Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 9:13am

Predictions of Times Past

 

 

Well, each year I make predictions for the coming year and the following year I eat some crow.  Here beginneth the crow eating:

 

1.  The GOP will retain the House in the 2012 elections.  Both parties in the House assume that is going to happen, as nine Democrats, most of them  veteran members, are retiring, to zip for the GOP.

The GOP did retain the House.  Would that all my predictions had been as accurate.

2.  The GOP will gain the Senate.   21 Democrats, 10 Republican and 2 Independent seats are up, and the GOP only needs to flip 4, or 3 if they win the White House.  I see the GOP flipping Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nebraska and North Dakota, with possibles in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin and Virginia.  I see the Democrats flipping Massachusetts with a possible in Nevada.

Nope the Republicans actually managed to lose 2 seats with the Senate now 53-45 with 2 independents.

3.  Despite a lacklustre group of candidates I do believe that the GOP will gain the White House.  The economy is simply too dismal for this election to be anything except a referendum on Obama’s stewardship of the economy, and I do not think that all the campaign money and friendly media in the world can transform this particular pig’s ear into a silk purse.  Jay Cost, one of the best political analysts extant, has a good article here detailing the odds against Obama.  Heaven knows that missteps by the GOP could help Obama a great deal, but at the end I think there are just too many people who believe the country is on the wrong track for Obama to win.

Alas no.  Obama ran a base election and Romney never succeeded in firing up the Republican base and just barely managed to get more votes than McCain in 2008.  Obama was off several million from his vote total in 2008 and a competent Republican campaign should have defeated him.

4.  A repeat from last year:  either North Korea or Iran will go through a violent revolution that will topple one of the regimes in 2012.

Nope, both regimes are still hanging on, although I would not be surprised to see one or both go the way of Syria eventually.  With nuclear weaponry in North Korea, and soon to come in Iran, that would make for interesting times for the entire planet.

5.  A major terrorist incident will occur in the United States during the coming year as the jihadists attempt some payback for Osama, and as the factions among the terrorists jockey for power.

No, the major terrorist incident occurred in Libya instead on the anniversary of 9-11.  The American people, shamefully, largely yawned.

6.  The Euro will be put out of its misery and cease to exist as a currency.

No, and go here to find out why not.

7.   Eric Holder will resign as Attorney General prior to November.  The heat on the Fast and Furious scandal is building too high for him to survive.

No, and once again the American people, shamefully, yawned.

8.  The World will not end and purveyors of the Mayan doomsday prophecy will have to find a new sting to milk money out of yokels.

Right!  That one took an awesome amount of prophetic insight!

9.   Ron Paul (R.Pluto) will run third party and get between 3-5% of the vote, drawing equally from GOP and Democrat leaning voters.

No, and I think if he had Romney would have marginally benefited.

10. McClarey will be wrong on some of his predictions.

Always the safest of my predictions!

I will take that crow rolled in flour and egg wash and deep-fried please!

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T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 7:41am

Mac,

You did a lot better than I.

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 10:04am

“Alas no. Obama ran a base election and Romney never succeeded in firing up the Republican base and just barely managed to get more votes than McCain in 2008. Obama was off several million from his vote total in 2008 and a competent Republican campaign should have defeated him.”

I have never bought into the opinion that prevails amongst the GOP consultant commentariat that we need to pander to the blessed undecideds to win. I believe turning out the base is what wins elections. To be sure, independents are essentail, but what independent undecided voter is gonna be convinced by a candidate that can’t fire up his own base?

Greg Mockeridge
Greg Mockeridge
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 10:08am

“8. The World will not end and purveyors of the Mayan doomsday prophecy will have to find a new sting to milk money out of yokels.

Right! That one took an awesome amount of prophetic insight!”

Although I remain hopeful, I do worry sometimes that man will screw things up so badly we might wished the world did end. As far as milking money out of yokels, that won’t be too hard. It never is.

Phillip
Phillip
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 10:23am

“I will take that crow rolled in flour and egg wash and deep-fried please!”

Try roasted instead. Otherwise I predict you will make a visit to a cardiologist next year. 🙂

Kyle Miller
Kyle Miller
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 5:27pm

My failed prediction was on this site. I said a head or two will roll for Benghazi and that’s it. That fire will out with less of a whimper than I thought. No one loses their job. As I thought, dear leader and assistant to the dear leader are safe. All the hand wringing for nothing.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/26/No-One-Loses-Job-Over-Benghazi-Security-Lapses

Would be interested in seeing predictions on Hobby Lobby’s battle. Freedom fighters and risk takers.
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/12/28/Hobby-Lobby-Defies-Obama-Administration-with-Civil-Disobedience-for-Religious-Liberty

Elaine Krewer
Admin
Friday, December 28, AD 2012 10:43pm

“I agree with all these predictions except #3. I unfortunately believe Obama will pull off a win based mainly on independent voters, even though they do believe the country is on the wrong track, ultimately deciding to go with the devil they know in preference to the devil they don’t know, particularly if the devil they don’t know is one of those awful, looney right wingers (as portrayed by the media).”

Sounds like I was right, though maybe not for this precise reason.

“11. A persistent La Nina weather pattern in the Pacific will mean yet another year of wild weather including tornado outbreaks, flooding and continued drought in the southern Plains. This means more billion-dollar weather disasters (though hopefully, not nearly as many deaths), more frantic scrambling for FEMA funding, and also….

“12. Even more hysterical insistence by AGW advocates that global warming/climate change is to blame, never mind the continued real scientific evidence against it.”

I was off somewhat on #11 — this was not the year for tornadoes (outside of two early spring outbreaks and a Christmas Day (!) outbreak in the Deep South) or floods, but for drought and for Hurricane/Post-Tropical Cyclone/Superstorm Sandy. Even so, #12 was pretty much a no-brainer.

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