Retrospectives Archive

A look back at some political predictions and pronouncements. How did they turn out?


APPEARED February 1, 2016, on The Civil Debate Page:

"We’re going to have a tremendous victory."

-- Republican presidential contender Donald Trump, February 1, 2016, on the Iowa Caucus being held that day.

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APPEARED January 5, 2016, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I have said this before, but I shall say it again and again and again: your boys are not going to be sent into any foreign wars."

-- President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, October 30, 1940.

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APPEARED May 25, 2015, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Should the infidel Jefferson be elected to the Presidency, the seal of death is that moment set on our holy religion, our churches will be prostrated, and some infamous prostitute, under the title of goddess of reason, will preside in the sanctuaries now devoted to the worship of the most High."

-- The New England Palladium newspaper, 1800, regarding Thomas Jefferson.

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APPEARED March 5, 2015, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Now, over the last year, there’s been a lot of misinformation spread about health reform. There’s been a lot of fear-mongering, a lot of overheated rhetoric. … John Boehner called this passage of this bill “Armageddon.” You had others who said this is the end of freedom as we know it. So after I signed the bill, I looked around. I looked up at the sky to see if asteroids were coming. I looked at the ground to see if cracks had opened up in the earth. You know what, it turned out it was a pretty nice day. … Nobody had lost their doctor. … So before we find out if people like health care reform, we should wait to see what happens when we actually put it into place. … So now that this bill is finally law and all the folks who have been playing politics will finally have to confront the reality of what this reform is, they’re also going to have to confront the reality of what it isn’t. They’ll have to finally acknowledge that this isn’t a government takeover of our health care system. They’ll see that if Americans like their doctor, they will keep their doctor. And if you like your insurance plan, you will keep it. No one will be able to take that away from you. It hasn’t happened yet. It won’t happen in the future."

-- President Barack Obama, April 1, 2010.

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APPEARED February 4, 2015, on The Civil Debate Page:

With industrial production, capacity utilization, real disposable income, real personal consumption, real sales retail and food service sales, and real manufacturing and trade sales uniformly declining in their latest reports, coincident economic indicators – having generally peaked in July – are now following through on the weakness that we’ve persistently observed in leading economic measures. We continue to believe that the U.S. economy joined a global economic downturn during the third quarter of this year.

-- John P. Hussman of Hussman Funds, December 3, 2012.

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APPEARED January 16, 2015, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I can tell you that the President is obviously going to engage and do everything he can to assist Democrats running in 2014 … the Democratic Party is not going to lose control of the Senate, in our view. And that’s precisely because of the policies that he and Democrats support that are focused on expanding opportunity, as opposed to repealing benefits; that are focused on providing broad support for the middle class so that it can become more secure going forward; and that more jobs are created, as opposed to support for special interest tax loopholes that benefit the few. I mean, that’s sort of a general principle. And the President feels very strongly that that approach is one that broadly speaking the American people support."

-- White House briefing with Press Secretary Jay Carney, February 18, 2014.

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APPEARED December 25, 2014, on The Civil Debate Page:

"“We expect the bottom to fall out by the second quarter of 2014,” Trends Research Institute founder Gerald Celente predicted last October. … The run on the bank “will start suddenly, build quickly and snowball,” Mr. Means said. “Interest rates will skyrocket, businesses will fail, unemployment will go to record levels.” … Some folks are passing around a chart of the Dow Jones Industrial Average since July of 2012 that also shows the average for the year and a half before the 1929 crash. They’re eerily similar. The parallels may not continue. If they do, the charts indicate we’re about two months away from the big plunge."

-- From "Our Economy Is About to Implode" by Jack Kelly, February 23, 2014.

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APPEARED January 10, 2013, on The Civil Debate Page:

"A US analyst says US President Barack Obama is unlikely to end his first term as there are serious efforts by American officials to remove him due to his incompetence. "It is very doubtful at this time that he will last his first term," Edward Spannaus of Executive Intelligence Review said in an interview with Press TV on Wednesday. … "It is the question of what he is going to do now in this term, the question of the second term is out of the question," he concluded."

-- PressTV report, October 27, 2010.

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APPEARED December 29, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I wanted to give you an update on the current situation around the debt ceiling. … Essentially what we had offered Speaker Boehner was over a trillion dollars in cuts to discretionary spending, both domestic and defense. We then offered an additional $650 billion in cuts to entitlement programs … What we said was give us $1.2 trillion in additional revenues, which could be accomplished without hiking taxes -- tax rates, but could simply be accomplished by eliminating loopholes, eliminating some deductions and engaging in a tax reform process that could have lowered rates generally while broadening the base."

-- President Barack Obama, July 22, 2011.

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APPEARED December 28, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"We are not content to accept the endless growth of relief rolls or welfare rolls. We want to offer the forgotten fifth of our people opportunity and not doles. That is what this measure does for our times. Our American answer to poverty is not to make the poor more secure in their poverty, but to reach down and to help them lift themselves out of the ruts of poverty and move with the large majority along the high road of hope and prosperity. The days of the dole in this country are numbered."

-- President Lyndon B. Johnson (LBJ), August 20, 1964, during the signing of the Economic Opportunity Act.

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APPEARED December 15, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I will come on Morning Joe, and I will shave off my mustache of 40 years if we lose any of those three states [referring to Minnesota, Michigan, and Pennsylvania]."

-- Political advisor David Axelrod, October 31, 2012.

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APPEARED December 13, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Look, it's very close. But I believe right now we are currently ahead; internals show us currently ahead. I honestly think that Romney's going to carry Ohio, and you know I haven't been saying this. I now believe it's going to happen."

-- Gov. John Kasich (R-OH) October 28, 2012.

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APPEARED December 12, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"In a year when independents are flocking to Romney, there simply may not be enough Democrats, youth or minority voters to offset the fact the GOP base will turn out in numbers that will far eclipse their totals in 2008. Discussion about a ground game may be simply an attempt to distract us from the fact that the president’s campaign is betting everything on an organizational plan that can’t overcome the way the electorate has changed over the course of the Obama presidency."

-- Columnist Jonathan S. Tobin October 28, 2012.

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APPEARED December 11, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Nancy Pelosi’s way back to the speaker’s gavel was through these districts [in Illinois]. It ain’t going to happen."

-- Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL), reported October 13, 2012.

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APPEARED December 9, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"History dictates that the Panthers 21-13 victory over the Washington Redskins at FedEx Field bodes well for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney. In the 18 presidential elections that have taken place since the Redskins moved to Washington in 1937, 17 have been predicted by the team's performance in its final home game prior to the election."

-- Chris Strauss, USA TODAY Sports, November 4, 2012.

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APPEARED December 8, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I do know that the source of our confidence is, and that's the quality of our candidates. They're just great. … And that the issues are with us. … So we have a message. We have the messengers. We have the money. We have the mobilization. We have an excellent chance to take back the House. … I feel very confident about our ability to win."

-- House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), September 16, 2012, during interview on CNN's State of the Union with Candy Crowley.

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APPEARED December 7, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Democrats are winning at least one key aspect of the 2012 campaign: voter contact. Some Republicans are starting to fret a little bit about their ground game and a new Washington Post-ABC News poll shows that fear is at least somewhat justified. According to the poll, 20 percent of registered voters say they have been contacted by the Obama campaign, compared to 13 percent who say they have been contacted by Mitt Romney’s campaign."

-- Reporter Aaron Blake, August 29, 2012.

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APPEARED December 6, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Among the wisest words spoken this cycle were by John Dickerson of CBS News and Slate, who said … that he thought maybe the American people were quietly cooking something up, something we don’t know about. I think they are and I think it’s this: a Romney win. … Something old is roaring back. … There is no denying the Republicans have the passion now, the enthusiasm. The Democrats do not. … I suspect both Romney and Obama have a sense of what’s coming, and it’s part of why Romney looks so peaceful and Obama so roiled."

-- Columnist Peggy Noonan, November 5, 2012.

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APPEARED December 5, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Why, then, am I still confident Obama will win? Because months ago, the President successfully framed this as a choice election, not a referendum, and the Republicans never offered a compelling alternative choice."

-- TV pundit Touré, October 14, 2012.

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APPEARED December 4, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Mitt Romney will win. The tie in the polls goes to the challenger. Here’s why: Enthusiasm. It matters enormously, and it’s disproportionately on the Republican side … The Obama get-out-the-vote drive (GOTV) is not quite the powerful juggernaut it was in 2008 and the Republican effort is far better than four years ago. … Issues. The most important ones favor Romney: the economy, the deficit, and the debt."

-- Political commentator Fred Barnes, November 5, 2012.

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APPEARED December 3, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Bob Dylan says he thinks President Barack Obama is going to win a landslide. … "Don't believe the media. I think it's going to be a landslide." After his comments, Dylan completed the song to the roar of the crowd."

-- AP news story reporting on November 5, 2012, remarks by singer/songwriter Bob Dylan.

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APPEARED December 2, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I think it's gonna be very close, which is, you know, 51-48, which could be a two point to two-and-a-half point race. And I think Romney gets 279 to 281 or 286 in the Electoral College."

-- Republican strategist Karl Rove, November 4, 2012.

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APPEARED December 1, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I’ve been saying for months that I think Obama is likely to win, and, as you might expect, I’m not changing my opinion now. Indeed, I’m more confident than I was a week or two ago. … Obama 303, Romney 235."

-- Columnist John Cassidy, November 5, 2012.

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APPEARED November 30, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I guess the wild card in what I've projected is I'm projecting Minnesota to go for Romney. Now, that's the only state in the union … that's voted Democratic in nine consecutive elections. But this year, there's a marriage amendment on the ballot that will bring out the evangelicals and I think could make the difference."

-- Columnist George Will, November 4, 2012, George Will Predicts Romney Wins Big, 321-217.

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APPEARED November 29, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I do expect that we're going to win. I do expect that we're going to have an advantage. I think we're going to win Iowa and I think we're going to win Ohio. And that should do it."

-- Former Gov. Howard Dean (D-VT), November 4, 2012.

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APPEARED November 28, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"[I]n this election I expect the American people to choose to take a different path for the next four years … Obama’s base of support has shown signs of being less engaged, less active, and less eager to vote. … Thus, my prediction for Tuesday is this: Obama 260, Romney 278."

-- Columnist Ben Domenech, November 3, 2012.

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APPEARED November 27, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I think that we're going to win. I don't think it's going to be close in the Electoral College. I think we're going to win clearly … I think we're going to win this state, Ohio. … I think we're going to win Iowa, we're going to win Wisconsin, we're going to win Nevada, we're going to win New Hampshire. I think we've got an even chance of winning Virginia and Florida."

-- Vice President Joe Biden, November 4, 2012.

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APPEARED November 26, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Fundamentals usually prevail in American elections. That's bad news for Barack Obama. … most voters oppose Obama's major policies and consider unsatisfactory the very sluggish economic recovery … Bottom line: Romney 315, Obama 223."

-- Columnist Michael Barone, November 2, 2012.

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APPEARED November 25, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"The winner of the Scholastic Student Vote is President Barack Obama, the Democratic nominee, with 51 percent of the vote. The Republican nominee, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, received 45 percent of the vote … A majority of kids in four of five key swing states -- Colorado, Florida, Nevada, and Ohio -- chose Obama. … Romney won Virginia, the other key swing state".

-- Contributing writer to Scholastic News Jennifer Marino Walters, October 16, 2012.

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APPEARED November 24, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"We're going to win by a landslide. It will be the biggest surprise in recent American political history. It will rekindle a whole question as to why the media played this race as a nail-biter, where in fact I think Romney is going to win by quite a bit. My own view is that Romney is going to carry 325 electoral votes."

-- Political commentator, consultant, and pollster Dick Morris, November 4, 2012.

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APPEARED November 23, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Where does the misery index stand now? As of the third quarter, it was 9.8%, down from 11.3% four years ago." Our conclusion is that if voters choose their candidate based on this metric alone, the election will narrowly tilt in favor of the current President," said Carl Riccadonna, a Deutsche Bank economist who recently issued a report on the topic."

-- "Misery Index predicts Obama will win the election", by Annalyn Censky, October 17, 2012.

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APPEARED November 22, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I think Mitt Romney is likely to win next Tuesday. For two reasons: (1) Romney leads among voters on trust to get the economy going again. (2) Romney leads among independents."

-- Columnist Jay Cost, November 2, 2012.

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APPEARED November 21, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"[W]e’re quickly approaching a point where his comeback would be unprecedented in modern presidential history. And if the Romney campaign begins to crack under the pressure, then that comeback becomes that much less likely."

-- Columnist Ezra Klein, September 17, 2012.

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APPEARED November 20, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I have to conclude that there is no remaining path at this late date for Obama to win the national popular vote. He is toast."

-- Commentator Dan McLaughlin, October 26, 2012.

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APPEARED November 19, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"[A]ccording to most polls, the Romney-Ryan ticket is falling further and further behind. How can this be? Because Republicans are failing the central test of electability. Instead of putting together the largest possible coalition of voters, they're relying largely on one slice of America -- middle-aged white men -- and alienating just about everyone else."

-- Political and economic commentator Robert Reich, September 16, 2012.

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APPEARED November 18, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Gallup’s new partisan ID split, one that mimics what Rasmussen has been saying all along, predicts nothing less than doom for the Democrats, and a solid, national win for Mitt Romney this year."

-- Columnist Neil Stevens, October 26, 2012.

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APPEARED November 17, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Mitt Romney is not going to be president of the United States."

-- House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi, (D-CA), September 16, 2012.

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APPEARED November 16, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"If you're going to believe the polls released from CBS/New York Times this morning -- you know, the polls the media's currently using to beat Romney senseless and to depress Republican enthusiasm, you have to believe that the turnout advantage for Democrats over Republicans will blow away every previous record and common sense. It's that simple. Because these polls are not only telling us that Romney is losing OH, PA, and FL by insurmountable margins; these polls are also telling us that Democrat turnout is projected to blow away every modern record."

-- Columnist John Nolte, September 26, 2012.

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APPEARED November 15, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"The stars are aligned for Barack Obama’s re-election in November 2012. He won’t join Jimmy Carter to be the second Democrat in 120 years to lose a second term."

-- Political activist Ralph Nader, April 27, 2011.

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APPEARED November 14, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Yes, Obama and the Democrats are entitled to a bit of a victory lap today, after Chief Justice Roberts searched deeply within his political self and found a path to uphold ObamaCare. … But, today's ruling will probably go down in history as the most effective GOP voter turnout operation ever. There is only one way to repeal ObamaCare and that is through the ballot box. It will happen."

-- Columnist Mike Flynn, June 28, 2012.

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APPEARED November 13, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

When three MSNBC hosts forecast the winner of next year's presidential race, their choice isn't surprising, considering the network's liberal tilt. … Lawrence O'Donnell, host of "The Last Word," flatly predicted the re-election of President Barack Obama. Rachel Maddow also named Obama … "Hardball" host Chris Matthews waffled, saying Obama's fate will rest largely on the economy as well as his GOP rival. One easy opponent? Mitt Romney, whom Matthews dismissed as "a mood ring."

-- AP story by Frazier Moore, August 2, 2011, reporting on an event held by the Television Critics Association.

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APPEARED November 12, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"A University of Colorado analysis of state-by-state factors leading to the Electoral College selection of every U.S. president since 1980 forecasts that the 2012 winner will be Mitt Romney. … According to their analysis, President Barack Obama will win 213 votes in the Electoral College … Romney will win 52.9 percent of the popular vote to Obama’s 47.1 percent, when considering only the two major political parties."

-- Projection from University of Colorado Boulder, released on August 22, 2012.

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APPEARED November 11, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"I'm gonna win."

-- President Barack Obama, in an interview on ABC's "The View" released May 15, 2012, regarding the November presidential election.

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APPEARED November 10, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"The smart money in a presidential election is on the incumbent. But in a down economy, or when the public perceives the incumbent as feckless, dithering or simply not up to the task -- can you say Jimmy Carter or George H.W. Bush? -- the conventional wisdom can go out the window. That’s pretty much where we are with President Obama. Several factors, when taken together, make it almost impossible for him to win reelection."

-- Political and economic analyst Merrill Matthews, April 28, 2011.

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APPEARED November 9, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Barack Obama will be back on top; Here's why the president will win re-election in 2012 ... The White House operation will improve; but most decisively, so may the GDP. The next two years will be a bumpy ride, but Barack Obama can renew his presidency -- and even without the safety net of an extremist GOP nominee -- in re-election. Then like Reagan, glibly consigned to the dust bin as a one-year wonder after the 1982 midterms, he may yet ultimately realign American politics."

-- Political consultant Bob Shrum, November 11, 2010.

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APPEARED November 8, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"President Obama will not be re-elected. Period. Why? Obamaflation has arrived, and this is what it looks like. Milk. A gallon of skim. At the local Giant in Central Pennsylvania: January 11, 2011: $3.20; February 28, 2011: $3.24; March 6, 2011: $3.34; April 23. 2011: $3.48 ... the real election here is who will be the next Republican president of the United States. Because the rest of this election is already over. Barack Obama has lost his re-election."

-- Political strategist and author Jeffrey Lord, April 26, 2011.

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APPEARED November 1, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"The Dow Jones Industrial Average will lose about half of its value over the next couple of years … according to Charles Nenner, founder and president of Charles Nenner research. … unemployment and leading indicators suggest the Dow will drop to 5,000 in the next two to two-and-a-half years, Nenner told CNBC".

-- CNBC article, "Dow Faces Bouncy Ride to 5,000: Strategist" August 24, 2010.

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APPEARED October 3, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

"So let's conduct a little thought experiment … Suppose in adopting the opposite of every one of President Reagan's economic policies, President Obama gets just the opposite results. That would mean that instead of this second year of his presidency being Obama's worst year, it is his best. And instead of the economy taking off next year on a historic, generation-long economic boom, it collapses into an extended double-dip downturn, with even worse consequences following."

-- Columnist Peter Ferrara, October 13, 2010.

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APPEARED September 15, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Rep. John Boehner (R-OH): "You’ll see us every single week move bills that will cut spending."

-- October 11, 2010, describing what would happen if Republicans took control of the House of Representatives in the upcoming November 2010 elections.

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APPEARED September 3, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL): "The People’s Republic of China has manipulated its currency for years … Unfortunately, the [Bush] Administration has failed to effectively challenge or change China’s behavior. … Your department’s refusal to take action against China raises serious questions about the Administration’s commitment to protecting the interests of American businesses and American workers. … Treasury’s refusal even to acknowledge the costs of Chinese currency manipulation, justifies the fear of many Americans that this Administration lacks the will to stand up against trade abuses and labor or environmental violations that create an unfair playing field for American workers."

-- June 13, 2007, letter to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson.

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APPEARED August 27, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Columnist Paul Krugman: "Two years from now unemployment will still be extremely high, quite possibly higher than it is now. But instead of taking responsibility for fixing the situation, politicians and Fed officials alike will declare that high unemployment is structural, beyond their control."

-- August 1, 2010, from "Defining Prosperity Down" column.

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APPEARED July 9, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Henry Blodget on Yahoo! Finance's Tech Ticker: "And everyone's right to be worried, says Peter Morici, an economics professor at the R.H. Smith School Of Business at the University of Maryland. Deflation is coming. We've had it for a couple of years now in the form of shrinking economic output, and now we're going to get it in the form of falling prices. … The U.S. is headed for deflation, Morici says, because of the combination of a weak economy, suffocating government restrictions, and an overvalued currency."

-- September 3, 2010. [Obama Watch at AIP News.com] [Yes, Deflation's Coming, Says Morici -- Because The Government Doesn't Have The Guts To Stand Up To China]

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APPEARED March 12, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Senator Joe Biden (D-DE): "The most basic premise of President Bush's approach, that the Iraqi people will rally behind a strong central government headed by Maliki, in fact, will look out for their interests equitably, is fundamentally and fatally flawed. It will not happen in anybody's lifetime here, including the [lives of the congressional] pages."

-- April 24, 2007. [PolitiFact: Joe Biden says he never called for partition of Iraq] [Thales: Joe Biden Leaves Out the Iraq Surge]

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APPEARED March 8, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Glenn Beck: "I have been warning you that we are on the same path to repeat the same exact mistakes as the Weimar Republic. … They monetized their debt. … I also said that food inflation was coming. … I can't tell you when things are going to happen. I have no idea. … But here's what's coming: inflation. According to the NIA, National Inflation Association -- I had these guys checked out six ways to Sunday … these are credible people … according to them, we can see prices as high for one ear of corn, $11.43… $23.05 for a 24-oz. loaf of wheat bread. … $62.21, 32-oz packaged granulated sugar … $24.31 for a 32-oz. container of soy milk … $77.71 for for an 11.5-oz container of Folger's Classic Roast coffee. Not according to me, according to inflation experts. … If you get a 64 fluid ounce container of Minute Maid orange juice, $45.71. … For 1.55-oz of Hershey's milk chocolate, they say this could cost as much $15.50. Welcome to your future of monetizing the debt."

-- Glenn Beck on his TV show in November 2010. [YouTube: Glenn Beck-Food Prices Will Rise 700% to 1000% or more in 2011] [NoisyRoom.net: Glenn Beck-Food Prices Will Rise 700% to 1000% or more in 2011]

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APPEARED February 28, 2012, on The Civil Debate Page:

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL): "When George Bush came into office, our debt -- national debt was around $5 trillion. It's now over $10 trillion. … we have had over the last eight years the biggest increases in deficit spending and national debt in our history. And Senator McCain voted for four out of five of those George Bush budgets. … We are mortgaging our children's future. … So we're going to have to make some investments, but we've also got to make spending cuts. And what I've proposed, you'll hear Senator McCain say, well, he's proposing a whole bunch of new spending, but actually I'm cutting more than I'm spending so that it will be a net spending cut."

-- October 7, 2008. [NY Times transcript of 2nd presidential debate] [During Campaign, Sen. Obama Promised a "Net Spending Cut" to Address Deficit]

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APPEARED April 28, 2009, on The Civil Debate Page:

Senator Arlen Specter (PA): "I am staying a Republican because I think I have an important role, a more important role, to play there. The United States very desperately needs a two-party system. That's the basis of politics in America. I'm afraid we are becoming a one-party system, with Republicans becoming just a regional party with so little representation of the northeast or in the middle atlantic. I think as a governmental matter, it is very important to have a check and balance. That's a very important principle in the operation of our government. In the constitution on Separation of powers."

-- March 17, 2009. [The Hill's Blog Briefing Room, April 28, 2009: Specter had disavowed a switch]

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APPEARED January 30, 2009, on The Civil Debate Page:

Senator-elect Barack Obama (D-IL): "Guys, I'm a state senator. I was elected yesterday. I have never set foot in the U.S. Senate. I've never worked in Washington. And the notion that somehow I'm immediately going to start running for higher office just doesn't make sense. So look, I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years, and my entire focus is making sure that I'm the best possible senator on behalf of the people of Illinois. … I am not running for president in 2008 … I mean, come on guys. The only reason I'm being definitive is because until I'm definitive you will keep asking me this question, but it's a silly question."

-- November 3, 2004. [Chicago Sun-Times, November 4, 2004: Obama for president? That's 'silly' - Landslide winner says he'll be happy to learn the ropes in Senate]

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APPEARED November 5, 2008, on The Civil Debate Page:

Senator John McCain, (R-AZ): "Now let me give you some straight talk about the election. America faces a big choice, and there's one day left. The pundits have written us off just like they've done before, and been wrong before. And my opponent is measuring the drapes in the White House. You know, they may not know it, but the Mac is back! And we're going to win this election!"

-- November 3, 2008. [CNN Transcript: John McCain Campaigns in Tennessee; Eye on Ohio]

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APPEARED October 9, 2008, on The Civil Debate Page:

Alan Colmes: "What do you think when people say, 'Joe Biden, he'd be strong on security. Great vice president.'"
Senator Joe Biden, (D-DE): "I know. Well, the one that I find fascinating now is I'm apparently everybody's choice for secretary of state. A very nice thing. But I am not running for vice president. I would -- I would not accept it if anyone offered it to me. The fact of the matter is I would much prefer to stay as the chairman of the foreign relations committee than vice-president."

-- August 10, 2007. [Fox News' Hannity & Colmes]

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APPEARED June 9, 2008, on The Civil Debate Page:

CBS News anchor Katie Couric: "If it's not you [who becomes the Democratic presidential nominee], how disappointed will you be?"
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY): "Well, it will be me, but, of course, I'm ready to support the Democratic nominee, whoever it is."
Couric: "I know that you're confident it's going to be you, but there is the possibility it won't be, and clearly, you're, you have considered that possibility."
Clinton: "No, I haven't."
[interview continues]
Couric: "So you never even consider the possibility."
Clinton: "I don't, I don't."

-- November 26, 2007. [CBS: Confident Clinton Takes Aim At Attackers]

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APPEARED April 23, 2008, on The Civil Debate Page:

"There is a great desire for a new start, combined with a desire for cohesion and unity."

-- Italian Premier Romano Prodi, May 17, 2006, insisting that his government would last for five years until the next scheduled elections. [st st]

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APPEARED March 27, 2008, on The Civil Debate Page:

"Evil men, evil people, are going to try to do evil things to us and to others during the last part of this year. I don't know whether it will be in the fall, or in September, or later on, but it'll be the second half, somehow, of 2007. There will be some very serious terrorist attacks. The evil people will come after this country, and there's a possibility that, that chao -- not a possibility, a definite certainty that chaos is going to rule, and the Lord said the politicians will not have any solutions for it. There's just going to be chaos. ... It's going to happen. And I'm not saying necessarily nuclear, the Lord didn't say nuclear, but I do believe that it will be something like that. It'll be a mass killing. Possibly millions of people."

-- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson, January 2, 2007. [tr st vid]