Edelstein: A look back at great 2018 predictions
Time to take a look back at my 14 predictions I made for 2018 and see how I did. SPOILER ALERT: I did pretty damn good. Seriously. I’m like a seer or something
1) Something about me continuing to write bad poetry every once in while. I’m sure I exceeded that by a mile. It’s a win, and that ain’t no sin. Record stands at 1-0.
2) “Phil Murphy’s first year as governor will be very underwhelming.” I said he’d get the millionaire’s tax and that would be it, and marijuana wouldn’t go to a vote. Nailed it. 2-0
3) I wrote “The Irishman,” a Martin Scorsese movie and starring Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and more would be held in the same regard as “Goodfellas” and “Casino.” Well, won’t be released until May 15, so jury is out. It’s a push. 2-0-1.
4) I wrote there wouldn’t be a major terrorist attack on American soil - as I’ve written every year for years - and was once again (thankfully) proven correct. 3-0-1. It was an odds play, as I pointed out thusly: In the last 15 years, 103 Americans have been killed by radical Islamic terrorists. In 2017, 69 Americans were killed in lawnmower accidents.
5) I then predicted I would almost kill myself in a lawnmower accident, and I swear on my kneecaps I almost did when I attempted to mow the hostas instead of using my hands to trim them down for winter. It was an incline situation and there was almost a severed foot. 4-0-1.
6) Here’s another spot-on political prediction I came up with: “President Donald Trump will continue to underwhelm those who supported him and not be the complete disaster the rest of us thought he was going to be.” I mean, come on. It’s vague, granted, but doesn’t make it any less true. 5-0-1.
7) Here’s another political winner: “The Democrats are going to crush in the 2018 midterm elections and take control of either the House or Senate and quite possibly both.” Boom. 6-01. I’m fire emoji.
8) And then, despite predicting the blue wave, I then predicted Trump’s approval rating would go up. And whaddya know? According to 538.com, Trump went from 39 percent or so when I wrote this to today’s 42.5 percent. 7-0-1. I’m like Mike Tyson in his prime right now. Step up, get knocked down. Whooooop!
9) The Mets will disappoint. At 77-85 I think that’s a victory. 8-0-1.
10) And here’s my first L: I guessed the Yankees would win the World Series. Close but no victory cigar. 8-1-1.
11) Chris Christie will fade into the background. Well, I can’t really say I got this one right. He hasn’t exactly been front and center, but he’s been mezzanine and off to the left enough (his ABC contract, his dalliance with WFAN and Trump, etc.) I’ll take the loss here. 8-2-1.
12) “Bitcoin will prove to be the Danish tulip craze of our times.” Hate to say I told you so, but one Bitcoin was worth over $18,000 at the start of 2018. Today? About $3,600. Hope you heeded my warning. 9-2-1.
13) “Kim Kardashian will finally overtake Jennifer Lopez as my marital free pass, and yes, I realize how this makes me look and no, I don’t care. The heart wants what the heart wants.” And … it’s official. I filed the paperwork and everything. Signed, sealed, delivered. I wonder if Kim reads The Trentonian. 10-21. And finally …
14) “Someone you know with a LinkedIn account will actually get a job as a result of it. Seriously: Has anyone ever? I don’t know of a single soul.” Well … I can say I still don’t know anyone who has gotten a job this way, so we’ll call it a win and a wildly impressive 10-3-1. For real: This was my best work right here. I’m literally - yes, literally - patting myself on my back as I type this.
Predictions for 2019, coming Wednesday. Stay tuned …