PurpleAmerica's 10 New Years Predictions

We Take a Stab at Predictions; We're Not Good at It so Be Forewarned

That’s right, it’s that time of year again. The time of year where everyone loves to make predictions about what the next year will bring. We all love to do it, don’t deny it.

I’ll be the first to admit though, I’m pretty terrible at it. I mean, just look at my election predictions; all the facts were there in plain sight but I thought Harris had the momentum and was going to make the clean sweep. Boy was I wrong on that one.

Nonetheless, I’m going to soldier on and make some earnest predictions on the New Year on some of the major events. If you want to play along too, put your guesses in the comments and I’ll come back to this from time to time to report on how everyone is doing.

So without Further Ado:

1. The Buffalo Bills will win the Super Bowl against the Minnesota Vikings. Both of these teams have each lost four Super Bowls a piece, so call it the “loser’s bowl” if you like. The winner gets the monkey off the back, while the loser becomes the biggest NFL loser, having lost the most Super Bowls. I give the nod to Buffalo, who’s offense has looked all but unstoppable this last month. I’d put Detroit in here instead of Minnesota, but that Defense is just too banged up. Better luck next year Motor City Kitties.

   1. OUCH! Didn’t get EITHER team right on this one. I warned you I’m not good at predictions like this.

2. I don’t have a clue who is going to win Best Picture this year. Before you shout “Wicked!” at me, let me just say that it’s only half a film, and I suspect they’ll honor it at next year’s Oscars instead.¹ There was a lot of mediocrity this year too since the Writers’ and Actors’ strikes limited productions and slowed down films from being released. But we have to make predictions, so out of the big eight awards, here are my guesses:

   1. Best Supporting Actor: Willem Dafoe, Nosferatu (He’s overdue for an award).

      1. Eesh. Not even nominated.

   2. Best Supporting Actress: Isabella Rosellini, Conclave (she does more in 10 minutes of screentime than any of the main characters).

      1. Still think she’ll win.

   3. Best Original Screenplay, Anora

      1. Maybe? It hasn’t won in any of the other awards yet.

   4. Best Adapted Screenplay, Dune Part II

      1. Not even nominated. Ugh.

   5. Best Actress, Cynthia Erivo, Wicked (I can’t think of anyone else who stood out in any movie nearly as much; would love to hear your thoughts).

      1. Being hailed as a front runner. Yeah! I may actually get one right!

   6. Best Actor, Timothee Chalamet, A Complete Unknown. (It’s his year. Give him the award).

      1. Seems like a winner here too.

   7. Best Director, Denis Villeneuve, Dune Part II

      1. Not even nominated. Did the Academy even see any movies this year?

   8. Best Picture, Dune Part II

      1. Made it into the list, but seems destined to lose. Badly.

   None of that is to say they are going to win, in fact, I’ll be shocked if I get more than two right. But you really want to know what a non-deal the Oscars are nowadays? Name for me the last 4 movies to win Best Picture without looking it up. Exactly.

3. Mike Johnson will not be Speaker of the House. I suspect we will go through the same circus we did last time with Kevin McCarthy, but Johnson will have the good conscience to say “To hell with this” and walk away from the job. No idea who will end up in the job, because whoever it is will be entirely at the whims of Donald Trump. In that event, who would actually want the job?

   1. Half right…He got into the job easily enough but without the circus of McCarthy.

4. Tulsi Gabbard will not be confirmed as Director of National Intelligence. Everyone, and I do mean EVERYONE, knows she’s patently unqualified for the office. She’s simply not supported by anyone and Republicans are fine with giving the axe to a former Democrat. Pete Hegseth will squeak through but may be the first Cabinet level appointee to quit or be fired. He just doesn’t know what he’s in for.

   1. Yeesh. Completely whiffed on this one. That’s what I get for having ANY faith in Republicans.

5. Trump’s approval ratings will meander back down into the low 40s for most of the first year, maybe even dipping into the high 30s if there are some seriously bad debacles. Nonetheless, in what will be a big surprise to most everybody, he’ll fade into the background as people numb themselves to him in the White House again. It’ll be just like this last year with Biden in office, not really doing much. The press will go into hyperdrive every time he posts a rant on Truth Social, but it’ll have all the impact of Clint Eastwood gritting “Get off of my lawn” or Abe Simpson shouting at a cloud. No one will care. We’ve seen it all before. We’ll focus on other things. Thank god.

6. Ugh, the Boston Celtics will repeat as NBA champs. Boston fans will once again be insufferable.

7. Russia and Ukraine will work out a cease fire agreement, which includes Russia ceding back some of it’s gains and keeping others, including Crimea. The political and hegemonic damage has been mounting on Putin over the past year, and Zelenskyy is aware that he is going to get less help from the US over the next four years. I suspect a practical coming to terms for both sides may be within reach.

8. Bitcoin will continue to rise in the first months of the year, but then will begin a slow steady decline over the rest of the year. By the end of the year, it will be back under $95k. The reason why? Well the halving high would have worn off, but more importantly, there will be other more lucrative places to park your money. This brings me to…

9. The Stock Market will continue to expand, with larger blue chip companies growing and a slew of mergers announced in the first half of 2025. NVIDIA will still lead the way but at a slower pace as previously. New meme stock Palantir will continue to grow to $90 a share, maybe $100. It’s going to be a good year for stocks with a lack of oversight, more deregulation on the agenda for Republicans and companies taking advantage of the environment. Get ready for an economic sugar high that will put Candy Land to shame. Eventually, the music will stop and a recession will be imminent, but it won’t happen this year.

   1. If anything, I undervalued Palantir.

   2. How do you prevent an economic sugar high? You levy tarriffs, on everyone.

10. Last but not least, 2025 will actually be better than 2024. I know a lot of people who had tough years. I had ups and downs myself with a new job, losing my mother this past summer and notable changes I’ve had to adapt to. It’s all been a source of great stress (along with the election which always brings with a sense of heartburn). But I do believe our best years are ahead of us, that with 2024 out of the way, 2025 has the potential to be one of the greatest years in a really long time. Yes, Trump will be President which I know many of us (including me) did not want. But so what? Don’t let him ruin a good time. 2025 will be the year that defines this decade, and I have the sense all of us are overdue to party it up a little bit. So grab your favorite libation of choice, turn on your favorite music, kick your feet up, and enjoy the ride.

2024. PurpleAmerica. Out. See you next year.

Footnotes and Fun Stuff

1. This is besides the point that I just thought it was OK. Still, I get where the zeitgeist goes and it has a lot of things that appeal to the Oscar voter set.