Predictions for 2008

[Topaz]

On the news lately, I've heard that 2008 may be a rough year for Canada and the rest of the world. So my prediction for the coming year is...the economy will slow down, unemployment will rise and the war will pick in the middle-east. The 60 Billion tax cuts that go into effective Jan 1st, will be short lived by others things the government. does. IF you think these are a downers, I was listeninbg to a radio program from the US and 54 people who gave their predictions were all negative.

[margrace]

Just observing even the weather it is scarry. We have an old fashioned winter so they say, lots of snow but where is the cold that goes with it? The cold that freezes the great lakes and stops the pickup of snow they are dumping on us? Everyone is saying how nice but will our waterways freeze over as they used to, will there be any ice fishing for instance? Time will tell but I agree we are in for a hard year in more ways than one.

[Keepitsimple]

I guess I'm just a contrarian. I sense some breakthroughs in the Middle East and if they come to fruition, we may gain some positive momentum. I take great heart in seeing the Sunnis finally turning against Al Quaeda in Iraq. If progress continues, that will inspire others to turn against this insidious plague. The Pakistan debacle may in fact be a blessing. It may finally help them come to grips with the radicals among them. Make no mistake, these radicals are only the barest minority within Pakistan but to date, people have hoped that by ignoring then, they could be contained. That has clearly not been the case. Al Quaeda and Bin Laden have been stirring the pot - and I now see the start of a backlash. And that's good news - bloody perhaps - but good news. Positive momentum in place of negative stories will help inspire us in 2008 - and it can have an amazing effect on everything else.

[Borg]

As a person involved in many different apects of several different businesses I am predicting a down hill run for the next few years.

Despite economists telling us about how well we have done and how things are going, I have seen a distinct lessening in the loose coin in the average workers pocket.

Business may still be making money, and regional areas may still do well, but Joe Sixpack is going to find it a lot harder overall as the jobs leave, prices rise and yes, interest rates go up.

Borg

[noahbody]

Just observing even the weather it is scarry. We have an old fashioned winter so they say, lots of snow but where is the cold that goes with it? The cold that freezes the great lakes and stops the pickup of snow they are dumping on us? Everyone is saying how nice but will our waterways freeze over as they used to, will there be any ice fishing for instance? Time will tell but I agree we are in for a hard year in more ways than one.

Winter just started. Relax.

[noahbody]

There will be an election just so the Liberals can dump Dion and take advantage of Bush being in office. Also the Leafs will win the cup.

[Jerry J. Fortin]

Get used to Harper, he will be here for a while. The Liberals need a new leader and won't get one till after an election. I will predict a spring election, another minority tory government and a Liberal leadership convention for the fall.

At the international level, a middle east peace followed by a middle east war. In the far east, China dumps the greenback and switches to the Euro. In South America, Chavez unites the north west under a single socialist banner making trade agreements with all but Columbia.

[M.Dancer]

It will be discovered that Jack Layton's mustache was once in a very cheap porn flick...

[Michael Bluth]

Get used to Harper, he will be here for a while.

Which is why I think we won't see an election in 2008.

The only way the Liberals want an election next year is if they see a chance at winning. With Mulrony-Schreiber petering out we are left with the likelihood of a CPC minority if an election were held this spring.

Nobody really wants that.

The Bloc is in disarray and needs to find its footing. They appear to have lost all momentum.

The NDP hasn't really figured out how to break through to OLO status.

The Liberals are still hurting for cash and need some time to pull together some sort of platform. Their standing in the polls have improved from high-20s to low-30s. An improvement, but not much to be proud of. They are praying Dion's English improves or they get something like the Sponsorship scandal to help push them over the top.

The CPC has the cash to fight an election but Harper doesn't want one. He has honestly wanted an election on the fixed election date since he passed the legislation. He truly believes that the longer he is in office the more hard-earned respect and votes he will win.

[Pliny]

Spring will come. The sun will shine. Birds will sing. The grass will grow. Whether we notice is the question.

Have a glorious year!

[August1991]

The only way the Liberals want an election next year is if they see a chance at winning. With Mulrony-Schreiber petering out we are left with the likelihood of a CPC minority if an election were held this spring.

Nobody really wants that.

I agree. There's a good chance there'll be no election in 2008. I thought that we'd have an election in fall 2007 and then we didn't because Dion blinked (or compromised all his principles, depending on your point of view).

Harper may lead the longest surviving minority government in Canadian history. That would lay to rest all claims that he's a *scary, scary* one-man-show kinda dictator who can't compromise or work with others.

On the contrary, Harper has shown that he's Canadian to a fault. He gets along.

Edited December 31, 2007 by August1991

[Michael Bluth]

I agree. There's a good chance there'll be no election in 2008. I thought that we'd have an election in fall 2007 and then we didn't because Dion blinked (or compromised all his principles, depending on your point of view).

Harper may lead the longest surviving minority government in Canadian history. That would lay to rest all claims that he's a *scary, scary* one-man-show kinda dictator who can't compromise or work with others.

On the contrary, Harper has shown that he's Canadian to a fault. He gets along.

Canadian to a fault. I like that.

Harper can't pull off the longest minority government because two of Mckenzie Kings minorities lasted so long that Harper would have to sit past the fixed election date.

I think we will get to the fixed election date. Which will allow Harper to continue to grow into the job of PM.

Harper hasn't dithered or waffled when facing a 'potential' election.

We diefinitely won't see a spring election. Harper is shrewd enough to avoid an election pre-budget. The budget will offer just enough to keep the opposition at bay.

The fall is the interesting time. The Government might tumble then. But if we make it into 2009 then we will hit the fixed election date for sure.

[jdobbin]

There will be an election in 2008. The Liberals can vote down this next budget because it will not be tied to any policy they've supported in the past. The NDP and BQ have already stated they will vote against the government in the next measure of confidence. That is likely going to be the budget.

The Liberals will have a hard time abstaining from bringing down the government. The big question is whether the vote will come before the by-elections or not. I predict not. It is why Harper made sure they came in March. There is no way he wanted potential Liberal victories weeks before the general election.

Johnston will announce a limited inquiry into Mulroney-Shreiber.

I predict in March the government will fall and we'll be into an election for March/April.

At the moment, I predict a Tory minority repeating but it will be close. I think that a repeat Tory minority will bring just as many questions about Harper taking them to the next stage as it will for Dion. Harper will have led the party through a few elections and still not grabbed the majority brass ring. I think there would be challenges in the automatic leadership review afterwards. Dion will indeed be challenged unless he can get a minority government at the very least.

In the U.S., I predict that Barack Obama will be the candidate who wins by a small margin in Iowa. I think he will win New Hampshire. John Edwards will have a fair performance in many primaries. Clinton will win a few primaries or be very close in some of them. The race won't be decided in early January. We may not know till we get to California. At that time, I think it finally fall to Barack Obama. He may be tempted to pick Edwards to have a north-south connection in an election.

I think Romney will win the Republican primaries. Huckabee will be close in some of them. Eventually, I think Romney will capture the nomination and perhaps pick McCain as a running mate.

The surge in Iraq will keep violence down but there will be no progress on getting a government in place that will work. Turkey and the Kurds will clash further in the new year. Several allies will continue to move their troops out and this may be where flare ups occur.

Afghanistan will continue violence in the new year. They may be a little help from some countries but others will stick to a 2009 deadline. Canada will find few nations willing to rotate in to Kandahar. It will be one of the election issues but not the dominant one.

The President's peace initiative in Israel will get hung up on the building of settlements in the West Bank.

The economy will continue to be buffeted by the sub-prime mortgage problems. The slowdown will affect employment, tax revenue and spending.

The Writers Guild strike will continue till late February although some more talks shows will make individual deals with their writers before then. Many series will not produce new episodes for this season in favour of producing for next season. Expect lots of reality shows.

Led Zeppelin will announce that they will include Canada on their tour.

The Leafs will never win the Stanley Cup. The Red Wings will win the cup this year.

San Diego Chargers will win the Superbowl.

The Calgary Stampeders will win the Grey Cup.

Britney's little sister will give birth to a girl in 2008. No one will be listed as father to spare the man a jail sentence.

Canadian actress Ellen Page will win Best Actress in the Golden Globes and the Oscars.

Lindsay Lohan will die of an overdose or in injury or accident due to drugs.

Edited December 31, 2007 by jdobbin

[sideshow]

I hope there is no election. I absolutely love the way the country is being governed. They are all having to play nice to a degree to keep from going into an election, so with all the blustering and fingerpointing, they are still having to make compromises which I think is good.

I dont think there will be an election. I think the economy will stay relatively the same. I think nothing will change in the middle east. In the US, my hopes are for Obama to win the demo ticket, and hopefully the whitehouse, but i dont see the latter happening.

The Mulroney affair will be laid to rest (let the thing die already), Dion will get squeezed out of the liberal leadership (will anyone even notice?), Harper will continue to rule his party with a gestapo fist, but if there is an election, will get a minority, cause he doesnt have the power to keep from showing his true far right self forever.

And Laytons mustache will make the 2008 porno awards as cheasiest ornament on a politician.

[Higgly]

A weaker minority government than we have now. The Republicans out in the US. Russia rising. Pakistan in chaos and sealed off. China resplendent and moving to dominate Africa - the world's last great unclaimed prize. Iraq still occupied and dragging the US dollar down. Iran growing stronger through partnerships with Russia and China. Israel stealing more land. More fundamentalist bullshit of all kinds: Christian/Jewish/Moslem. India going into recession. Conrad Black in jail. Barbra Amiel whining for dollars. More Canadians dying in Afghanistan. Hamid Karzai made CEO of Disneyland.

[charter.rights]

Harper will lose an election.

Gary McHale will go to jail for at least 30 days and his wife will leave him.

Toronto will experience its first terrorist attack.

Another ferry service will pop up crossing Lake Ontario.

Canada will experience a major climate change problem.

A prominent politician will be arrested and charged with a major crime.

Americans will come to Canada seeking refugee status.

An assassination attempt will be made on George Bush.

A nuclear reactor accident will occur in Ontario.

[BubberMiley]

Although I think making predictions practically guarantees they won't come true, I'm guessing a Clinton/Obama ticket versus McCain/Romney. The result will be too close to call though.

The writer's strike will continue through the summer. The Academy Awards ceremony will be canceled and the awards announced on the Internet.

Fidel Castro will not die, nor will Lindsay Lohan. Dick Cheney, however, will. Condoleeza Rice will become the first Black woman VP, trumping both Hillary and Obama.

It will come to light that Osama bin Laden has been dead since 2004.

Winnipeg will not get an NHL franchise, but the Bombers will win the Grey Cup, led by Milt Stegall in his final (this time for real) season.

The Nashville Predators will win the Stanley Cup.

Mapleleafweb will suffer a massive troll/flame surge resulting in rampant bannings, leaving just a few posters bitterly complaining to no one about Muslims and how global warming is a fraud.

The Patriots will win the Superbowl.

[jdobbin]

Mapleleafweb will suffer a massive troll/flame surge resulting in rampant bannings, leaving just a few posters bitterly complaining to no one about Muslims and how global warming is a fraud.

Finally, someone links Muslims to global warming. heh

[socred]

Get used to Harper, he will be here for a while. The Liberals need a new leader and won't get one till after an election. I will predict a spring election, another minority tory government and a Liberal leadership convention for the fall.

At the international level, a middle east peace followed by a middle east war. In the far east, China dumps the greenback and switches to the Euro. In South America, Chavez unites the north west under a single socialist banner making trade agreements with all but Columbia.

Hello Jerry! We meet again.

I hope you have a happy new year.

[sharkman]

Get used to Harper, he will be here for a while. The Liberals need a new leader and won't get one till after an election. I will predict a spring election, another minority tory government and a Liberal leadership convention for the fall.

At the international level, a middle east peace followed by a middle east war. In the far east, China dumps the greenback and switches to the Euro. In South America, Chavez unites the north west under a single socialist banner making trade agreements with all but Columbia.

To your list I would add a humdinger of a recession in the U.S. and a clear success for the Iraqi people.

[jdobbin]

Johnston will announce a limited inquiry into Mulroney-Shreiber.

In the U.S., I predict that Barack Obama will be the candidate who wins by a small margin in Iowa. I think he will win New Hampshire. John Edwards will have a fair performance in many primaries. Clinton will win a few primaries or be very close in some of them. The race won't be decided in early January. We may not know till we get to California. At that time, I think it finally fall to Barack Obama. He may be tempted to pick Edwards to have a north-south connection in an election.

I think Romney will win the Republican primaries. Huckabee will be close in some of them. Eventually, I think Romney will capture the nomination and perhaps pick McCain as a running mate.

Got Johnston right. Obama right for Iowa but not for New Hampshire and was completely wrong so far on Romney.

[charter.rights]

Got Johnston right. Obama right for Iowa but not for New Hampshire and was completely wrong so far on Romney.

Excuse me that I don't follow American politics too much....

But isn't the New Hampshire primary the pivot point for the President? As I recall if they win there they are most likely to win the Presidency.....?

[jdobbin]

Excuse me that I don't follow American politics too much....

But isn't the New Hampshire primary the pivot point for the President? As I recall if they win there they are most likely to win the Presidency.....?

McCain won New Hampshire in 2000 and lost the leadership to Bush. It is an important primary but it is one that you can win and still lose the nomination.

Edited January 14, 2008 by jdobbin

[Michael Bluth]

But isn't the New Hampshire primary the pivot point for the President? As I recall if they win there they are most likely to win the Presidency.....?

Bill Clinton and George W. are the only Presidents since 1952 to win the White House without winning NH, both in their first runs at the White House.

There have been a few more people who have won their party nomination while losing NH and the Presidential election.

If someone other than Hillary or McCain wins the Presidency it will probably be interpreted as further evidence of NH becoming far less important. However, if one of those two do win the White House it will 1992 and 2000 will probably be seen as aberrations.