Welcome to the Monday morning quarterbacking session of JUST A MINUTE.
Actually there’s not a lot to go on today. Everybody shrinks back from making any stone’s throw predictions about the election of 2012.
They seem to know there are too many in-comparables in the air. The predictions that *are* made usually have enough ‘escape hatches’ built into them they don’t hold water. And a ‘carefully coiffed’ hair ‘doo’ in a strong wind like this is hardly worth examination.
There are some slightly worn paths down the slippery slopes by inexperienced predictors… who don’t realize how much can change at this stage in an electoral contest. Even a brief look at the contests heretofore won’t tell you much. The people who do well at this are probably good ‘coin flippers’ as well or rely more on the ‘luck of the draw.’ It’s really hard to tell but there is the invariable temptation to tread where no one else has risked it.
I watched part of what used to be known as ‘The McLachlan Group’ that appears on NPR or whatever it’s called nowadays… and aside from Pat Buchanan, who is an acquaintance from decades ago… I didn’t find anyone who was willing to put their reputation even close to the line of predicting what might happen on the GOP side of the contest. Elenanor Clift – who wrote to the now somewhat diminished ‘Newsweek’ seems as strident as ever always ready to take the liberal side and make the most of it no matter whatever else may be in the wind.
Well it’s a rather non-useless game. There are no short-cuts. Lots of people make lots of $$$ attempting to guess how many pennies are in the jar (so to speak) but in reality there are so many cross currents and rip tides in the political waters these days it’s a pretty frustrating guessing game. Yet still some are attracted to it. Well we’ll see. But I find this old Chinese proverb to be a helpful way to wrap this up:
~ To be uncertain is to be uncomfortable, but to be certain is to be ridiculous. ~ “Chinese Proverb”
However, may I suggest this verse from Philippians by Paul the Apostle who undertook great things for God and wrote about 18 or 19 of the New Testament epistles, risking his life many times to do so as well as enduring great and repeated hardships in misunderstandings. This passage has the imprimatur of the Lord Himself on it.
--“I can do all things through Christ which [who] strengtheneth me.” Philippians 4:13 –
That portion of Scripture was suggested to me by a dear old traveling evangelist who wrote it on the back flyleaf of my Bible when I was a college freshman.
It doesn’t make me any better as a political ‘guesser.’ But I know HE (the Lord) holds the future. God bless you.
Cordially, IN HIM
Jack Buttram
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“JUST A MINUTE”
THE ‘BIG TAKAWAY’ IN HANDICAPPING IS: “NOBODY KNOWS!”
Just a Minute: I spent a lot of time trying to make head or tail out of polls and attitudes and articles about GOP prez primary candidates. The best line I found was that of Democrat James Carville – whom I don’t often quote – who said if it came to a choice between listening to another Obama speech or the Republican debate, he’d go with the Republicans.
Maureen Dowd of the New York Times says the President ‘misread’ Mr. Boehner about cross scheduling the debate and ‘caved’ to giving the GOP the lead on Wednesday.
As the newsies dig deeper into candidate backgrounds Frank Bruni of the New York Times unearthed Rick Perry flunking organic chemistry at Texas A&M and was on academic probation. Huffington Post tagged him with getting a “D” Principles of Economics – which matched a “D” Al Gore got at Harvard.
There are a few more tidbits that are interesting but the most outstanding fact is that at this time … nobody really knows or even guesses they know. We’ll try again tomorrow. <> I’m Jack Buttram (END)
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