2008 Predictions

[gtalum]

1) Hillary Clinton wins the 2008 presidential election
2) Her running mate is John Edwards
3) GOP claims election stolen
4) Smoking wreckage of GOP allows moderates to regain leadership of party from neocons
5) Mild economic recession hits for 1 or 2 quarters in US
6) Housing and mortgage crisis hits bottom and begins slow rebound in 3rd or 4th quarter
7) people I disagree with go crazy with yet another slow tropical season in terms of US landfalls
8) Anthropogenic global warming frenzy continues with the usual suspects continuing to build fortunes on the premise and people taking illogical steps in a vain attempt to affect the climate

[Beam]

Here are my calls; some that are quite likely to happen, some that are hunches based on current trends, and some that are just complete speculation.

In no particular order:

1. Barack Obama wins the 2008 US presidential election.

2. Britney Spears dies. (When she first did the whole head-shaving thing I said "Wow, this girl is gonna kill herself." I stand by that prediction. Amy Winehouse is a no-brainer, too.)

3. Foreign issues such as the Iranian nuclear program and the war in Iraq stay mostly the same as in 2007, as the Bush administration and the Democratic congress remain at odds with one another.

4. An outbreak of a contagious virus. It could be a new strain of avian flu or something relatively out of the blue like SARS. It will not, however, become a global pandemic.

5. 2008 goes down as the hottest year on record in the United States, with more baking heat, more drought, and more wildfires. Atlanta and other southeastern communities run out of water by fall, with devastating economic effects. Relief efforts from the government are largely ineffective. No end in sight by 2009.

6. At the same time, 2008 is a banner year for severe storms and tornadoes in the Great Plains, with outbreaks comparable to those of April/May 2003.

7. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, son of the late Benazir Bhutto, meets the same fate as his mother as the violence and unrest in Pakistan continues to increase. (edit: or not. Thanks Chacor)

8. The 2008 Atlantic hurricane season gets off to an early start with at least one storm forming before June. The season itself is average, or slightly above.

9. The WGA strike gradually diffuses sometime in spring with no definitive resolution, as desperation from both sides eventually leads to some sort of shaky agreement in order to keep the Guild intact. Hit television shows such as LOST, House, 24, Heroes, and others are all heavily delayed.

10. Analog television broadcasts all over the country almost entirely disappear by year's end as the February 2009 cutoff date draws near.

11. Gasoline: $5.00/gallon or more in many areas this summer.

12. The US housing market sees little to no improvement over 2007

and finally, for major disaster points:

13. A coastline somewhere in the world is devastated by a large tsunami. Nothing like 12/26/04, but a catastrophe nonetheless.

Hopefully I'm wrong on a lot of these.

[Chacor]

The Bilawal one won't happen, as he's only in his first year at university in the UK, where he will finish his studies before returning to Pakistan...

[Beam]

The Bilawal one won't happen, as he's only in his first year at university in the UK, where he will finish his studies before returning to Pakistan...

Whoops, scratch that then. I should probably research where the hell people are before I presage their demise.

D'oh!

[gtalum]

The Bilawal one won't happen, as he's only in his first year at university in the UK, where he will finish his studies before returning to Pakistan...

Whoops, scratch that then. I should probably research where the hell people are before I presage their demise.

D'oh!

You never know though. Perhaps he will be killed in a riot at a fish and chips stand.

[Cyclone1]

-A very strong tornado will effect downtown Kansas City.

Tornado outbreak in Missouri. Got that part right at least. That's kinda creepy.

[Beam]

Tornado outbreak in Missouri. Got that part right at least. That's kinda creepy.

Looks like mine's off to a great start, too:

6. At the same time, 2008 is a banner year for severe storms and tornadoes in the Great Plains, with outbreaks comparable to those of April/May 2003.

Not quite that bad yet, but if the 1/7-8 outbreak is a harbinger of the spring storm season to come, hang on to your hats.

[Chacor]

Fidel will step down in 2008 as President but remain a member of the Cuban assembly, with Raul taking over.

Score.

[angelwing]

Kinda late but I'll take a shot

1-Phillies will win the World Series
2-Mike Huckabee will be elected president
3-Packers will win the Super Bowl
4-Major hurricane will hit NYC
5-New Madrid will have a 6.7 EQ

There are my fantasy predictions for 2008

[Cyclone1]

Nice one, Chacor.

[Tampa Bay Hurricane]

I will get rejected by at least one girl of the girls
I ask out this year.
That happened last year and the year before...
oh well!!!!

[Stephanie]

3) There will be two major snow events for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast during January and February.

Well, do I get a partial? The Northeast has been quite snowy. The Mid-Atlantic has not.

[Cyclone1]

Well... it hasn't really been a "snow event", more like a "snoy past couple of weeks." When you say event, people think 1993, 1996 storms and such.

No points.

J/k

[coriolis]

Tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes will happen in various places.

Kids will be kids.

[Stephanie]

Well... it hasn't really been a "snow event", more like a "snoy past couple of weeks." When you say event, people think 1993, 1996 storms and such.

No points.

J/k

Yeah, I know - thought I'd try!

[Tampa_God]

My predictions:

2008 US Elections:
-Hillary pulls out narrowly ahead of Obama for the nomination
-McCain chooses Guilliani as Running Mate
-Hillary chooses Edwards, after days of suspensions that she would be picking Obama.
-McCain is named the Presidential winner, but it's too narrow to call, and Hillary asks for a recount.-McCain is still called the winner.

War in Iraq:
-While the Battle in Iraq is still happening, the tension between the Kurds and Turks increase.
-Assassination of a major US politician.
-Iraqi Government gets frustrated with the US, threatens to vote the US out.

Weather/Natural Events:
- The Atlantic Hurricane Season will see 16/9/4
- Wstern Europe will see a moderate heat wave, with France and Spain reaching into the 100's
- Earthquake strikes Northern Japan with a magnitude of 7.7
- A 5.9 mag. earthquake will strike Northeast of L.A.
- A Major Hurricane will strike Florida
- South America will experience it's hottest winter in record
- China will experience a major flood, around the 2008 Olympics.

Other World Events:
-Russia and US tensions grow extremely worse, with construction of Defense System in Poland, Russia threatens to point missiles tioward Europe
-Prime Minister/President allied with the US dies of health conditions
-Fidel Castro dies in July/August
-Major plane crash in France
-Major plot is foiled in NYC that was aimed towards bombing the transportation systems in NYC, Chicago, LA, and DC.
-Dow Jones falls 500 pts in May, with another 350 pts in the Summer
- Cure is developed for a major heart condition
-New species is found near Indonesia, new bear species.
- Hollywood actor is announced to be pregnant with Triplets


I think I'm done

[somethingfunny]

BUMP. Everyone step up and see how you did! Good riddance, 2008....don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya!

[Brent]

1. John McCain will be elected President of the United States, beating Hillary Clinton in the general election by a sizable margin.(Giuliani's whole strategy of not winning anything til Florida and Super Tuesday will backfire)

FAIL

2. Situation in Iraq will continue to improve but in Pakistan it will get much worse and will be a major issue in the Presidential campaign.

Well Iraq did improve.

3. The asteroid will narrowly miss Mars on January 30th(may have to rethink this icon_razz.gif )

Correct

4. Small recession in the U.S. economy early in the spring due to the housing crisis.

More than a "small recession" and it got much worse much later than spring.

5. Famous Hollywood actor will die

Pick one.

6. Major earthquake will strike California

Incorrect

7. Active hurricane season with at least one major hurricane a serious threat to the U.S. mainland.

Correct

8. A large tornado will affect a major U.S. city

Well there was the Atlanta tornado, but I wouldn't consider it "large"

9. There will be major relief from the drought in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic

Correct

10. There will be a collision between two airplanes in the U.S., at least one a large jet.

Incorrect.

11. Writers strike will drag on til the summer, when scripted TV does return late in the year, there will be much less of it.

Fortunately incorrect.

12. O.J. Simpson will finally be found guilty(we can hope)

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!

[Category 5]

4. Florida and Oklahoma will run the table in College Football and go to next years national title game.

Well I got that last part right.

[Cyclenall]

-A wind record will be set this year, from either a tornado, a tropical cyclone, or another wind force, either way, a wind record will be broken.

*comes out of trance*

Okay there are my pure-psychic predictions, if they all come true, you can see my show in Vegas in January, 2009. The Amazing Psychlone1!!

I thought this was one of the more impressive predictions of 2008 in this thread! The wind gust from Gustav (which is looking less likely to be an error based on what I have seen) was it. Well done!

I thought I posted in this thread my predictions? .