Well, ABC just called Florida red, which still means that it’s up to Ohio, but more importantly means that if Senator Kerry wins Ohio on the count, a successful court challenge gives the White House back to Our Only President and his cronies. Of course, ABC could be wrong.
You know, I’m going to try to sleep. Nothing that I find out in the next four hours will make any difference in what I should do in the next seven, which is sleep. If I can. With luck, I won’t add any new notes until morning.
I haven’t given up, by the way, but I’m ... going to bed.
,
-Vardibidian.
You sure you don’t want to change that title to “tomorrow belongs to me”?
Predictions? Here’s some guesses:
1. Federal anti-gay marriage amendment pushed hard for 2006 elections. It’s a winning issue for the Republican party. They won’t want it on state ballots for 2005 or 2007, because they want to ride its coattails in 06 or 08.
2. Compromise reached to allow some drilling in ANWAR. It’ll be a truly small amount of exploratory drilling at first — the damage won’t be from the rigs they put in, but from the enormous amount of roads they build and land they clear, all out of proportion to the amount of drilling they’re supposed to be preparing for.
3. New Secretary of State by early spring 2005. Maybe Wolfowitz. Rewards him, sends a message to our enemies (Iran, North Korea, Old Europe, New England).
4. Prominent appointment for Craig Benson, if he wants it. FCC, education, TSA, or ambassador.
5. Prominent appointment for Phil Crane. He wants it. Won’t be an ambassador.
6. Greg Walcher appointment to Dept of Interior, National Parks Service, or similar.
7. Iraqi elections on schedule in January. Less than 80% of country able to hold elections.
8. Supreme Court appointments: at least 2 in 2005. Rehnquist, obviously. O’Connor, unless someone beats her to retirement. She’ll wait until Rehnquist’s replacement is seated, though. Ashcroft would have been right person to replace Rehnquist, but not as Bush’s first nomination. Scalia will be named Chief Justice. One of the two replacements will be a moderate on many political views, selected for his devoutness.
9. No military draft. Significantly increased bonuses for enlistment in 2005.
10. Pullout of at least 10,000 US troops from South Korea in 2005. Exception is if Kim Jong-Il dies.
11. Some governor will attempt to get his National Guard troops out of Iraq after a major loss of life there. Justification will be a pressing need for them in the state, perhaps due to a major city’s failure to ratify a contract with their police union. Governor will become a folk hero in his state, but troops will not come home.
12. Cheney replaced during term with whoever Republicans want to run in 2008.
Others?