How the 2012 Presidential election will play out...

[BolivarianHero]

2010:

GOP makes some slight gains in the House and Senate offset by easy Democratic gubernatorial pick-ups in Vermont, Rhode Island, and Minnesota. Sarah Palin is featured heavily in important GOP races. GOP pundits proclaim decisive victory and that the Obama presidency has been discredited. In Alabama, Bob Riley is term limited, and former chief justice of the state supreme court Roy Moore is able to win a plurality in the open GOP gubernatorial primary. In something of an upset, Moore narrowly defeats his Democratic opponent.

2012:

Conservatives see the routine results of 2009 and 2010 as a decisive victory for their wing of the GOP, and are successfully able to get Sarah Palin nominated for the Presidential ticket. As every competent GOP adviser backed Romney in the primary and every marginally-competent GOP adviser alienated her in 2008, she surrounded herself with religious lunatics and various hard-right sycophants. Following their moranic advice, she picks Alabama governor Roy Moore to be her running mate. Expectedly, they run an embarrassing campaigned characterized by gaffes and by right-wing lunacy. Obama-Biden run a low-key campaign and coast to a landslide that puts Roosevelt to shame. Limbaugh dies of a heart attack, as the clogged arteries coupled with the shock of the results are too much for his system to take, and Beck dies of a broken heart. Palin is discredited, her family life finally falls apart, and she retires lonely and bitter. Moore retires from politics and continues heading right-wing fringe movements that only religious wackos and kooky militia groups give a fuck about.

[cali]

1. this kind of crystal ball gazing is just idiotic

too much can happen between now and 2012. I can tell you flat out that your prediction about VT is off. We have a gubernatorial race next year and if Brian Dubie wins- and a lot of smart analysts here think he will, he'll likely win in 2012 as well.

And anyone who doesn't think that Sarah Palin can, under the right circumstances, win the presidency, is just wrong.

[knightinwhitesatin]

11. If Sarah Palin wins

then the Mayans got it right.

[livetohike]

13. Welcome to DU!

:hi:

[knightinwhitesatin]

15. Thanks I'll try to be polite

even if you are a Steelers fan......;-)

[elocs]

2. In 2005 who would ever have predicted how 2008 would turn out?

:shrug:

[derby378]

3. All I know is how 2011 will play out...

Health Insurance Reform, Round 2 will take place as Congress scrambles to undo the damage from the 2009 "reform" package.

[AllentownJake]

4. Yes and in 2006 Hillary Clinton was an unstoppable force

and destined for the Presidency.

In 2005 the current President himself wasn't even entertaining a Presidential run.

Rudy Guilianni was a big time contender one of the top 2 candidates

Keep speculating on the future of 2012, it is about as productive as Mayan prophecy.

[GreenStormCloud]

5. I think you have your crystal ball set to see your daydreams, not to the future.

Three years is a lifetime in politics. In 1977, nobody gave Reagan any serious consideration. In 1980, he trounced Carter so badly that Carter conceded while the polls were still open in the Western states.

Personally, I do not consider Palin to be a signifigant force either, but then I didn't consider Reagan to be a signifigant force in 1977.

[Libertas1776]

6. "Coast to a landslide that puts Roosevelt to shame"

Uh, I don't know about that one. I don't see the Obama-Biden ticket raking in a difference of 523 electoral votes to GOP opponents 8.

[bluestateguy]

7. I think we will pick up California and Hawaii governorships

and lose Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee and perhaps a few others that do not come to mind right now.

Arizona is also a possible pickup. Even Rasmussen has Goddard ahead of Brewer.

[Ishoutandscream2]

8. You know that there's some humor here

Some of you really need to lighten up.

[JohnnyLib2]

9. Whew, I'm relieved.

That will be a good way for the world to end, eh?

[peace frog]

10. All of the above are possible

with these exceptions: Limbaugh dies of a heart attack,,,and Beck dies of a broken heart.
Neither of these two zombies has a heart to break. Otherwise, your speculations are as good as any at this time.

[HughMoran]

12. Thanks for the chuckle

I wonder if those who criticize it actually read it - very funny :)

[livetohike]

14. In 2012 Palin wins the GOP nomination and then quits before

election day :-).