Fighting back, a Huckabee supporter.
January 2nd, 2010 at 1:41 am
Huckabee, McCain, and Romney need to fade away.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:38 am
Up in the Air wins Best Picture.
January 2nd, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Oh and Will & Kate finally get engaged!
January 2nd, 2010 at 10:51 pm
2010 become the year of the rising stars
Will Gregory of CT become the youngest congesssman
Bill Russell will beat murtha
backed ron paul candidates will fail big time
Both Alan Rickman and david tennant are casted to be the next bad guys in the next batman movie
Lost end with Sawyer and Juliet getting married
January 5th, 2010 at 3:51 pm
whatever your predictions are, I am more incline to believe the predictions from a simple Brazilian woman of Rio who has predicted way back in 2003 that a disastrous tsunami will hit South Asia by 2005/2006 and it had happened. She had also predicted a colored skin US president before 21st century and it had happened. Last year, she had predicted that after after Obama’s one term, the next US president will be an outsider woman coming from the far northern part of the US continent. As she said, “a great woman of Christian virtues was rediculed and mocked but will rise up again like a shining star from the north, as what God hath promised and it will be done. An eagle of governance shall be crowned on her head and she will rule with an iron hand and with moral judgement.” In addition to this Brazilian prediction, It clearly mentioned that Two women of great courage, strength and honor will battle for the final glory of the eagle throne. What does this all means?? If we are to based on current facts and surveys, I can only see Hillary and Sarah as he most admired women in US politics today. Can you specify another possibilities?? Is Romney and Huckabee current women of US politics. Well, perhaps, the way they become fencesitters and flip-floppers, then, perhaps they are indeed are.LOL!!!
February 24th, 2010 at 12:26 am
[...] This actually ties in with my official entry in the Race42012 New Years Prediction Contest (the pop culture [...]