A four-year forecast

I don’t think Joe Biden won an election, I think he won a popularity contest. I believe that, when it came time to make a choice, the undecided voters chose the candidate they perceived as more ‘likeable’ (that’s what happens when people form their opinions on what they read on Facebook rather than actually researching the issues!). It worked that way for me in 2016. I found Hilary Clinton absolutely despicable and wouldn’t (couldn’t) vote for her. I reluctantly voted for Donald Trump instead and I’m glad I did! Despite believing I wouldn’t like the man personally, I do think he did a good job for the country in regard to the issues I’m concerned with. I think we’re in trouble now. Although many believe Joe Biden is more likeable, he’s no leader!

When I still gave a damn about the NFL, I used to enjoy watching many of the pre-game shows. I especially liked when the commentators would make their predictions about the performance of different players in the upcoming games. I thought it would be fun and interesting to make my own predictions about the performance of the incoming administration. I plan to read this in three or four years and see how I did. I’m looking at this as sort of a time capsule.

My predictions, in no particular order:

Joe Biden will not complete a four-year term as president. In fact, I’m betting that Kamala Harris is somewhere as I type this, planning a coup and shaping her administration. I wonder if that wasn’t the Democrats plan all along.

Gas prices are going to skyrocket, and we will once again become reliant on foreign oil sources. Biden’s position on fracking w­ill destroy that industry and put thousands of Americans out of work.

Our adversaries (Iran and North Korea in particular) will be much bolder and even more confrontational. Why not? Look at Iran as an example. They’re continuing to develop their nuclear program despite the Iran Nuclear Deal. We know from the Obama years that both countries take advantage of weak leadership. There is no reason to think they’ve changed.

Crime statistics in larger Democrat controlled cities will continue to increase. Biden and Harris simply don’t have the guts to do what is necessary and that includes enforcing the death penalty (which, by the way, IS a deterrent). They will continue to kowtow to the groups calling to defund the police. In the end, it’ll be the very people who need protection most that will be hurt. We’ve seen it before when D.C. leadership is weak on crime. Expect it again.

We’ll continue to see mass exodus from the more liberal cities. That will be interesting to watch and will change the national dynamic for the next election.

China will become particularly bold and their efforts to expand influence and territory world-wide will increase.

Biden and Harris will try to stack the Supreme Court.

The Durham investigation and all evidence gathered, will magically disappear.

We’ll never hear another word about Biden’s accuser Tara Reade.

The situation involving Hunter Biden will be very superficially investigated by a ‘friendly’ Department of Justice and then forgotten. The media certainly won’t cover it and won’t ask what happened when it disappears.

Taxes will be raised.

Our strong relationship with Israel will be weakened.

The Democrat party will become more fractured than it already is. There will be a significant internal battle between moderate Democrats and the so called “progressives.” In fact, I believe that internal battle will be what ultimately leads to Biden’s ouster by Harris and her ilk.

The employment numbers will tank. All of the gains for Blacks and Hispanics under President Trump will be erased. The pandemic will be blamed for all of that (among other things).

The situation along the southern border will become a crisis that even Nancy Pelosi will recognize. Crime in the border-states will skyrocket because of the number of people crossing illegally.

I fear that this weak incoming administration will embolden our enemies, possibly to the point of an attack on our own soil. Our enemies don’t respect/fear Biden or anyone else associated with the Obama Presidency. Does anyone remember Obama’s “red line” in the sand regarding Syrian President Assad and his (Obama’s) subsequent failure to act? I do and so do our adversaries.

We’ll lose a boatload of money by rejoining the Paris climate deal, and in the end will not see any tangible results.

Many NATO nations will stop contributing their fair share and will again rely on the U.S. to bail them out.

It’s hard for me to have an opinion regarding the economy. If Biden is smart enough to keep Trump’s policies in place, we might be ok. If he starts meddling where he shouldn’t, we’ll be in trouble.

Our military will be weakened.

Biden just might make some real progress on health care. He seems sincere in that area and we might see some changes if he can get cooperation.

For the record (and for review in four years), I sincerely hope that I’m wrong about everything I’ve written except my point on health care. The upcoming election in Georgia will impact some, but not many, of my predictions. I’d love to see a leader (Democrat or Republican) who could truly unite this nation. However, I think we’ll now have to wait another four years for that to happen. I don’t think the combination of Biden, Harris and the socialist progressives in D.C. will get us there. When I read the tea leaves, that’s the way I see it.

Blaine Blackstone is a retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant who enjoys the simpler life in Thompson Falls. He can be reached by email at [email protected].