Gloom and Doom - My Predictions (Please tell me I'm wrong!)

[Dirty Hippie]

1. The "October surprise" will be the "discovery" of a cache of WMDs buried in the sand in Iraq. Why do I believe this? A Tehran news agency reported last week that WMDs were secretly being brought into Iraq. I'm guessing they are of Israeli origin. In addition, Bush continues to mention WMDs and the possibility of finding them in his speeches. Usually, when he fucks up, history is rewritten to cover the mistake.

2. G. W. will be elected in 2004 (not re-elected since he was never elected). Nader will be the spoiler, again.

3. The housing bubble will burst after the election. All of those who work in the residential building industry will be screwed.

4. We will invade at least one more Arab country, Syria most likely.

5. Inflation will become more apparent impacting the lifestyle of most in the middle class.

6. A conservative Supreme court justice will be appointed and Roe v Wade will be overturned.

7. After G.W.'s second term, Jeb will run for president. We will still be at war. He will most likely win.

Feel free to refute my claims.

[Selwynn]

1. I can't

[WI_DEM]

2. you could be right and you could be wrong

1) I don't deny there might be a "October Surprise" but if that happens
2) Bush will be elected but probably by much more of a margin than Nader would ever pull--you have to remember Nader will not be the Green Party nominee this time around--he has to fight to get on ballot in every state and it is conceiveable he will not be on ballot in many states--so I think it is doubtful he will be a "spoiler".

as for the other points, yes, housing bubble is bound to bursts and it already appears that inflation is raising its ugly head. If Bush is elected again it I don't put it past him to invade another country in the name of "the war on Terror". Yes, if Bush is elected you can count on conservatives being appointed to the court and Roe could be overturned.

As for Jeb, No--after two terms of GW Bush the American people will not vote for another Bush.

[Andy_Stephenson]

6. "As for Jeb,

No--after two terms of GW Bush the American people will not vote for another Bush."

No but that is why they have Diebold.

[Dirty Hippie]

8. Why do you think

the American sheeple will be any smarter in 4 years? If they are brainwashed now they will be brainwashed 2008.

BBV may be a factor but Jeb will be prez.

I do believe that the tide will eventually turn. After a generation you will not be able to find anyone who will admit to supporting the Bushes. After a generation, no one admitted to supporting Hitler either.

[indepat]

20. The number of brain-dead and brain washed will likely determine whether

the government of, by, and for the people will endure or perish from the face of the earth. And their numbers are so staggering as to beg the question as to whether this crop of Americans even deserve/much less will be able to preserve their Republic. Sorry for such cynicism, but we most likely will not preserve out Republic should the next 31 months be anything like the last 31.

[MinnFats]

3. Oh no, you're wrong. It will be much worse than that.

Just one example (there are many more):
Bush has got the DoD and the scientists working on "small nukes," small-yield nuclear bombs that can be used tactically.
Mark my words: if he gets them, he WILL use them. It's guaranteed.
Remember, he has a pipeline to God. He will get our military forces into some awful stalemate, and then the Almighty will tell him to break said stalemate by nuking the living fuck out of our heathen enemies.

As I say, it's just one example. I don't even want to THINK about what the environment will look like after eight years of Bush...

[fearnobush]

4. Ok

Even if smuggled WMD's are found in the desert, it would be very difficult to for the BFEE to prove they were not since independent testing would refute if they were indeed produce by Iraqis. Remember those bogus shells found not to long ago. Plus 60% of our sheeple American population still believe we all ready found the WMD's so it really would not make much difference. May be some noise for a few days, but nothing like the noise you can get if Osama is caught or killed this Oct.

[Sufi Marmot]

12. If Iraq is still a mess by October....

then a half-assed attempt to plant WMD in Iraq is not going to suddenly justify the continued carnage and instability there. I agree with everything in your post, but I think that the WMD issue will be passe regardless in October - the focus will be on whether Iraq is making progress towards stability, and how many coalition troops are still being killed. Just my 2 cents...

-SM

[JCMach1]

5. Defeat will be the end of the Democratic party as we know it

for good or ill...

To survive, it will have to change, or go the way of the Whigs.

[lapfog_1]

7. I'll add to your list

1. Assisted by Diebold computer voting machines, the Senate gets
to 61-39 for Repugs... no more filibusters.

2. At least two new neocon Supreme court Justices are named in the
second term

3. The October surprise is a WMD style attack on a major city, possibly
either a nuke that can be "traced" to Iran or N. Korea or a dirty
bomb of the same origin. Another possibility is a biological terror
incident similar to the Anthrax attack. My guess is that a
predominately liberal city with a large gay population will be chosen.
San Fran comes immediately to mind.

4. Patriot Act II is passed in near record time.

5. Bin Laden will NOT be killed or captured by election time. We need
the enemy in order to sustain the war on terror.

6. The Supreme court overturns Roe v. Wade, but just to make sure
that "activist" judges cannot easily reverse this, a constitutional
amendment is passed to enshrine the anti-abortion stance ( there will
be NO exceptions, not rape, not life of the mother ). In addition
there will be an amendment passed that prohibits both gay marriage
AND civil unions.

7. Outsourcing continues on a massive scale, the middle class in
the US is almost eradicated. The only place for the majority of
Americans to shop is WalMart.

[Matilda]

17. Looking on from a distance,

your first point is the main one to worry about. If Bush can cheat
his way to victory again, then any and all of the other possibilities
put forward by other posts is possible.

It seems to be such a strong possibility, but apart from Dennis
Kucinich, who amongst the Democrats in the Congress is making a
big noise about it?

If Bush wins a second term, I'm not sure we'll have a world to worry
about by 2008.

[Dogmudgeon]

9. Modifications and Additions

1. The October Surprise will be either a staged, "botched" assassination attempt on Bush, or a staged, "botched" delivery of a nuclear bomb to NYC, Washington DC or some other big city.

2. Roe v Wade will be overturned on the federal level, but states will be allowed to set reproductive health law any way they want. A significant "diaspora" of women 25-40 from restrictive states to pro-choice states results.

3. If we are still "at war", it will likely increase in scope and messiness. Worst-case scenario: US military action against Saudi Arabia and Pakistan (following radical Islamist coupes d'etat), Syria and Iran; military involvement with North Korea, China (over Taiwan), and several "hostile incidents" with our allies.

4. A brushfire-war scenario will require the reinstitution of the military draft. Women will be drafted, but mainly for support positions. The next draft will be universal, and will replace college as the defining post-adolescent life experience, with the result that the military will become progressively more liberal rather than to kick out all the cannon fodder they catch in bed.

5. If the perpetual war scenario comes about, there will be a nuclear attack on the USA at some point; not IF but WHEN. Early on, it would probably take the form of a terrorist cell action; later on, as a program built on a national level.

6. The price of oil today: around $40 per barrel. The price of oil in 2008: $75 per barrel. And in 2012? $125 per barrel, with rationing. Coal will be used in greater quantities, with non-union coal miners pressed into service from the increasing pool of the unemployed.

7. Summers will become progressively hotter from now until the "tipping point" of climate change is reached, probably within 20 years. At that point, we enter a mini-ice-age, possibly the precursor to The Big One.

8. There will be one or more major attacks on the Internet and its server "backbone". At least one will be a sham attack as a cyber-war-game gets out of control.

9. By 2007, whistleblowers and conscience-tortured Republican operatives start spilling beans, guts, and blood. At that point, either the GOP collapses like the Whigs did in the 1850s, or martial law is declared and each party purged of liberals under the pretext of treason.

Have A Nice Day :)

--bkl

[mhr]

15. All Too Possible And Probable - Very Good Conjecture!

eom

[Rageneau]

10. The Future depends on Kerry...

which may mean we're in big trouble.

JFK continues to be entirely too low-key and reasonable-sounding in his comments. That sort of thing is perceived by voters as white noise. Newt taught us the bitter but still valid lesson that red meat is the only bait that swing voters will bite on.

Kerry needs to tell the truth -- with passion and gusto and even acrimony. He needs to counter every Bush charge immediately, agrilly with umbrage and outrage. He needs to make eyebrow-lifting accusations every day -- things that will make Novak and Rush pee their pants.

Instead of emphasizing his own VN service, Kerry should call Bush what he is -- a privileged frat boy who not only skipped out of serving his country, but actually went AWOL from the easiest/sexiest/cushiest billet he could have possibly hoped for. He couldn't keep his commitment even when his commitment was custom-made. When freepers and others cackle that Kerry was only in-country six months and received only minor wounds, Kerry should point out that at least he could prove he was THERE. Where was George?

It's up to Kerry to raise hell about Bush's limitless shortcomings. Obviously, he will get no help from the media; the media that spent hours and hours last week denigrating Kerry's service while ignoring Dubya's lack of same. If Kerry says the words and says them every say, the broadcast media will HAVE to report it, unwilling though they may be to let people here what the Democrats have to say to them -- which is that those GOP bastards are robbing and killing and enslaving us more every day.

BartCop has volunteered to help Kerry frame his arguments. If Kerry had the sense to allow BartCop to do so -- and would follow his advice -- he'd win this election in a cakewalk. BartCop KNOWS how to get people's attention.

Democrats ALWAYS have the better, more qualified candidate. But they lose again and again because they put the public to sleep with their boring, droning intonations.

If JFK would come right out and call Bush a coward and a liar (which he obviously is) the corporate news media would doubtlessly have an apoplectic fit. They and the GOP would howl with outrage. But Kerry's response should be to continue to call Bush a coward and a liar (which he is) no matter WHAT the press says about it. In a short time, Kerry would start doing what he is not doing now -- exciting people and motivating them -- and gaining in the polls.

The only people who will object to Kerry challenging Bush aggressively are the same people who are already committed to defeating JFK in November.

So, in the words of King George, "Who cares what they think?"

[brainoverload]

13. actually Kerry is saying all of those things

albeit in language a little more suitable for the public debate.

In the perverse political environment of 2004, however, Kerry's comments are not making the news because the screw-ups perpetrated by the bush administration dominate the news which ends up promoting bush because the only info the pubic is getting about Kerry is the lies propagated by the Bush ads.

[the Kelly Gang]

11. I fear they're planning the WMD surprise....that would do it

[Sufi Marmot]

14. We will not be invading any other Arab countries anytime soon...

By all accounts we don't have the troops to do so, and even if there was a draft (which, unless there there is another serious terrorist attack on American soil, will be very unpopular to the point of being untenable), it would take time to get them all trained. Plus the cost of a prolonged occupation. Think what a mess Iraq is right now, Iran would be about 5X worse. Syria I think would be about as bad as Iraq, with the added "bonus" of severely exacerbating the Israel/Palestine issue. So while I wouldn't put it past the BFEE to find a pretext to bomb Syria or Iran - I don't think an Iraq-style occupation of those countries is going to happen. Hopefully I'm not being overly optimistic...

-SM

[OneBlueSky]

18. and you think this will stop BushCo? . . .

they don't care about budget deficits, and manpower requirements can be met through re-assigning desk personnel, by hiring more mercenaries, and through a draft . . . which, btw, I see as inevitable regardless of who is elected . . .

[0007]

16. A lot of bush years is your point? I don't think so!

[KC21304]

19. What difference does it make ? I read here all the time

there is no difference between Bush and Kerry. Ralph must think so too. If a majority of people think so, it must be true. And didn't you hear, Kerry is a douchebag. Every little bit helps you know.


Sarcasm.

[ck4829]

21. Do you mind if I add my own things

It will center on the GOP. With a Conservative Supreme Court, Conservative Congress, and a Conservative White House things will go from bad to worse. Bush's appointees for the federal courts will still be religious zealots and people who care more about money than justice. Expect Acts FAR worse than the Patriot Act. People who live Alternative Lifestyles may be treated as second class citizens. Expect the Wall of Separation of Church and State to get a whole lot shorter and possibly non-existant. Judges of the Courts will be able to be removed by Congress thanks to SB 2082 if it passes thereby eliminating Liberalism in the courts. Women's rigts will dramatically decrease.

The Worst thing that could happen - Bush and friends have a trick card up their sleeves - Terrorism - I think they might try to make a document that will have more power than the Constitution
and they will use it if there is 'terrorism' and they will rule like dictators