The most egregiously BAD (and wrong) political predictions of 2019

By Jon Dougherty

(TNS) If anything, Washington D.C. is filled with egos belonging to people who believe they are the smartest of the smart.

That includes political leaders, consultants, analysts, and especially media types. No one knows more thanÂ theyÂ do about the real play in the nation’s capital.

So when they make forecasts and predictions, lots of Americans listen to them. After all, they are ‘in the know.’ They have the ‘inside scoop.’

Except that, in most cases, they don’t. These people are simply talking out of their you-know-whats because that’s largely how they make their living: Prognosticating and pontificating about all things political.

Well, another year has come and gone, and POLITICO assembled a list of political predictions and forecasts that failed to materialize in 2019.

You can read the whole list (here) but we picked out some of the most egregiously incorrect examples. They are (in no particular order):

— Kamala Harris will win the Democratic presidential nomination

Predicted by:Â Myra Adams,Â Real Clear Politics

This wasnâ€™t implausible when it was predicted in January, during Harrisâ€™ highly regarded presidential campaign rollout, but the California senator didnâ€™t even make it to the end of 2019 as a candidate, dropping out of the race on Dec. 3.

We never thought Harris would win the Democratic nomination.

— Joe Biden wonâ€™t run for president

Predicted by:Â Ari Fleischer

Joe Biden entered the Democratic primary in April, and he has consistently led national polls since.

A) Biden can’t beat President Trump; B) Biden must have thought Americans could use a good laugh.

— â€œBy the end of 2019, the president of the United States will be Nancy Pelosiâ€

Predicted by:Â Stephen Kinzer,Â Boston Globe

Even as Speaker Nancy Pelosi flexed her power this yearâ€”deftly navigating impeachment with limited public blowback against Democrats (at least so far)â€”she remains third in line for the Oval Office (behind Trump and Vice President Mike Pence), no closer to becoming president than she was at the start of 2019.

“Deftly?” “Limited public blowback?” Seriously? A) Trump’s approval ratings areÂ climbing because of the partisan Democrat impeachment; B) That includes among blacks; C) I’ll be president before Nancy Pelosi.

https://twitter.com/alx/status/1198643746696572928

— â€œBeto Oâ€™Rourke will be the next president of the United Statesâ€

Predicted by:Â Lee DrutmanÂ (severalÂ times) and a great many others

For a time in late 2018 and early 2019, it plausibly looked like Beto Oâ€™Rourke was the future of the Democratic Party. CNNâ€™s S.E. Cupp, James Gagliano, Joey Jackson, Scott Jennings, Roxanne Jones, Peniel Joseph, Jen Psaki and Alice StewartÂ each predictedÂ that he would be leading the polls of Democratic presidential candidates at the end of this year.

That prediction turned out to be as real as S.E. Cupp’s conservative bona fides.

— Mueller will â€œexonerate Trump,â€ â€œimplicate the Deep Stateâ€ and â€œforever legitimize his presidencyâ€

Predicted by:Â Bill MitchellÂ (here, too)

Not only did special counsel Robert Mueller not exonerate Trump, he said, â€œIf we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.â€

Uh, yes, MuellerÂ did exonerate Trump. The special counsel’s mandate was to find evidence of ‘Russian collusion,’ which he stated specifically in his report that there was none (because it was a lie to begin with). And here’s a little lesson for POLITICO in American jurisprudence: Investigations aren’t done to clear people, they’re done to find evidence of wrongdoing. If Mueller had found some you can bet he and his band of Democrat donor prosecutors would have leveled them at the president.

Speaking of which…

— Mueller will reveal that Trumpâ€™s 2016 campaign received millions of dollars from Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar

Predicted by:Â Former Rep. John Leboutillier

There was no such evidence, Mueller unveiled no such thing, and there is no factual basis upon which to claim that â€œmillions of foreign dollars illegally flowed into the Trump campaign.â€

Right-O.

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— House Democrats will not impeach Trump

Predicted by (among others):Â Peter Daou,Â Kai RyssdalÂ andÂ Stephen L. Carter

They did.

Yes, because that was the plan all along, and POLITICO knows it.

Check out â€œEpic Duel of 21st Century: China vs USA â€“ Trump Goes All Inâ€Â â€”Â download for FREE inÂ Crisis Reports

— In 2019, there will be a â€œmove toward forcing African-Americans to secure 19th century Black Codes-type passes that they must carry in publicâ€

Predicted by:Â Dr. Ricky L. Jones,Â LouisvilleÂ Courier Journal

Nothing even hazily resembling the prediction has been entertained.

Because it never would be. Because it’s crackpot stuff from an unhinged race-baiting Leftist.

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