By Mike Feinsilber
In 1997, guests at our New Year’s Eve dinner were asked to predict how many of the 55 Republicans then in the Senate would vote to convict Bill Clinton of impeachable offenses. The answer: 50 did vote to convict on one count, 45 on a second count. No Democrats did. Sixty-seven votes were needed to remove the president so Clinton remained in office.
In 2006, with widespread predictions of chaos, our guests were asked what sort of trouble Y2K would bring. Most rightly said it would be only a minor nuisance.
And at the end of 2017, I was alone in predicting that President Trump would be out of office by this time in 2018. I was wrong.
Every year the same small group of friends gather for dinner, champagne, and a predictions quiz. This year you’re invited to take part.
So here’s the quiz. If you want to play, send me your answers and I’ll report at this time next year on who were the best prophets.
The Quiz
1. Lots of economists foresee a full-scale recession in 2019. Are they right? _____
2. In 2019, will the House impeach President Trump? _____
3. Assuming President Trump is still be in office at the end of 2019, will a Republican have announced plans to challenge him for the GOP nomination? _______
4. Thirteen months to go before the primaries start, but by this time next year speculation will have picked a Democratic front-runner. Who will that be?
Bernie Sanders ___
Joe Biden ___
Elizabeth Warren ___
Beto O’Rourke ___
Michael Bloomberg ___
Or will someone we hadn’t even thought about be the frontrunner? ____
5. In 2019, will Barack Obama…
…become a TV commentator ____
…become a candidate for the Senate ____
… file a lawsuit against Trump ____
…resume smoking ____
…If none of the above, your guess: ________
6. Will the U.S. and China sign a trade agreement in 2019 that will end fears of a trade war? _______
7. Will the U.K. have brexited by this time next year? ______
8. In the face of criticism, will Amazon change its mind about building a new HQs in “National Landing” (the name Amazon created for the chosen site in Virginia) and find some other place? ____
9. Who will win the 2019 World Series? ________________
10. 2018 was the rainiest year in Washington since the beginning of time. Will 2019 be even wetter? ____
Your name______________
Your answers: You can either email your answers to me at [email protected] Or you can put your answers in the comment box below—indicate whether you want your answers to be posted now or saved until the end of the year.
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Mike Feinsilber spent about a quarter century with UPI in Pittsburgh, Columbus, Harrisburg, Newark, New York, Saigon and Washington and about a quarter century with AP in Washington, with a spell as assistant bureau chief and a stint as writing coach.
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