Legal Insurrection Authors Predict the Future, and Make a Few Resolutions
Happy New Year from all of us at LI!
Happy New Year!
With a brand new year ahead, we thought it would be fun (well, truth be told, Leslie thought it was a good idea and we agreed) to ink our 2018 predictions and share a new year’s resolution or few.
William Jacobson
Here are my predictions for 2018:
1. Republicans will pick up 4 net seats in the Senate, and hold the House with a reduced majority of 10-15.
2. Robert Mueller will bring criminal charges for obstruction (lying to federal investigators) or crimes pre-dating or unrelated to the Trump campaign against more people, but will not assert any criminal conduct with regard to “Russia collusion” or by President Trump.
3. Get ready. This is the BIG ONE. If as predicted Republicans hold the Senate and House, there will be a clamoring for a Democrat candidate who can unify and motivate the Democrat base and establishment sufficiently to defeat Donald Trump in 2020: Michelle Obama.
New Year’s Resolution: To spend less time on Twitter. It’s a horrible place, particularly with the emergence of #TheResistance Twitter stars spewing endless crap that gets retweeted tens of thousands of times. There’s something about the medium that makes me hate people I otherwise would merely dislike. (I’m sure the feeling is mutual.) And now that Twitter is going to enforce biased “hate speech” standards, it will increasingly become a place where only #TheResistance nonsense is free.
Kemberlee Kaye
2017 was a tough, life-filled year in many ways, and from what seemed like every possible direction.
Adversity always affords us the opportunity to become better people, and for that reason, I can’t bring myself to bemoan or begrudge the year that 2017 was. Through it all, we were given the opportunity to grow and learn. And in the midst of everything, I had a most awesome husband by my side and was blessed to spend my days and time with a wonderfully loving family, and a Savior whose grace is never-ending.
I know many of these lessons are still in progress, but what we’ve learned thus far has us poised to be better and do better moving forward.
I look forward to 2018 with hope and back at 2017 with humbled gratitude.
And so my 2018 predictions:
1) I will not make it through today without cussing our big dog (whom I genuinely love and adore) at least once. How is she to know every toy the baby gives her isn’t hers to eat?
2) Ted Cruz will be re-elected, putting an end to the whole “Roy Moore’s loss is a national movement” schtick.
3) Republican electoral victories will defy media narratives, and the media still won’t recognize the extent of their disconnection from reality.
New Year’s Resolution: Love and laugh more. Drink more wine. Work my way down a great classic film noir list. Spend more time outside (when it’s not flooding, snowing, freezing, or scorching). Spend more time focusing on what I do well instead of shifting into full-throttled mom-guilt for the many things left undone during this phase of mommahood.
Mary Chastain
I don’t know why people hated 2017 so much. Oh yeah…because FAILED Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump of all people. But overall, 2017 was fantastic. I wrote in our Christmas post that I loved 2017 mainly because I had my rheumatoid arthritis under control and could mostly function as a normal human being.
So now three predictions for 2018. Hmmmm….let’s see.
1. Houston Astros or Chicago Cubs will win the World Series. Do you have any idea how excited I am that my two teams are SUPER FABULOUS?!
2. Congress won’t repeal Obamacare. Why? Because when the government gets their grubby hands on something, they never let go.
3. Trump Derangement Syndrome will remain strong and it may even grow if the economy keeps growing.
My New Year’s Resolution: No breaks, sprains, torn ligaments, or failed organs. In June, I broke my left foot and hand after I fell in Kemberlee’s garage. Then in November, I fell at home and severely sprained my right ankle and partially tore ligaments in my right thumb. To add insult to injury, my gallbladder has failed. I have a consultation on January 4 to set up a surgery date to have it removed.
Fuzzy Slippers
Kemberlee has asked us for our fun and lighthearted predictions for 2018, along with a New Year’s Resolution. What a fun LI authors post idea!
Okay, here goes:
Prediction 1: President Trump takes his trolling of the media to new heights by branding the “fake news” media as lying perverts. They’ll be so outraged by his “hypocrisy” that they won’t notice when he gets Democrats to fund the wall, to support his ban on transgenders in the military, and to sign on to a market-based ObamaCare replacement bill.
Prediction 2: Democrats win the House in the 2018 midterms and get Nancy Pelosi to step down as leader by promising to funnel taxpayer money from the Congressional sexual harassment fund to the Pelosi botox-for-life slush fund.
Prediction 3: Hillary Clinton publishes a new book entitled Seriously. What the heck happened? It achieves the number one slot on the New York Times’ bestseller list, despite pathetic sales. It is finally revealed that Hillary used her stash of cash from the Uranium One deal to buy her way onto the list.
I don’t do New Year’s resolutions as a rule. Who needs the added pressure and stress of failing yet again at some wild goal that sounds good at the time? However, since it’s Kemberlee asking, I’ll do one. Just this once.
New Year’s Resolution: In 2018, I resolve to (finally) get my vegetable and herb gardens growing strong. And to somehow put my tumbling composter together even though there are no directions at all, just a diagram with Chinese notes and arrows pointing here and there.
Happy New Year everyone!
Leslie Eastman
After sampling of all the data available at the end of 2017, and doing a series of calculations, I make the following projections for 2018.
1. 2018 will be the year of the Bull…Market: The Stock Market will continue its upward trajectory, thanks to a combination of the new tax rules, American optimism, and President Trump’s emphasis on deregulation.
2. North Korea’s leader will be Kim Jong Gone: The rogue nation will be brought to heel, and “Rocket Man” will be launched for a more rational leader. My bet is that it will be done by the North Koreans themselves, inspired by the Chinese who do not want to deal with nuclear-inspired insanity on their northern border while they are trying to build market-share, nor do they desire to deal with a flood of refugees.
3. California’s gubernatorial race will be ignored: A smarter mainstream media would pay attention to what will happen in the Golden State, as Jerry Brown is term-limited out. While there is a lot of attention being paid to candidates who are generals in the state’s #WarOnTrump, many Californians who will actually be voting want someone focused more on infrastructure and pension reform. The race will become an intriguing battle for the soul of the state, and a dark horse candidate will win. It will be California’s first step away from the brink. (Note: Yes, I do realize this is a wish more than a prediction).
My New Year’s Resolution: This one requires a bit of background. Legal Insurrection fans who love sci-fi and fantasy novels may want to check out the Dresden Files series by James Butcher via our Amazon link. Magic-wielding characters, such as series protagonist Harry Dresden, have a bad effect on electronics. I must possess some magic, as my effect on computers, cell phones, and my new TV set is very annoying. My resolution is to stop yelling at my malfunctioning electronic equipment so much.
Vijeta Uniyal
Despite writing political commentary on an almost daily basis, I avoid venturing too deep into the realm of prophecy or punditry. But I will still go ahead and make three safe projections for the coming year.
Several European countries will be heading for the polls next year. Sweden, Italy, Hungary, and Slovenia will be voting for a new parliament, while Finns and Czechs will be electing their next presidents. The surge of nationalist and anti-establishment parties is expected continue in 2018 as well.
If Chancellor Merkel manages to cut a deal with the left-wing Social Democrats and secure a fourth term for herself, Germany will shift even further to the Left on the issues of mass migration and consolidation of the EU. This will only galvanize anti-establishment forces across continental Europe.
China’s ambitious ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, an intercontinental trade, and infrastructure project, will position the Asian giant at the center of the global economy. With continental Europe in disarray, China’s will be free to project its economic and diplomatic power in Eurasia, extending its current sphere of influence in that region.
The Shia-Sunni blood feud, a seventh-century Muslim succession dispute, will continue to wreaked havoc and bloodshed across the Arabia and Muslim world. With European political class staying the course on its ill-advised open doors policy, Jihad and other side-effects of Islamic civilization are going to raise their heads in the heart of Europe.
neo-neocon
My three predictions for 2018:
1. At the Oscars, most of Hollywood will manage to be self-congratulatory about its own sins.
2. There will be several articles a day in the MSM about how Donald Trump is about to have a breakdown and that everyone on the White House staff is worried. But Donald Trump will not have a breakdown.
3. We will never hear from a single one of Roy Moore’s accusers again.
My New Year’s resolution is not to make any more predictions for 2018. I may even stick to it for a few weeks.
Miriam Elman
Here are my three New Year predictions. I’m highly confident that all these things will happen (or will continue to happen) in 2018:
Prediction #1: The MSM will underreport the positive foreign and domestic accomplishments of the Trump administration, and will harp on nonsense about Trump’s private life (i.e., white trucks in front of golf courses) while ignoring major developments in the U.S. and the world (i.e., a revolution that could be underway in Iran).
Prediction #2: Israel will invent at least 5 new technologies which will be quickly bought-up, implemented and used by companies and individuals across the planet. Virulently anti-Israel and pro-BDS activists will benefit by using them too while demanding that everyone else boycott the Jewish state into oblivion.
Prediction #3: Parody accounts on Twitter will proliferate and will be the best thing about it because it’s hilarious to watch really awful and ignorant people think these accounts are real and then make complete and utter fools of themselves in tweets and RTs.
My New Year’s Resolution: learn to ski! It’s ridiculous that after living in central NY for nearly 10 years, and within an easy drive from at least a half-dozen ski resorts, I still haven’t learned. There’s a beginner’s slope near my house, where I can rent skis and gear and take some lessons. This means I’ll actually have to spend some of my weekend time outdoors, instead of inside curled up on my favorite living room recliner binge-watching a new series on Netflix—my current favorite is “Black Mirror”; season 4 is out and I highly recommend it! (Likelihood that I’ll keep my New Year’s Resolution: between 0 to 20%).
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Comments
I completely agree with all of neo-neocon’s predictions- especially #s 2 and 3. Where DOES Roy Moore go to get his reputation back? (Though I wasn’t a fan of his, by any means.)
Federal Court!
Alabama state court, as well.
But I’ve already made my prediction WRT any Moore law suits.
There was never going to be a legal resolution to his case. The allegations were chosen so they couldn’t be resolved, in classic smear fashion.
The only justice he could get was if the public refused to be gullible. They failed.
Oh, Ol’ Jail-bait has the reputation he has EARNED. It’s just been more broadly understood lately.
He’s been exposed as a liar, along with his wife.
To that, he’s added crass bully in cynically threatening lawsuits to intimidate witnesses.
Plus incredibly BAD lawyer in filing the petition he did (or allowed it to be filed).
OTOH, the ladies have been called everything but the daughters of Eve. “Liars in the pay of drug cartels” was my favorite from the nutter fringe of the right-cult.
Happy New Year to all!
I boldly predict I will cheat death for another year.
You are a lot more confidant than me bro.
Confident? I prove my point.
Happy New Year to all who are brave enough to make predictions.
Miriam, short skis are your friend when learning to ski.
….another Clif Taylor GLM fan I see….
…
If as predicted Republicans hold the Senate and House, there will be a clamoring for a Democrat candidate who can unify and motivate the Democrat base and establishment sufficiently to defeat Donald Trump in 2020: Michelle Obama.
Obviously Prof. Jacobson believes this, I find the idea a combination of stupid and frightening. This describes much of politics in a nutshell.
RE: Leslie’s #2 – North Korea’s leader will be Kim Jong Gone:
I have been thinking that Trump’s mockery of Kim is another example of how he operates. He is the open distraction so China can work under the radar to end this NK insanity.
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Thank you all at LE for your hard and very good work. Based on your past, you have set a high 2018 standard for yourselves.
A happy and prosperous new year to everyone at LI, and to the good folks in the comments section. My resolutions are to get better at the piano, overcome my fright in front of listeners, and to improve my health.
I rang out the old year by doing 25 push ups. Not bad for 55, eh?
My resolution is to ring out the next with 100. Assuming I’m still alive and kicking.
I tip my hat to you. I’m working on weight, finishing prostate cancer therapy, and enjoying my new home.
I tip my hat to you, sir, and all those going through more difficulties than I.
I mean, if I’m 55 and can do 25 push ups, that must mean I have lots of time to waste.
To all LI authors: Please update us as your predictions/hopes come to fruition, or are dashed.
I realize it as low-hanging fruit, but my prediction (fwiw) is that the rinos and never-Trumpers up for election will head for the tall grass until after the vote next fall. They will try to fool their constituencies…..again.
My wish for this year is that at least some of them will get tossed in the primaries.
I predict that Jeff Sessions will step down and become a professor of power napping at UC-Davis.
As much as I’d like to be up[beat, this year, I don’t think that is going to happen.
US domestic politics will be a mess this year. 1)
The Dems will pull out the dirty tricks play book and the libs and progs will continue their war on traditional American society. The only upside will be that more of the Trump promised agenda will be delivered.
2)The “states rights” liberal revolution against immigration enforcement will end in a reversal of anti-illegal immigration political policies at the state and local level. This will also result in a strengthening of the Federally dominated United States. Not necessarily a good thing.
3)The anti-NHWM attacks will continue, for a while, but will peter out in a few months as the common people become tired of the unsupported claims of “sexual harassment”.
4)The Mueller “investigation” will collapse by mid-year, as the inquiry into illegal actions of the Obama administration increases. In the meantime, attacks against the Trump administration will increase as people, who will be affected by the Obama scandals, try to protect themselves.
The important stage will be international.
1) KJI will likely be removed from office. NK will adopt a calmer international face to get the necessities flowing from China again.
2)China will let the Panda mask slip and threaten Taiwan anew, in an effort to stave off American opposition to its expansion in Asia. Tensions will increase, but the Panda mask will be replaced to allow China to maintain its access to American markets.
3)American markets will become more important to foreign manufacturers as religious tensions in Europe will likely result in wide spread disturbances as well as “civil war” between Muslim and non-Muslim residents in several countries. National governments have already created a situation where they have significant Muslim populations which are not productive and which have been granted special privileges not available to the long-time residents of those countries. A public backlash is under weigh and growing. This will likely result in two distinct ways in which the government there will react. It will either 1)crackdown on the Muslim population or the non-Muslim population or 2) do nothing at all. Any of these positions will lead to the same result; increased violence. Antisemitism is being allowed to re-emerge in European nations as a scapegoat to distract anti-Muslim sentiment.
4) Turkey will emerge as the new Muslim strongman in the Middle Eastern region.
All of this will mean greater challenges for the US, in the coming years.
Now, these are merely MY whimsical possibilities for the new year and I’m no Nostradamus. Whether any of this will come to pass or, if it does, will prove to be good or bad for the people of the United States has yet to be seen. But it will make for interesting times.
Happy New Year, y’all.
Mr. Mac45: As usual, a thoughtful and thought-provoking set of predictions. You humbly refer to them as “whimsical,” but each is plausible and debatable on wholly historical and factual grounds.
Sir, my hat is off to you. Let’s see how you do.
In particular, your prediction of dem “dirty tricks” and the libs political agenda will certainly be true.
I fervently share your hope that President Trump and Congress will quickly advance his agenda.
To ME:
by all means – learn how to ski.
A good empathic instructor is, by far, the most import part of learning.
I started to learn at age 44 (every single weekend!); by 46 I still hadn’t gotten off the bunny slope, but by then I was teaching groups of 15 never-evers the joys of skiing (half fun/half falling ).