Crystal balls-up for seers who saw Trump and Bibi as dead men walking
Johns Hopkins University’s international relations professor David Rothkopf tweets January 1, 2018:
2018 predictions: Trump resigns … Bibi resigns … Trump doesn’t move embassy in Israel.
Maybe next year? James Cox, The Sun, December 30, 2018:
Trump faces being ousted … in the first few months of 2019 … (says) political history professor Allan Lichtman.
Times of Israel, yesterday:
“King Bibi” stays on top … on track to become Israel’s longest-serving PM
Politico.com, May 14, 2018:
Trump opens US embassy, Jerusalem.
Edward Luce, Financial Times, December 29, 2017:
Will impeachment proceedings begin against Donald Trump? Yes — just.
Not their finest hour? FinancialTimes, December 29, 2018:
We got eight of last year’s 20 questions wrong … We erred in saying impeachment proceedings would start against Donald Trump (although Edward Luce is doubling down on his prediction this year).
More from the seer? Edward Luce, Globe and Mail, January 19, 2018:
Trump will have pulled the US out of … (NAFTA) during 2018.
Phil Levy, Forbes, November 30, 2018:
Trump … signed the successor agreement to NAFTA … (today).
All the way to election day. Sky News, August 19, 2018:
Minister for Defence Industry Christopher Pyne: I don’t believe there will be a challenge to Malcolm Turnbull’s leadership. … The cabinet is 100 per cent behind (him) including Peter Dutton … (Journalist:) Will the Coalition be led by … Turnbull to the next election? (Pyne:) Yes, it will.
100 per cent behind him? ABC News, December 30, 2018:
(Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said:) “In 2016, Malcolm ran the worst campaign in Liberal Party history. … We were left with a one-seat majority. … After losing 38 Newspolls, it was clear we’d be wiped out … He doesn’t have a political bone in his body. ”
Dead man walking? No. Nine Network’s Today, August 22, 2018:
Host Karl Stefanovic: What’s it like talking to a man on death row?’
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop: Well, I’m talking to you, Karl. What are you suggesting?
Stefanovic: I’m saying that the Prime Minister does not have long.
Bishop: No, I don’t believe that.
No prize for predicting this. News.com.au, December 19, 2018:
After … months of … pressure, Channel 9 has dumped Karl Stefanovic.
Me? Turnbull, September 28, 2018:
There is no way I would be hanging around embittered like Kevin Rudd or Tony Abbott. … These people are like … miserable ghosts. Move on.
Boo who? Caroline Overington, The Australian, December 3, 2018:
Like a miserable ghost, (Malcolm’s) barely said boo.
No value in meeting. ABC News, November 29, 2018:
The Sydney Morning Herald’s Peter Hartcher says Donald Trump won’t hold one-on-one talks with Scott Morrison because there’s little value in it for the … two countries.
No value in prediction? ABC News, December 2, 2018:
US President Donald Trump … (met Prime Minister Scott Morrison and said:) “I think it’s going to be a great relationship.”