TCD’s Predictions for 2012
2011 is coming to a close, and what a year its been. From the collective bargaining uproar at the statehouse to the Packers Super Bowl victory to the deaths of Osama Bin Laden, Muammar Gaddafi and Kim Jong Il, it’s been one unpredictable, eventful, historic year.
Before it all got started, TCD staffers, along with a few other contributors, looked ahead to 2011 and laid out a few wishes and made some predictions for the coming year.
620 WTMJ’s Jeff Wagner predicted that “the Dow Jones Industrial Average will hit 13,000 and Wisconsin’s unemployment rate will drop below 7 percent,” and that “the Milwaukee Brewers make a return to the World Series.”
Patti Wenzel predicted that despite Lee Holloway’s entrance to the race for Milwaukee County Executive, the campaign would come down to Rep. Jeff Stone and eventual winner, Chris Abele.
Curt Yorkey hit a bullseye with his prediction that “The Milwaukee Brewers will break attendance records as the Brew Crew makes its first NLCS since 1982.”
But now, with 2011 entering our collective rear view mirror, it’s time to look ahead to what 2012 might bring. TCD staffers make predictions on the 2012 presidential election, the recall of Governor Scott Walker, the end of the Mayan calendar, and much, much more.
Tom Strini, Partner, Senior Editor
1. The Milwaukee Symphony will cause a significant stir in classical music circles with a successful concert at Carnegie Hall in the spring.
2. All or part of JSOnline will go behind a paywall.
3. Unemployment will fall to 8 percent as the economic recovery gradually picks up steam.
4. ThirdCoastDigest.com will hit 100,000 unique visitors per month next fall.
5. Barack Obama will be re-elected amid major gains for the Democrats in Congress and statehouses around the country.
6. Pay-for-play scandals in Wisconsin’s privatized Commerce Department will lead to Scott Walker’s defeat in a recall election.
Jon Anne Willow, Partner, co-Publisher
1. Ron Paul wins Iowa, then disappears, like Mike Huckabee before him in 2008. This will bring Iowa’s record of picking the GOP nominee down to 60 percent, or six of ten since 1976, which includes three caucuses where the Republican incumbent was unopposed.
2. The GOP nominates Mitt Romney, leading to a major rift between mainstream Republicans and the Tea Party. Romney briefly woos independents, but ultimately loses to President Obama, as the majority of Americans opt to stay the course.
3. David Obey becomes the Democratic candidate for governor in the Wisconsin recall election. Bonus prediction: Obey wins, but declines to run again in the 2014 general election.
4. The world of gossip media will be turned on its ear when DNA tests confirm the existence of only one Kardashian sister – Kim. Sources close to the star will reveal that her both her height and weight fluctuate a lot, leading to the need to create two alter egos and a lot of robots.
Curt Yorkey, Director of Sales
1. Summerfest will break Marcus Amphitheater attendance records this year, presenting the public with an Amphitheater line-up which rivals any in the history of Summerfest.
2. Never has a vice presidential nominee helped a presidential nominee win the White House. That changes in 2012. If Florida Senator Marco Rubio or Condoleezza Rice are chosen as the Republican VP nominee, the Republicans win the White House; if not, President Obama gets another four years.
3. The euro is phased out.
Dan Shafer, Managing Editor
1. Although he’ll run into a healthy dose of Tea Party backlash along the way, Mitt Romney will be the keynote speaker in Tampa at the Republican National Convention come August. President Obama, too, will see some problems on the campaign trail, as Occupy becomes more problematic for the Dems than the GOP in 2012, and Joe Biden will also be around. Obama is re-elected in an extremely close race, but questions will linger about his ability to effectively execute his ideals.
2. The Milwaukee Brewers will miss the playoffs, finishing around .500 in 2012, and the first fifty games without Ryan Braun will be a brutal adjustment to life after Prince. However, behind big years from Gallardo and Greinke, manager Ron Roenicke will keep the Crew competitive, but it won’t be enough to beat St. Louis (or maybe even Cincy). Another prediction: I’ll still talk myself into thinking this team is playoff-bound. I’m already halfway there.
3. One wishful thinking prediction: It will be announced that on the second leg of their U.S. tour, Radiohead will play a free show at the Riverside Theater for anyone who bought the King of Limbs box set.
4. The world will not end.
Patti Wenzel, Political Reporter
1. Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke and Milwaukee Police Chief Ed Flynn will face off in a cage match on a Milwaukee County Bus. There will be no winner, only losers – the citizens who will have to put up with the continued childish behavior of our top law enforcement officers.
2. Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele will win the “Best Impression of Scott Walker Award” from Milwaukee County’s unionized employees and liberal board members based on his 2012 county budget proposal and veto record.
3. Scott Walker will face a recall election but prevail and remain governor as voters realize the earth has not spun off its axis and slammed into the sun due to his policies. After their defeat, the Solidarity Singers will hit the road for gigs on the Occupy Tour.
4. A well-healed friend of TCD will leave an anonymous check for $1 million (or any amount over six figures) on my desk to be invested in the pursuit of unique and interesting news, arts and lifestyle reporting.
Brian Jacobson, Photo Editor (reporting from a fantasyland in his head)
1. One of the Koch Brothers gets knocked on the head by an errant bocce ball. Said brother offers substantial discounts to municipalities in Wisconsin to put up solar panels, wind turbines, and biomass plants. We Energies can’t keep up this pace and goes out of business paying everyone else for its provided electricity.
2. On a similar note, Time Warner Cable is faced with a competing company in the Milwaukee market and actually has to perform customer service and lower rates with more channels. This fails as everyone starts using the internet for all their entertainment needs.
3. Scott Walker is handily recalled, after the quiet millions that live in the upper half of Wisconsin finally admit they’ve had it with the Governor as well.
4. I win the Powerball at last. Schools get art supplies, the homeless get to live in riverfront condos, whole tracks of land earmarked for subdivisions get trees instead, and the great worldwide cataclysm of 2012 is averted after seeing such kindness.
5. Roller Derby is accepted as an Olympic category in times for the games in London.
Matthew Reddin, Assistant Culture Editor
1. 3-D will continue to be a major element of contemporary filmmaking. Approximately three to four movies will use this power for good, a la Avatar or Hugo. The remainder will point a handful of things “IN YOUR FACE!!!!” and take your money with a smile.
2. The retro ‘80s revival permeating pop culture will finally begin to recede, but it’s almost certain the ‘90s will soon get their due. This year, expect nothing more than a minor increase in ‘90s nostalgia within pop culture, and hope grunge gets left out of the equation when music and fashion catch up.
3. The fear that the Mayans accurately predicted the end of the world will be covered diligently by mainstream media for the entirety of January and February, go dormant for about nine months, and then explode into full-blown panic of Y2K levels just in time for Thanksgiving. Tune in next year to see if we still exist.
Carly Rubach, TCDIY columnist, Social Media Specialist
1. The retro style of the ’50s and ’60s, taking cues from Mad Men, Pan Am and Zooey Deschanel, will continue to trend in the design and fashion world. I see deep oranges and aqua blues in my apartment’s future.
2. In a bold step towards bipartisanship, members of both parties will begin a new monthly tradition. The U.S. Senate will gather in a circle, hold hands and share their deepest fears. Tickle fights will ensue to get all the giggles out and then voting will begin.
3. EVERYONE will be using Facebook Timeline and subsequently discovering the first moments of using this avenue of social media. Many will get teary eyed, others spiteful.
[…] staff of the Third Coast Digest made some predictions. I suggest Tom Strini stick to music. However Patti Wenzel has come up with an interesting […]