What’s Happening in 2014? Twelve Questions Answered

With the snow piled up and the wind chill close to zero, it’s a good weekend to stay at home and engage in some stargazing. The year 2014 may already be a few days old, but it’s not too late to impress your friends with some predictions about domestic and world events. Just remember to follow the golden rules of punditry: keep it snappy, and pretend to know what you are talking about. In case you need a bit of help, here’s a quick bluffer’s guide.

1. Can Obama recover? Sure he can. After all the troubles of the past couple of months, his approval rating is already rebounding a bit. According to the Gallup daily tracking poll, he ended 2013 with a forty-four per cent approval rating. That’s not great, but it’s higher than his numbers throughout much of 2010 and 2011. Surprisingly enough, it’s also higher than his ratings in the summer of 2012, just before he waxed Mitt Romney in the general election. How high can Obama go? That depends upon the answers to the next two questions.

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