Happy 2008 folks! I hope you all enjoyed the holiday season. The fine people at S&P sure did (evidenced by our absence since Xmas-Eve).

I’d like to make my first post of the year one where I can look back and say, “Why the hell did I put that in writing? I’m an idiot.” So, let’s make some predictions!

• The Democrats will have their nominee by 2/6. The Republicans will not settle until at least March, throwing off conventional wisdom and the historical reliance on anointed kings by the GOP.
• The Dems will nominate Barack Obama, who will wait until late spring to choose his running mate… Chris Dodd. The Republcans will nominate Rudy Giuliani, who will immediately tab Mike Huckabee as his VP candidate.
• More reports of steroid use in baseball will trickle out, leaving everyone wholly unsatisfied and still incredibly skeptical of every player out there
• Isiah Thomas will not be fired. MSG might be burned down… I will have an alibi.
• Rock and Roll will not make a glorious comeback. Not even close.
• The spring/summer movie season will mark a return of the blockbuster, with Batman, Superman, and Indiana Jones driving people to the theaters in droves.
• The writer’s strike will last until early summer. Television audiences will not dwindle much, but television quality will be at an all time low.
• The Patriots will go undefeated… but they won’t be playing the Packers or Cowboys in the Super Bowl.
• Stewart and Colbert will not be as good without their writers.
• Congress will pass very few major laws, bogged down in election season.
• Global warming will not be solved… that’ll happen in 2009.
• Wage gaps will increase, but so will our GDP.
• The Iraq war will continue, but troop levels will decrease giving the Administration another “success” to trumpet.
• We will not go to war with Iran. That’ll happen in 2009, if I am wrong and John McCain is elected.
• Tom Brady will have another illegitimate child… potentially by Brendan.
• The Yankees and Red Sox will provide us with one of the best seasons in their rivalry. Why? They BOTH have pitching.
• Johan Santana will not be a Yankee. Nor a Red Sox (Sock?).
• Eli Manning and the Giants will storm out to a 7-1 start, with pundits saying he’s “turned the corner” only to then sputter and go 3-5 in the second half, raising questions once again.
• The Senate will turn more to the Democrats for a second cycle in a row, lead by two Udalls , Mark Warner, and a surprise win in Alaska. The Democrats will also pick up seats in the House – although not as many as generally expected – thanks to the mass retirements of Republicans.
• Barack Obama will be elected President.
• S&P will grow, but I still won’t be famous.

Go ahead, tell me how wrong I am.