11/1/04 6:45 PM: I just wanna write this down before hand. I don't know if I'll be right, and I certainly wanna be able to gloat if so. If not, no harm done.

By Wednesday, George W. Bush will be the president-elect of the United States with a term that expires in 2008. I have a slight suspicion that the normally Democratic California will turn, due to electoral shenanigans from Governor Schwartzenegger's administration. I also suspect that despite increased vigilance, Jeb Bush's Florida will also go, electorally, to Bush.

My most fervent hope is that John Kerry will win the popular vote in spite of Bush winning the electoral vote. It will, for once and for all, illustrate some of the irreparable flaws in the system. There is no way to fix the system, and I would much prefer its complete dissolution to any lackluster attempts at reform. For all the "benefits" of Clinton, Rodney King, Malice Green and Abner Louima all got their "equal protection" under that administration.

On to more local issues: I'm pretty sure that the wildly deceptive Proposition 68, which allegedly was going to "make Indian casinos pay their fair share" (which I railed against here) will fail. I hope that the gaming tribes can trick voters into going for Proposition 70, which would let casinos expand and chip in 8.25% like sales tax, instead of the lunatic 25% or more that the Governator wants. They know the white folk are gonna shake 'em down sooner or laterm and they wanna hedge against how much they'll lose. I can respect that and I hope they make it.

The stem cell research thing is probably doomed, because people are wildly ignorant.

The mental health proposition might make it, because a lotta people wanna stick it to the rich this year and the moneyed peoples of the world gotta take a hit sometime. Barbara Boxer will probably win, because her opponent (whoever it is) has no real name recognition. Other than that I don't really remember much about what's happening.

I'd be pleasanly surprised to be wrong, for a change. But those are my predictions.