So, how'd the pundits do in 2008?

[underpants]

"If (Hillary Clinton)gets a race against John Edwards and Barack Obama, she's going to be the nominee. Gore is the only threat to her ... Barack Obama is not going to beat Hillary Clinton in a single democratic primary. I'll predict that right now." - Bill Kristol, "Fox News Sunday" -- Dec. 17, 2006

On Hillary Clinton: "The Democrats are going to choose a nominee. I believe it's going to be her. That's their business…But I think she's going to be the nominee." - Karl Rove, "Fox News Sunday" - Aug. 19, 2007

"In this case conventional wisdom is not just wrong but comically so. (Fred) Thompson will win the Republican nomination for two reasons. First, he's a very impressive candidate. Second, there's no realistic alternative. He will win the general election for the same two reasons." - Peter Mulhern, Real Clear Politics - Oct. 1, 2007

"I think it's probably going to be Romney for the Republicans, Hillary for the Democrats." - Ann Coulter, "Hannity & Colmes" on Fox News - Dec. 20, 2007

"I think it's worth imagining a certain scenario. Imagine the Democrats do rally around Obama. Imagine the media invests as heavily in him as I think we all know they will if he's the nominee - and then imagine he loses. I seriously think certain segments of American political life will become completely unhinged. I can imagine the fear of this social unraveling actually aiding Obama enormously in 2008. Forget Hillary's inevitability. Obama has a rendezvous with destiny, or so we will be told. And if he's denied it, teeth shall be gnashed, clothes rent and prices paid." - Jonah Goldberg, National Review - Jan. 4, 2008

"We'll win Florida. It's an unconventional strategy, but I've never followed conventional wisdom before; it's always worked." - Rudy Giuliani, the Washington Post - Jan. 12, 2008

A source with "direct knowledge" of Hillary to Bill Richardson concerning Obama: “He cannot win, Bill. He cannot win." - Hillary Clinton, ABC News -- April 3, 2008

On McCain's vice-presidential choice: "My guess is he's going to win Florida by himself. And Charlie Crist, of course, would seal it, but McCain will win it by himself. Jindal is a tremendously popular figure with conservatives. He's a traditionalist Catholic, Chris. But I just don't see McCain going to Louisiana. I agree with Norah on that. I think Romney is somewhat more likely because I think McCain is going to go north." - Pat Buchanan, MSNBC's "Hardball With Chris Matthews" -- May 21, 2008

"And when you look at the serious questions that face us, whether it's energy or the economy, or the war on terror, I think John McCain's experience ends up being something that will win the race for him." - Rudy Giuliani, MSNBC's "Road to the White House" -- Aug. 6, 2008

"We live in a dangerous world. And we need a president who understands the lessons of September 11, 2001: that to protect America, we must stay on the offense, stop attacks before they happen, and not wait to be hit again. The man we need is John McCain … When the debates have ended and all the ads have run and it is time to vote, Americans will look closely at the judgment, the experience, and the policies of the candidates - and they will cast their ballots for the McCain-Palin ticket." - President Bush, Republican National Convention - Sept. 2, 2008

"I think Virginians are really getting fired up for this ticket of McCain and Palin … but the key issues of Virginia: national security, energy security, lower taxes, and that's why I think ultimately John McCain will win here in Virginia." - George Allen, the "Today" show -- Sept. 24, 2008

"So, despite the rapture of college students and the registration of the homeless in Ohio, the common sense of Americans will override curiosity about Barack Obama and infatuation with his celebrity, and trust John McCain to pilot the country for the next four years ... America is a great and good nation, and it will not turn itself over to a party in the grip of its hardest left cadres, its most corrupt machine and its least experienced nominee ever. Especially not when it has a man of enormous courage and proven devotion and sacrifice at the ready to lead through difficult times." - Hugh Hewitt, Townhall.com -- Oct. 3, 2008

"I believe we need to prevail in Pennsylvania for John to win. And I think we will … I think John made an excellent choice. I've been with Gov. Palin. I've seen her energize the crowds. I know how the Republican Party and the base feels about her. John wasn't looking for a candidate to help in one state, he was looking for a candidate to help in all 50. I think he found that running mate." - Tom Ridge, CNN -- Oct. 28, 2008

To London Telegraph: "I think (Obama has)been dead in the water since the primaries. He is going to need to be up 10 to 12 points to win by 3 or 4 … Don't forget that Hillary winning was a foregone conclusion, too. If the polls had been right it would have been Giuliani versus Hillary. That's why polls a year out are worthless."

On his radio program: "My gut hadn't been giving me any indication on this race, but it started talking to me last night … Barack is headed back to Iowa. That should be a lock; it’s a dead heat … Florida, Ohio and Nevada look like pretty good McCain certainties here. Obama still has to run ads in California." - Rush Limbaugh, interview with London Telegraph and on his radio program -- Oct. 31, 2008

http://freeinternetpress.com/story.php?sid=19041

[NRaleighLiberal]

1. Hah! Jonah - right activity (clothes rented), but wrong renter!

Obama has a rendezvous with destiny, or so we will be told. And if he's denied it, teeth shall be gnashed, clothes rent and prices paid." - Jonah Goldberg, National Review - Jan. 4, 2008

Perfect GOP style talking point - "no one could have forseen the shopping spree of Sarah Palin" (come to think of it, no one could have forseen Palin!)

[Yukari Yakumo]

2. Who's the next to last quote from? {nt}

uguu

[underpants]

6. Rush in an interview-on Halloween

Limbaugh Predicts McCain Victory
NewsMax ^ | October 31, 2008 | David A. Patten

Posted on Friday, October 31, 2008 7:39:03 PM by 2ndDivisionVet

Talk radio giant Rush Limbaugh says that Sen. John McCain will score a stunning upset over Sen. Barack Obama and win the presidency on Nov. 4.

In an interview with London Telegraph correspondent Nigel Farndale published Friday, Limbaugh said the mainstream media has been pushing Obama’s candidacy because “They want to be able to say they did it if Obama wins.”

To which Farndale countered, “Well, he is going to win, isn’t he?”

Limbaugh’s response: “No, I don’t see it Nigel. I think been dead in the water since the primaries. He is going to need to be up 10 to 12 points to win by 3 or 4.”

The latest “poll of polls” on RealClearPolitics.com showed Obama leading by 6.4 percent.

“Don’t forget,” Limbaugh said according to Farndale, “that Hillary winning was a foregone conclusion, too. If the polls had been right it would have been Giuliani versus Hillary. That’s why polls a year out are worthless.”

Limbaugh also told the correspondent that Obama has erred by “going around as the acting president. “It’s off-putting,” Limbaugh said, adding, “Unionized blue-collar Democrats didn’t vote for him, they voted for Hillary.”

On Friday, Limbaugh stopped just short of outright predicting a McCain triumph during his program.

“My gut hadn’t been giving me any indication on this race, but it started talking to me last night,” he told listeners. “Barack is headed back to Iowa. That should be a lock; it’s a dead heat.

(Excerpt) Read more at newsmax.com ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2121316/posts

[Alter Ego]

10. Ah, Rush...everything he says is wrong.

[DBoon]

3. jonah needs a rendezvous with the unemployment line

nt

[blue_onyx]

4. Pundits are simply making guesses, like we do

They just get paid to do it. I've never put much faith into what a pundit says....clearly many of these statements validate my instinct to ignore them.

[THUNDER HANDS]

5. makes me feel smarter

since I predicted Obama would win this thing in a landslide for over a year.

Of course, I wasn't perfect, I also said the GOP would nominate Huckabee - which, looking back on it, they still SHOULD have done.

[democracy1st]

7. and these are the idiots spreading BS on a daily basis

[Antennas]

8. I LOATHE Jonah Golberg.

That fat fucking douche.

[underpants]

9. He and Byron York

are the Wonder Twins of Douchebaggery

[Alcibiades]

11. Screw the pundits--what did political scientists say?

As a political scientists, I am amazed anyone listens to the bloviating asshats. You want to know about the economy? Ask an economist. You want to know about politics? Ask a political scientist.

There's a whole little subfield in American Politics dedicated to election forecasting. The current top model is the "time for change model," which has always been correct in recent elections. Months ago, Alan Abramowitz made a point prediction: Obama would win 54.3% of the major-party vote versus 45.7% for John McCain.

Pundits go with their gut. Political scientists use data to develop and test falsifiable theories and models of political behavior. No one is bolder than those who work in election forecasting, because they risk being wrong (as a political theorist, I take little risk myself in this regard.)

A big salute to all the forecasters who worked so hard to forecast this election--most of you guys were right, and some were spot-on! Even the worst model developed by academic political scientists was better than the crap pulled out of thin air by the overpaid punditocracy. Election forecasters, I salute you!

:patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot:

[ErinBerin84]

12. here's what another bozo said ....Scarborough

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-mitchell/when-joe-scarborough-pred_b_141380.html


SCARBOROUGH: "Even before the final votes were tallied in the 2006 elections, politicians started lining up for the 2008 presidential sweepstakes. Without further ado, let me kill Hamlet in the first act and tell you how your favorite candidate will fare over the next 12 months.

"Barack Obama: Forget the fact this guy's middle name is 'Hussein.' Forget the fact he has been in national politics for less than two years. Forget the fact that Hillary Clinton will raise more money than God in 2007. Forget all of that, the Washington press tells us, because Barack Obama is none other than the second coming of JFK.

"Yeah, right. Barack Hussein Obama is more Johnny Bravo than John Kennedy. The vest fits and the fans scream while DC's star-maker machinery shifts into overdrive."

"Like Peter Brady's Bravo, Obama's shot at the top will be short lived. But since BHO is young enough, dynamic enough and (just) black enough to whip official Washington into a frenzy, expect this stupid story to stick around for a while. Soon enough though, this year's model will be shouting, "Please give a warm Chicago welcome to the next President of the United States, Hillary Clinton!'"

Then he went on to his Hillary assessment:

"Cheering for New York's junior senator excites Democratic activists about as much as rooting for General Electric. Regardless of their hand wringing, Hillary Inc. will grind up and spit out any Democratic challenger that gets in its way. Ms. Clinton has completed six ruthlessly efficient years in the U.S. Senate and avoided even a whiff of scandal since Bubba moved to a separate zip code. But that doesn't mean the problematic ex-president won't be her campaign's chief asset. Time and again throughout the next few years, Bill Clinton will make the difference on fundraising, networking and strategy. And 2007 will show that any politico who dares to cross Team Clinton risks being crushed into dust."

[Every Man A King]

13. Also McSame guaranteed the election

and Lieberman guaranteed Washington State.

[Phredicles]

14. I believe Kristol's unblemished record of wrongness goes back to

Jan. '69 when, in a pre-Super Bowl III debate with Joe Namath, he guaranteed that the Colts would beat the Jets.;)