Mon
Dec 31 2007
04:51 pm

Sandra Clark has some over at the Halls Shopper, in which she runs down the 2008 elections from top to bottom, plus an interesting prediction re. Knox Co. Mayor Mike Ragsdale. (I predict she is wrong about John Owings, but what do I know?)

Bonus: Betty Bean names her Person of the Year. Extra: Larry Van Guilder has an accounting lesson.

So, what are your predictions for 2008? Post them in comments...

bill young's picture

ole Casey on predictions

Casey Stengel:"Never make predictions,especially about the future."

But here goes

I think Tyree can win the sheriffs race.

Sandra Clark's picture

Tyree

Hey, Bill -- How can Tyree win the Sheriff's race?

He doesn't have the "villain" that was Hutchison to run against.

Randy hasn't worked in law enforcement in the last 25 years ... and he can't make a case to be a financial manager. He's not a fresh face.

Knox County Democrats missed a real opportunity this year -- for sheriff, law director, assessor and trustee. You'd think there would be some Young Democrats or young attorneys who would give it a shot. -- s.

R. Neal's picture

I predict: After doing

I predict:

After doing poorly in Iowa, Hillary will agree to be GOP nominee Fred Thompson's running mate.

Kucinich will sweep the primaries and go on to a landslide victory in November with Ron Paul as his running mate.

All of this will happen right after the housing market recovers, 30 year fixed rate mortgages are 2.5%, gas is 59 cents per gallon, and Bush catches Osama bin Laden.

Harold Ford Jr. will switch parties, challenge Lamar Alexander in the primary, win by running ads featuring a lumberjack in a red flannel shirt telling Alexander to "call me," and go on to lose in the November general election to Bob Clement.

Scooby Moore will lose in his bid for County Clerk, and demand that Jack McElroy sue for a recount.

Cortney Piper and Amy Broyles will tie for the County Commission 2-B nomination. It will be decided by a coin toss, with Mark Harmon flipping the coin and Cortney Piper hollering "foul!"

The new Hart eSlate voting machines will crash with a "register overflow" when 1st District Democrats get to the County Commission ballot screen.

Only 132 total votes will be cast in all Republican county primaries combined because voters will give up before getting through all 47 screens of presidential primary delegates preceding the county primary ballots.

Mayor Bill Haslam will be reelected in a landslide, and he won't even be on the ballot.

Blount County Mayor Jerry Cunningham will resign and open a sensitivity and anger management training school, and Judge W. Dale Young will step down from the bench and start an immigration law firm offering free services for "illegals".

fletch's picture

Dang it, my prediction for

Dang it, my prediction for Osama's capture has already been predicted, but I will qualify it. Osama will be killed or captured only if the Republican candidate is 5 or more points behind in the polls come October.

Greg Mackay's picture

I predict:

A record turnout in February besting the 51,000 who voted when Gore ran in '88.

14,356 voters reacting angrily when election workers ask them "Which primary do you want to vote in, Democrat or Republican."

12,378 voters getting mad when they realize that they can not vote for a presidntial candidate from one party and a commission candidate from another.

17,473 Republicans blaming me for putting the local candidates behind 27 pages of delegates.

This is going to be an election unlike any we have ever seen.

R. Neal's picture

This is going to be an

This is going to be an election unlike any we have ever seen.

Don't you just love it? 2008 has the potential of being a historic election year, locally and nationally.

Tess's picture

I predict apathy.

I think a lot of people have had it with the political process.

I know I have.

The electoral college decides, not the voters, as was evidenced in 2000 when Gore won the popular vote, but "W" somehow became the prez.

And, we know how that has gone.

R. Neal's picture

But, Tess, isn't 2000 (and

But, Tess, isn't 2000 (and the intervening eight years) exactly the reason voters should get more involved? Not to mention the Knox County drama.

I think that will be the case. At least I hope so.

Greg Mackay's picture

If you don't vote

If you don't vote, you don't count.

Willie Stark

WhitesCreek's picture

I'm voting

Early and often!

SammySkull's picture

If you don't vote, you don't

If you don't vote, you don't count.

That's a ridiculous thing to say. Looking back at just our local political mess it seems to me that whether or not you vote, those in charge are going to do whatever they damn well please.

Basically, if you don't have enough money to buy the politician you want then you don't count. If you're just a regular guy/gal/family, just trying to do right and get through the day while holding onto a couple of your hard earned dollars then you don't count.

Is it any wonder so many of us are disenfranchised with the system when there are no good guys left? The only presidential candidates I have any respect for are the old and goofy looking ones that aren't pandering to the middle, and they aren't electable because they aren't pretty enough and don't have enough money.

Given all the real problems we face, when people have a real chance of amending the constitution to include defense of marriage, then nothing I could possibly do counts or matters. So, yeah, I probably don't count. Thanks for pointing it out.

Tess's picture

My point is that I voted and

My point is that I voted and I didn't count. Nor did the majority.

But, carry on.

Anarchist's picture

Sometimes it's best to keep your mouth shut!

"If you don't vote, you don't count."
Submitted by Greg Mackay on Mon, 2007/12/31 - 7:37pm.

This coming from the bureaucrat that abetted the "one man, one vote" South Grove fiasco!

Yep, just ask Garrett Meek and Tim Graham!!!!!!

lovable liberal's picture

Predictions

Someone will be the Republican Presidential nominee. Before that happens, the Draft Cheney movement will have a public moment during which to scare the bejeezus out of us.

Liberty and justice for all.

My new home

rocketsquirrel's picture

If you don't vote, you don't

If you don't vote, you don't count.

Hey Greg, where's my write-in vote from the last election? You didn't count it!

Time to fix the write-in process so that even ONE write-in is still counted.

Oh, and have you fixed your new Hart Intercivics yet? See yesterday's Computerworld article here. "Tests in Ohio Point to E-voting Insecurities."

Anonymous's picture

My guess is that Greg's

My guess is that Greg's still trying to track this one down:

(link...) ,

but if you gave him some clues, that might help.

Johnny Ringo's picture

Actually...

We're still meeting to decide whether or not to steal this election. We'll try to keep you posted.

Lots of love for the New Year,

Your friends at the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy

Michael's picture

Time to fix the write-in

Time to fix the write-in process so that even ONE write-in is still counted.

I'm with you there. But that's gotta happen via our legislation which consists of established incumbents who have no incentive to do so.

lovable liberal's picture

Write-ins

One-vote write-ins only delay tallies and help Johnny Ringo's VWRC steal elections. [ /snark ]

But they mainly annoy the hell out of election workers.

Liberty and justice for all.

My new home

rocketsquirrel's picture

yeah well not counting my

yeah well not counting my write-in vote annoys the hell out of me. Sometimes a write-in vote is used to send a message. It is constitutional, and should be counted. Not counting them also reinforces the notion that one vote really doesn't matter.

lovable liberal's picture

What I know

In my small town in Massachusetts, all the crank votes are counted, but they're only reported to the press as Other unless they reach some threshold. After a while, even journalists would get tired of Mickey Mouse (3), Daffy Duck (3), Snidely Whiplash (1), Rocket J. Squirrel (1). I've been in the Other category myself - I only know that because one of the poll workers is a friend of mine.

Liberty and justice for all.

My new home

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