Part 1
By Colleen O’Connor
Admittedly, there is little better than a 50% chance of being correct, but here are a few self-evident winners from previous years.
Best Prediction: “There will be a woman on the Democratic 2020 presidential ticket. Why? Because Nancy Pelosi will insist and California will deliver. That candidate will be Kamala Harris.”
Enduring Prediction: “Majority Senate Leader, Schumer, will be a surprisingly strong legislative leader. He will check Biden’s “come together” moments, while delivering legislative victories for Democrats via the reconciliation process.”
Proof: 2022 midterm Senate wins.
Most Laudatory: Mitt Romney will rise to be the “conscience” of the Republican Senate.
Just proved again!
“There is no bottom to the degree to which (Trump) is willing to degrade himself, and the country for that matter. Having dinner with those people was disgusting… I voted to remove him from office twice… I don’t think he should be president of the United States. I don’t think he should be the nominee of our party in 2024. And I certainly don’t want him hanging over our party like a gargoyle.” (Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), quoted on Donald Trump having dinner with Holocaust deniers).
An Easy Call: “Trump-ism is radioactive. Economic boycotts, internal GOP strife, and more damaging court cases and investigations will infect all things Trump.” Read the news.
Saddest Truth: “Mother Nature will drive the agenda. Not just COVID-like epidemics and vaccinations that defy quick remedies, but the massive economic damage of climate changes will push the Green agenda ahead and pursue technology’s villains.”
Favorite Prediction: published in August of 2017. “Speaker Nancy Pelosi would still be standing after Trump is gone.”
Wildest Prediction: #1 on the 2021 list, seemingly doomed, but remains on life-support: “Don’t Cry for Liz Cheney.”
“Liz Cheney is going to be the first Republican female minority leader after Kevin McCarthy is ditched. She sees the future and it isn’t Trumpism.”
However, she has lost her Wyoming seat in Congress, been vilified by most GOP House members and Trump loyalists, and suffered numerous threats while being the most visible member of the January 6th Committee where she is Vice-Chair.
And yet!
Believe it or not, McCarthy has not clinched the deal to be the Speaker of the House. He won his caucus support for nomination, but needs a majority of all members of the full house, i.e., 218 votes on the floor.
Shorthand math. Only half a dozen Republicans are needed to cross the aisle, join with the Democrats, and elect a more acceptable Republican (aka more moderate and less Trumpian) than McCarthy — to put a seriously fun prediction back in play.
Cheney does not have to be a current member of Congress to trip up McCarthy or even replace him.
More on that “most fun” and “wildest” prediction in Part II.
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