Experts Expound

“What are your top political predictions for 2010?”

Pain.

Dems will weather a downturn in Obama’s popularity and hold solid majorities in the Legislature. Barbara Boxer will retain her seat in a brutal contest after Fiorina is unable to recover from a surprisingly narrow win in the GOP primary. Jerry Brown, however, will stumble after a poorly-run campaign and multiple gaffes on the stump. Third-party candidates will win an unprecedented 10 percent of the vote as voters express their disgust with their choices. State budget woes that continue through November will drive down Schwarzenegger’s popularity even further, and the water bond will lose by a lopsided margin. Marijuana will be legalized in an initiative while a glut of most other ballot questions will fail, including all of the so-called “reform” measures.

Open primary ballot measure prevails in June; and in an unrelated matter, Senate Democrats elect Mark Leno Pro Tem as the budget bill standoff edges into October.
“Liberal” comes out of the wilderness to be an increasingly popular label.

Poizner beats Whitman, Boxer race gets tight, work comp reform deals will be made, Dems hold the U.S. House.

Tom McClintock faces primary because he doesn’t know how to replace Placer County chairman, Legislature stays plus-or-minus two seats overall, 2010 not as good a GOP year as it could be if there was rational leadership.

Budget deficit.  New Governor who will “reform” state government.  Rinse.  Repeat.

Finally, the last year of Schwarzenegger as governor! What a disaster.

The revolving door of legislative leadership will continue with three leadership changes before the end of session… and at least one legislator will resign amidst scandal.
 Jerry Brown will not be the next governor of California. He is totally unprepared for what is going to hit him.
 Same nonsense, different year.  

By ruling of the Supreme Court the Legislature will be disbanded and a Federal Master will be appointed to run it.

The Legislature will be tense, watching what happens to the constitutional reform proposals.
More of the same, except worse.

Andrew Acosta, A.G. Block, Mark Bogetich, Barry Brokaw, Morgan Crinklaw, J Dale Debber, Peter DeMarco, Jim Evans, Kathy Fairbanks, Jeff Fuller, Rex Frazier, Ken Gibson, Evan Goldberg, Deborah Gonzalez, Sandy Harrison, Bob Hertzberg, Jason Kinney, Greg Lucas, Mike Madrid, Nicole Mahrt, Steve Maviglio,  Adam Mendelsohn, Barbara O’Connor, Bill Packer, Kassy Perry, Jack Pitney, Adam Probolsky, Tony Quinn, Matt Rexroad, Matt Ross, Roger Salazar, Dan Schnur, Will Shuck, Ralph Simoni, Sam Sorich, Ray Sotero, Garry South, Kevin Spillane, Angie Wei, Rich Zeiger.