PREDICTIONS
FOR 2014
http://internetadvisor.net/2013/12/podcast-3051-2014-predictions/
* Special thanks to the following: "Google Images", "examiner.com",
"The Washington Post", "USA Today", Forbes and "The Daily Beast".
BLOG POST
by Felicity Blaze
Noodleman
Los Angeles, CA
1. 3.14
What is your methodology for predicting the future? Are you the type who reads tea leaves, do you
believe in fortune cookies, read the Tarot
cards; do you believe in Spirit Mediums and Clairvoyance’s? How about astrological forecast publications
or are you the scientific type who relies on statistical data and actuarial
tables? Do you like to look for a
consensus of public opinion and the ideas of others around you? All of these might be useful in helping us
feel our way around and get an idea for what the future may bring our way in
this new year 0f 2014!
We have assembled a few articles from various publications
which could be helpful indicators for what might lay in store in 2014. A good rule to follow when peering into the
future is not to be to specific and only look for general impressions. Things like good or bad, up or down and in
and out! “Noodleman” can only predict
that 2014 will be measurably better that
last year. We feel positive for
the coming year.
It seems ironic that as a country our financial sector on Wall St is doing well while the government in Washington DC is doing so poorly. As for personal wealth; most Americans are struggling just to get by. Most have not recovered from the housing crash of 2012 and are experiencing an up hill climb with their finances. It would seem that we need a big change in leadership for the country in government and this is what the polls are indicating.
It seems ironic that as a country our financial sector on Wall St is doing well while the government in Washington DC is doing so poorly. As for personal wealth; most Americans are struggling just to get by. Most have not recovered from the housing crash of 2012 and are experiencing an up hill climb with their finances. It would seem that we need a big change in leadership for the country in government and this is what the polls are indicating.
Weather you view
future predictions as entertainment or as serious business when dealing with such ventures
into the unknown, we believe the following articles might satisfy you on both
levels!
"www.examiner.com/psychic-development-in-denver/charles-cox"
25 Psychic Predictions For 2014
Charles
Cox Denver
Psychic Development Examiner
December
27, 2013
25 Psychic Predictions for 2014
The Denver Psychic Development
Group is the largest psychic development meetup group in the world. It has
become a tradition in the group that they publish their psychic predictions for
the New Year. The following are their 25 most powerful predictions for 2014 in
no specific order.
1. A device worn on the wrist by
women that will be able to inform when pregnancy is more likely – used for
birth control and for family planning. A less invasive approach than other
forms of birth control.
2. Queen Elizabeth will no longer reign (not sure if that’s attributed to declined health or just time to let the throne go). We will lose Prince Philip in 2014 and this may be the event which motivates her to abdicate.
3. Housing market crashes again just when people thought it was safe to buy. This would be due to layoffs and interest rates going too high for people to keep up.
4. Spring Tornado's hit in places they don't normally hit. The area is will be more North than usual, and destroy a lot, and surprise many.
5. Doctors discover role of energy in body’s health. It will manifest as a health problem affecting many people that at first will not be diagnosed correctly. It is actually a new energy entering our bodies. This will only be cured through natural energetic modalities.
6. Earthquakes in the Midwest, perhaps along the New Madrid fault. The Mississippi River changing course could be a result of such activity.
7. An earthquake in Northern California will occur between the 12th and 16th of May 2014. Centered in, or around, Oakland it will measure almost 8 on the Richter Scale.
8. Vice President Biden plays a larger role in governing in 2014 as though he is head of the government but not necessarily president. Look closely to July 20th to August 10th, Aug 1st and 6th specifically.
9. Massive droughts in the Midwest affect the world world’s food supply.
10. The Pope is in psychical danger. He is speaking the truth and there are those around him that are unhappy.
11. The International Space Station has an emergency that will require immediate evacuation of the vehicle. All hands will be saved but loss of life will be closely averted.
12. There will be physical harm to the Sydney Opera House through some natural disaster.
13. Missiles from North Korea hit a rural part of Japan. There is no damage but again the world comes together against North Korea.
14. A man will emerge in the Mid-East who will consolidate his political power across national boundaries inside the Gulf States. This new presence will be seen by the West as someone with whom they can work with toward peace between the Mid-East and the West.
15. Massive flooding in India will kill many, many people. It will be located in East Central India.
16. Fires will be huge in the Pacific Northwest this summer. Fires will be so large that they will not be able to stop them, only try to manage them.
17. NASA reveals that their data shows that there is currently life on Mars.
18. SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) will receive a loud and clear signal from the heavens.
19. There will be a huge breach of a cloud service provider exposing many millions of people’s personal information.
20. There will be food safety scares again in 2014 surrounding fresh fruits and vegetables.
21. There will be a theft from the Smithsonian with a fake placed in the spot of the genuine. It feels like an object (gemstone) from the natural history wing of the museum
22. Zahi Hawass, former director Egyptian Antiquities, will move to the West. He will publish findings that he was unable to publish while still in Egypt including secret chambers found beneath the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza.
23. Haiti will again be plagued with natural disasters, two in a row that will leave the population decimated. Again world relief efforts will be hampered by the inability to even land small aircraft on the island.
24. There will be a disaster in a Central American sporting venue caused by terror-inspired panic of those in attendance.
25. It is important to pull our energy inward, to be the brightest lights we can, to show the greatest love we can. We can only wait now, for the end of this draconian empire to crumble, and we have to be ready to replace it with a clear vision of “heaven on earth” for lack of better words. We hope the light we shine will catch others alight, until the draconian vision is gone.
2. Queen Elizabeth will no longer reign (not sure if that’s attributed to declined health or just time to let the throne go). We will lose Prince Philip in 2014 and this may be the event which motivates her to abdicate.
3. Housing market crashes again just when people thought it was safe to buy. This would be due to layoffs and interest rates going too high for people to keep up.
4. Spring Tornado's hit in places they don't normally hit. The area is will be more North than usual, and destroy a lot, and surprise many.
5. Doctors discover role of energy in body’s health. It will manifest as a health problem affecting many people that at first will not be diagnosed correctly. It is actually a new energy entering our bodies. This will only be cured through natural energetic modalities.
6. Earthquakes in the Midwest, perhaps along the New Madrid fault. The Mississippi River changing course could be a result of such activity.
7. An earthquake in Northern California will occur between the 12th and 16th of May 2014. Centered in, or around, Oakland it will measure almost 8 on the Richter Scale.
8. Vice President Biden plays a larger role in governing in 2014 as though he is head of the government but not necessarily president. Look closely to July 20th to August 10th, Aug 1st and 6th specifically.
9. Massive droughts in the Midwest affect the world world’s food supply.
10. The Pope is in psychical danger. He is speaking the truth and there are those around him that are unhappy.
11. The International Space Station has an emergency that will require immediate evacuation of the vehicle. All hands will be saved but loss of life will be closely averted.
12. There will be physical harm to the Sydney Opera House through some natural disaster.
13. Missiles from North Korea hit a rural part of Japan. There is no damage but again the world comes together against North Korea.
14. A man will emerge in the Mid-East who will consolidate his political power across national boundaries inside the Gulf States. This new presence will be seen by the West as someone with whom they can work with toward peace between the Mid-East and the West.
15. Massive flooding in India will kill many, many people. It will be located in East Central India.
16. Fires will be huge in the Pacific Northwest this summer. Fires will be so large that they will not be able to stop them, only try to manage them.
17. NASA reveals that their data shows that there is currently life on Mars.
18. SETI (Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence) will receive a loud and clear signal from the heavens.
19. There will be a huge breach of a cloud service provider exposing many millions of people’s personal information.
20. There will be food safety scares again in 2014 surrounding fresh fruits and vegetables.
21. There will be a theft from the Smithsonian with a fake placed in the spot of the genuine. It feels like an object (gemstone) from the natural history wing of the museum
22. Zahi Hawass, former director Egyptian Antiquities, will move to the West. He will publish findings that he was unable to publish while still in Egypt including secret chambers found beneath the Sphinx and Pyramids of Giza.
23. Haiti will again be plagued with natural disasters, two in a row that will leave the population decimated. Again world relief efforts will be hampered by the inability to even land small aircraft on the island.
24. There will be a disaster in a Central American sporting venue caused by terror-inspired panic of those in attendance.
25. It is important to pull our energy inward, to be the brightest lights we can, to show the greatest love we can. We can only wait now, for the end of this draconian empire to crumble, and we have to be ready to replace it with a clear vision of “heaven on earth” for lack of better words. We hope the light we shine will catch others alight, until the draconian vision is gone.
To learn more about The Denver
Psychic Development Group visit www.denver-psychic.com
"www.examiner.com/psychic-development-in-denver/charles-cox"
"The Washington Post"
The Fix’s Fearless 2014 Predictions!
By Chris Cillizza
December 31 at 10:00 am
The final 48 hours of 2013 are upon us! What
better way to spend those hours than looking ahead to the packed political
schedule in 2014 and making a few fearless -- if not foolproof -- predictions
about the year to come? Right? Am I right?
We kicked things off in our Monday column for the newspaper with three predictions for 2014:
We kicked things off in our Monday column for the newspaper with three predictions for 2014:
"Carnac the Magnificent"
1. The battle for Senate control will come down to Louisiana and North
Carolina. And it may not be decided on election day -- or anywhere close to it.
2. 2. The House is not in play.
3. 3. Obamacare will be the issue of the midterms.
We asked a few political types to send us their
fearless predictions too. Here's a few.
* Tom Davis (former Virginia Republican
Congressman): "Republicans pick up Senate seat in Hawaii. Charles Djou
will pick up the pieces of a late, bitter, internal Democratic primary that has
generational and ethnic complications. Without a Presidential race to galvanize
and polarize voters, the race will be a local cat fight."
* Dave Carney (Republican media consultant and
adviser to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott): "Wendy Davis will
lose the Texas governorship by the same or slightly less margin than
Bill White did four years ago." (White lost by
13 points.)
* Rob Stutzman (California-based Republican
consultant): "Dan Schnur will become the first No Party Preference
candidate to win statewide office under the new system when he wins the
Secretary of State race. Schnur's victory will be deemed impossible under
the old election system and his victory will be hailed as evidence that a
political middle can emerge via top two general elections."
Now we want to hear from you. What's YOUR
fearless political prediction for 2014? Be creative -- we'll feature some of
the best ones at the bottom of this post.
A few predictions from the comments section....
* "vtavgjoe": Obamacare will be a
sideshow in 2014 - most single issues have a lifespan of one election, and that
one came in 2010. This time it will prevent upsets in deep red states that are
mostly already decided anyway. My off-the-wall prediction is that Paul
LePage will again manage to split the independent and democrat opposition and
somehow win a second term as governor of Maine.
Hey, It’s An Election Year! Here’s What 2014 Might Bring.
Our long wait for a packed election
year — okay, it was just a 365-day wait — will be over in less than 48 hours
when we ring in 2014 and, with it, 36 gubernatorial races, 35 Senate races and
dozens of potentially competitive House contests.
So, with the remaining few hours we
have left in 2013, let’s make some fearless predictions about politics in 2014.
(Note: Fearless does not mean foolproof. We occasionally swing and miss, so if
you are on the wrong end of one of these predictions, take that caveat as some
solace.)
● The Senate majority will come down
to North Carolina and Louisiana. If you assume that Republicans have
takeovers in South Dakota, West Virginia and Montana strongly in hand (and, at
the moment, they do) and that Arkansas and Alaska are going to be very tough
holds for Democrats based on the underlying demographics of the two states,
then the GOP stands at a five-seat pickup. Republicans need six to retake the
Senate majority, which means that they must find a way to unseat Mary Landrieu
(La.), Kay Hagan (N.C.) or both.
Try this one for a delicious
possibility: Republicans gain five seats on election night while no one gets 50
percent in the open primary in Louisiana on that same night. That would mean
the top two vote-getters — Landrieu and probably Rep. Bill Cassidy (R) would
advance to a runoff Dec. 6. That means there would be a month-long race that
would decide control of the Senate for the next two years. Yes, that could
happen.
● Republicans will hold the House.
Democrats insist that no one knows what the electoral landscape will look like
in a year’s time — and they’re right. But the past and the present argue
against their picking up the 17 seats they need to win back the House majority.
First, the past: In midterm elections during a president’s second term — some
call it the “six-year itch” election — since 1912, the party that holds the
White House has lost an average of 29 seats in the House. Democrats probably
won’t lose anywhere near that many, but it would take a historic election for
them to make the sort of gains they need to win the House. Now, the present: The
chamber’s 435 seats have been redistricted within an inch of their partisan
lives, making it very difficult — even in a wave election — for them to switch
parties. (Just 77 of the 435 members who won in 2012 did so with less than 55
percent of the vote.) A narrow playing field works against Democrats.
●Obamacare will be the issue of 2014. The Obama administration unveiled new enrollment numbers Sunday, showing that 1.1 million
people have signed up for insurance plans via HealthCare.gov since Oct. 1.
Those numbers are a vast improvement
from the fumbles of the rollout of the Web site and may well mitigate some of
the near-term issues that the White House and Democrats more generally have
experienced in relation to the Affordable Care Act. But no matter how
successful the law looks by November, you can be certain that Republicans will
center their campaigns on opposition to the law. There are two reasons for
this:
First, a midterm election is in large
part about turning out your base — and no issue revs up the Republican base
like health care. Eighty-eight percent of Republicans disapprove of how President
Obama has handled the implementation of the Affordable Care Act, with 77
percent (!) “strongly” disapproving, in a December Washington Post-ABC News
poll.
Second, the fact that Obama’s statement that “if you like your insurance, you can keep it” wound up not being true is a Republican admaker’s dream. Ending Spending, a conservative outside group, has put out ads attacking Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) over her support for the health-care law, using Obama’s words against her. “If you like your senator, you can keep her,” the narrator intones. “If not, you know
Chris Cillizza is
founder and editor of The Fix, a leading blog on state and national politics.
He is the author of The Gospel According to the Fix: An Insider’s Guide to a
Less than Holy World of Politics and an MSNBC contributor and political
analyst. He also regularly appears on NBC and NPR’s The Diane Rehm Show. He
joined The Post in 2005 and was named one of the top 50 journalists by
Washingtonian in 2009.
"The Washington Post"
"USA Today"
Seers
Offer Their Predictions For 2014
(Photo: Robertus Pudyanto, Getty Images)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
· Economist sees unemployment dropping to 6.2-6.3 percent
· Psychic says big political changes coming this year
Gina
Columbus
Multimedia
Journalist
Asbury Park Press.
|
ASBURY PARK, N.J. -- A possible cure for cancer. Another baby
boy for Prince William and Duchess Kate. More space travel, with an end goal of
vacations on Mars.
All are predictions of what could happen in the world in 2014,
according to psychic Barbara Mackey of Toms River, who has done psychic
readings and paranormal investigations for 25 years.
But it's not just psychics who are expecting exciting changes in
2014. Much is on the horizon for the new year, according to outlooks from
economists and futurists.
Flo Higgins, an astrologer in Eatontown, said those born under
the signs of Aries, Capricorn, Cancer and Libra are going to feel tremendous
changes in their lives through the middle of July.
Aquarius, Leo, Scorpio and Taurus people have been undergoing
plenty of trials and tribulations, Higgins said, but are due for a big payoff.
Their long roads will calm down toward the end of 2014's summer.
Gemini, Pisces, Sagittarius and Virgo people need to be careful,
Higgins cautioned.
"They've got to use disciplines," Higgins said.
"They seem to get into a lot of trouble."
Stars expected to have a big 2014 include Britney Spears, Ryan
Gosling and Miley Cyrus — with a quickie wedding and divorce and a possible
spread in Playboy magazine for Cyrus, Mackey predicts.
"I think it's gonna be a continuation of what we've been
going through; our moral standards are going to continue to drop … we're going
to have more Miley Cyrus-type things," Higgins said.
Comedy could take entertainment by the reins this year, Mackey
said.
"People want to laugh ... it seems that they're thirsty to
laugh and have fun, so people that can (act) in comedy are at the top of the
list (this year)," Mackey said.
Mixed views on economy
Joel Naroff, an economist based in Holland, Pa., expects the
nation's economy to bounce back in the second half of the year.
"The remaining missing link in this recovery … we're just
not getting a lot of wage and salary gain," Naroff said. "Who's had a
good salary increase lately? You have to get the unemployment down at a level
where companies need to start bidding for workers. Some of that will happen in
2014."
The year will end with an unemployment rate of 6.2 to 6.3
percent, he predicts.
But Michael Zey of Morristown, a Montclair State University
business professor and member of the World Future Society, a nonprofit
educational and scientific organization, is not as positive.
"It's very disturbing that 80 percent of the new jobs were
part-time (this year)," Zey said. "I see no indication from employers
that they're willing to increase their hiring — they're making their profits
through cost-cutting, investing in new technologies and few hirings."
Technology will continue to grow at a rapid rate, Zey said, and
3-D printers will become more common in households.
"Now they have bio-printing where they're using medical
tissues to create organs, from an ear to a pancreas … this is part of the
medical discovery process. And as people hear about these, they don't want to
hear their insurance company isn't going to pay for this. That's part of the
clash, the conflict that's going to be taking place between all these breakthroughs
at the medical level," Zey said.
Mackey, meanwhile, says she has a strong inkling that
discoveries for a cancer vaccine will be made, and a cause for what creates the
disease will be targeted.
"It's going to be a trial; they're trying it right now, I
believe," Mackey said. "I think it might start out in Canada. I'm
hopeful with this."
Higgins predicts more options to protect one's privacy on
Facebook and Twitter will be created.
"We'll have more advances in communication; they're not
stopping as far as Internet and the telephones," Higgins said.
Look forward to more space travel, too, according to Mackey,
with a focus on Mars. The end goal is to eventually have resorts and vacation
spots on the planet, she predicts.
Political changes
Mackey's psychic predictions say local governments will be
dismissed by citizens, who will eventually take matters into their own hands.
"I believe there's going to be a collective consciousness
that's going to affect us on a worldwide, global level," Mackey said.
"We're looking at ourselves and saying, 'we do have the power to change
things on a lower level.' We can't count on the government; they used to be our
role models, but no longer."
President Barack Obama will be in jeopardy, Mackey said, when a
scandal surrounding him arises.
What about New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a possible
presidential candidate?
"His discipline in getting his weight off … if he's able to
do that, he will run," Higgins said. "He's already running. He's a
Virgo, he's very detail-oriented and he's got it all mapped out."
Democrats could lose their majority in the U.S. Senate after the
2014 midterm elections.
"I think (politicians) will be more bipartisan,"
Mackey said. "I think they will play nice for the sake of the country. I'm
not saying this is going to be overnight; it's a process."
Zey sees Republicans will pick up 10 Senate seats.
"A lot of the Senate seats are up for grabs in red
states," Zey said. "You could have a year from now a Republican
Senate and House with a Democrat president ... that's the way it looks
politically right now, (but) things can change dramatically in 10 months."
"USA Today"
“Forbes”
1/02/2014 @ 10:56AM
Blasingame's 2014 Crystal Ball Predictions
Here are my predictions for 2014
Prediction: Five years after the end of the
Great Recession, U.S. economic growth will average no more than 3% in 2014.
Prediction: Small businesses will benefit from
the economic growth, but will continue to report optimism levels below the NFIB
Index’s 40-year average of 100 points.
Prediction: Small businesses will continue
reluctance to take growth risks, producing the sixth straight year of low
levels of investment and bank loans.
Prediction: With uncertainty about the impact of
Obamacare lasting through Q4, small businesses will continue their reluctance
to hire.
Prediction: More significant than the U3
household unemployment percentage, the employment participation rate, currently
63%, will remain at the lowest levels since the Carter administration.
Prediction: The Fed will follow through and
reduce the unprecedented quantitative easing (QE) that has infused trillions of
dollars into the economy (primarily Wall Street) since 2008.
Prediction: Incoming Fed Chairman, Janet Yellen,
will promote policies that will be friendlier to the twin pillars of Main
Street: small businesses and community banks.
Prediction: A combination of Fed QE tapering, a
cooling global economy, and continued Obamacare disruptions will produce a
challenging year for Wall Street.
Prediction: Like watching a train wreck in slow
motion, Obamacare will produce a kind of national economic double jeopardy of
real damage to millions of people, and continued uncertainty for everyone else.
Prediction: After over a dozen arbitrary and
unilateral changes to Obamacare by the Obama administration, with more to come
in 2014, Constitutional challenges will manifest as lawsuits.
Prediction: Democrats running for re-election
will run from the president, making 2014 a lonely year for him.
Prediction: Only one thing will overcome the
record low polling numbers of Congressional Republicans enough to propel them
to regain control of the Senate while maintaining a majority in the House in
the mid-term elections—Obamacare.
Prediction: President Obama will win the debt
ceiling and immigration debates, but will lose on raising minimum wage.
Prediction: Hillary Clinton will announce her
2016 presidential intentions, but not until after the mid-term elections.
Prediction: Auburn will defeat Florida State in
the BCS Championship Game.
Write this on a rock …The die is cast: Obamacare will be
the most pervasive financial, economic, and political factor in America in
2014.
Jim Blasingame Contributor
I am one
of the world’s leading experts on small business and entrepreneurship. I am the
creator and award-winning host of the syndicated radio program, The Small
Business Advocate Show, a syndicated columnist and author of Small Business Is Like a Bunch
of Bananas and Three Minutes to Success.
I have received awards and recognition for my work and leadership on behalf of
small businesses from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), Association
of Small Business Development Centers (ASBDC), American
Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), New York Enterprise Report, FORTUNE
Small Business and TALKERS magazine. Google ranks me as the #1 small business
expert.
The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are
those of the writer.
“Forbes”
"The Daily Beast"
By Michael Tomasky
Politics
12.30.13
Obamacare, Impeachment, Iran, and More Political
Predictions for 2014
Michael Tomasky
|
Sure, budget brinksmanship and Hillary presidential hints are a given. But millions more sign-ups for health-care coverage and the ousting of Mitch McConnell? They could happen, too.
Whatever else the week
between Christmas and New Year’s is, it’s a godsend for columnists who are
short on serious ideas, because we get to do things like write predictions
columns. Thank you, Pope Gregory. But I promise you a few surprises, and a
couple made of concrete so that you can hold me to them and wave them in my face
a few months hence.
1. Situation: Budget Deadline. Prediction: Deal reached after 9 p.m. on January 14.
The year will start
bleakly—really going out on a limb there, eh?—as January 15 arrives. Remember,
the budget deal reached in December did not appropriate any
specific dollars toward any specific program. It just raised the ceiling on the amounts that may be appropriated.
So between now and January
15, congressional appropriators have to set those levels. One has to assume
that the GOP establishment’s “no more stupid shutdowns” rule will still have
force. But there will be enough Tea Party members willing to create enough
mischief to make things suspenseful again. I somehow suspect that Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), notably sidelined
during the December negotiations, won’t be quite so cooperative this time
around.
I’d still say there won’t
be a shutdown. House Speaker John Boehner and Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell have that much control over their caucuses. But it’s just the rhythm
of these things that the radicals have to flex a little muscle this time. I
predict a really, really last-minute deal, in which the radicals won’t get
anything but will have reminded the establishment that they’re not lying down.
2. Situation: Debt Limit.
Prediction: Obama Will Go Big, Tempt Impeachment Charges.
The Republicans will
announce some set of ridiculous debt-limit increase demands. Obama will say,
“I’m not negotiating.” He has said that every since the first debt fiasco back
in 2009, but behind the scenes, the administration has talked.
This time I think it’ll be
different. I sense Obama has just reached the end of his rope on this one. That
face of his, which so rarely betrays an emotion, contorts whenever the issue
arises, into the shape of someone who’s just sucked a lemon. In addition,
Congress’s role in the debt limit is at heart a question of constitutional law,
and if this con-law president is going to take a stand over anything, it’s
probably that. I don’t know exactly what Obama is going to do, but it could be
dramatic—he even had his lawyers studying that platinum-coin nonsense last
year. This is the issue on which he’ll invite an impeachment charge. I’d
imagine he’d like to be the president who settled this one once and for
all—assuming it’s settled in his direction, which I can’t predict, except to
say I think efforts to impeach him over the issue would go nowhere and only
help Obama.
3. Situation: March 31
Obamacare Sign-Up Deadline. Prediction: Success!
Did you notice that nearly
1 million people signed up for health-care coverage in December? That was to
meet the deadline to have coverage by January 1. The final deadline for signing
up for the federal or state exchanges is March 31. How many people are going to
sign their freedom away between now and the first pitch of the baseball season?
I predict that at this
point, another 3 million is a conservative estimate. I’ll go ahead and give you
a number—by March 31, I say we’ll have 5.8 million sign-ups. That’s not 7
million, but it’s not bad. There’s nothing magic about 7 million, mind you—it’s
not like the Hellmouth starts devouring Sunnydale on April 1 if 7 million isn’t
hit. It’s just a target that was intended to suggest the likelihood of a decent
balance of sick and healthy. I doubt 5.8 million would be all that much
different.
My broader prediction,
echoing what I’ve written previously, is that Obamacare is not
going to be anywhere near the problem for Democrats next fall that most pundits
and most polls now are foreseeing.
4. Situation: Iran.
Prediction: A Deal, but Problems.
As you’ll recall, in November
the United States and Iran agreed to an interim, six-month deal while they
worked out the longer-term details over these next few months. There was a lot
of speculation at the time about whether the long-term agreement could really
be consummated.
I think it will, and it
will be historic, but many years will pass before we’ll be able to see whether
the agreement was on balance a good thing. In the short run, I think the
effects won’t be so great. Iran will be strengthened in the region by virtue of
the mere fact that it was able to bring the Great Satan to the table. And if
Iran is strengthened, that means Bashar al-Assad will be strengthened, and
Hezbollah will be strengthened. A deal will keep Iran’s nuclear ambitions
monitored, but all its other ambitions will probably be helped.
5. Situation: Republican
Primaries. Prediction: About a .333 Batting Average for the Tea Party.
Well, .333 is great in the
big leagues, but I don’t think it’s so hot in politics. But depending on which
incumbent Republicans the Tea Party insurgents manage to bring down, and of
course depending on whether any of the upstart primary winners make it to the
Senate, .333 can look either pretty good or really awful.
Matt Bevin is not going to
beat McConnell in Kentucky. It is possible, though, that Pat Roberts could lose
in Kansas, and it’s even sort of possible that Lindsey Graham could lose in
South Carolina. Both of those states would elect the Republican provided
his/her last name wasn’t Goebbels, which in both cases it’s not.
6. Situation: November
By-Elections. Prediction: Status Quo Mostly, Except Kentucky.
I think the Democrats will
hold the Senate and the Republicans will hold the House. I’d expect the margins
to narrow a bit in both houses, but the fundamental political dynamic of
Congress won’t change.
I do, however, think that Alison Lundergan Grimes will beat
McConnell in
Kentucky. People aren’t paying attention. McConnell’s approval rating in the
state in a recent poll is the same as President
Obama’s. Grimes is going to raise the needed money, and all she
really has to do is keep reminding people that they’re tired of Mitch, which
she’s been doing pretty well.
7. Situation: The Hillary
Situation. Prediction: She’ll Announce After the Election.
Sometime around next
Thanksgiving, Clinton will give a speech somewhere symbolically appropriate to
suggest—not say, but suggest—that she will seek the Democratic nomination.
Seneca Falls? No, too “shrill” and womanly. New York City? Too elitist. Washington?
The same. I predict somewhere in the heart of Pennsylvania, some county where
she mopped up Obama in 2008, to remind people of that little time when she was
a working-class hero.
Chris Christie won’t do the
same. Clinton has an interest in, and ability to, clear the field in a way that
he can’t. So he’ll wait a while longer. But Clinton will be all the talk this
time next year, which has never been a good thing for presidential candidates
to be, but there’s always a first time.
"The Daily Beast"
OK - how's that for covering most topics coming in the new year? The "odds makers" will be around as usual specializing in their fields. "The pollsters" will still be tracking popularity and issues. Most of us will be looking for the "silver lining" and reaching for the stars we might find in 2014 and this has been Felicity here again for the "Noodleman Group"!
http://skydancingblog.com/2013/12/28/saturday-quick-hits/predictions-2014/
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