2013 predictions

...Look for the value of aluminum futures to skyrocket in the new year.  When there are concrete proposals put forth in DC to begin addressing the epidemic of mass shootings in the US, the tin foil hat-wearing crowd will go ballistic.  And since most "tin" foil is actually aluminum these days...

...On a related note, the NRA will steal a page from Herbert Hoover's oh-so-successful reelection campaign ("a chicken in every pot!") with their own campaign to turn schools into armed encampments for fun and profit ("a semi-automatic in every lunch box!").

...If the NRA and its apologists like Tom Horne and Jan Brewer get their way and are able to block real firearms reform, many schools will add body armor to their school uniform requirements.

...While there will be many bills proposed during the upcoming session of the Arizona legislature that will be bad for AZ if passed, there will be at least 10 that will keep us (AZ) in the national spotlight as a punchline (OK, this one is like predicting that Phoenix will have a sunny day).

...The "fiscal cliff" deal (assuming that it holds together; the House hasn't voted on it as of this writing) in DC will be renamed the "kicked the can down the #$^&! road" bill come the end of February/beginning of March.  It's a two month patch and not much more.  John Boehner may or may not be the Speaker of the Republican-controlled US House at that point, but that is the only possible significant change is the roster of players in DC.  The political furor of the last few days of February will look like the political furor of the last few days of 2012, with the addition of the Republicans trying to use the debt limit as leverage in their efforts to siphon off the Social Security Trust Fund toward their benefactors on Wall Street.

...A nationally prominent Republican political figure will be caught up in some kind of "moral" scandal (sex, booze, more sex, etc.).  Not saying that Republicans are the only ones who like to get laid, have a drink, etc. (not hardly), but they are the ones who like to pass judgement on those who do.  Meaning that when they are caught doing something of that nature, it's a lot juicier than when a Democrat does it (the missteps of the "do as we say, not as we do" crowd are always juicier than those of the "live and let live" crowd).

...Locally prominent Republican political figure, Tom Horne, Arizona's Attorney General, will be the subject of "what will come first, the resignation or the felony indictment?" rumors.  He already has the sex scandal (cheating on his wife), corruption (hiring his girlfriend to a taxpayer-funded job), appetizer scandal (campaign finance violations), and " 'colorful' event" (committing a hit-and-run collision while leaving that girlfriend's home, all observed and documented by federal investigators following him).  He doesn't have much ground left to cover in the area of "can do this and keep his job".

...The Arizona Republican Party will form a bit of a circular firing squad when they elect a new chairman of the state party later this month, ignoring the lessons of the 2012 elections and choosing the most virulently conservative candidiate for the job.

...Not wanting to be accused of taking advantage of that situation, the leadership of the Arizona Democratic Party will respond by fielding candidates for 2014 who can best be described as "Republican-lite".

...A political figure (R or D or neither) will post, Tweet, email, text or otherwise publicize a pic or statement that will embarrass them and claim that they a) thought it was private, b) think is being taken out of context, and c) think is a regrettable error and that they will never do again.  Some careers will survive it (i.e. - Paul Babeu), some won't (i.e. - Anthony Weiner); either way, it will be filed in the "whatthehellwashethinking?" folder.

...If a D-controlled county board of supervisors learns from the (in)action of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors, look for vacancies in legislative seats held by Rs to go unfilled.  State law requires that such vacancies must be filled by members of the same party as the person who vacated the seat, but apparently the law makes the filling of a vacancy optional.  The Rs on West Washington ignored it when it was Republicans making sure that an area that voted for a Democrat went unrepresented; expect their screaming to reach a decibel level in the triple digits if a Republican leaning area is similarly screwed over.

...Andy Biggs, the incoming president of the AZ Senate, will ban from the Senate a certain unworshipful blogger for being, well, *unworshipful*. :)

...And last but certainly not least, expect insightful wiseass-ery from a certain insightful wiseass (but oh-so-humble :) ) blogger...