Prediction 4: Red Media, Red Court
At least two of three Big Old Media (ABC, CBS, NBC) will replace their "liberal" anchors (Messrs. Jennings, Rather, and Brokaw) with "conservative" commentators and news readers; Supreme Court cases will be decided by majorities that consistently include Justices Scalia and Thomas.
[posted: 11/27/04]Explanation
This one is pretty simple. On the media prediction, observe that Big Old Media are just small pieces of bigger corporate conglomerations. ABC is a Disney property; CBS is owned by Viacom; and NBC ultimately answers to GE. Disney, Viacom, and GE are Corporations with accounting departments that know 51% is greater than 48%, and 31 is greater than 20. After all, money just comes down to math.
On the Supreme Court prediction, Mr. Bush figures he has a mandate, despite the historically close results. Plus the Senate is 55-44 Red-Blue. The election voting machines were still warm when Mr. Bush nominated a Latino fellow for Attorney General that some Democrats are unhappy about, but others are less critical. How his confirmation proceedings go in the Senate should provide a preview of how Supreme Court nominations will go over the next two, and maybe four years. And four years is a long time for 84-year-old Justice John Paul Stevens and for 74-year-old breast cancer survivor Justice Sandra Day O'Connor. Plus, I wouldn't count on thyroid cancer patient Chief Justice William Rehnquist being replaced by anyone less Red than himself.
