My contribution to the 2011 NRO Predictions:
President Obama’s job approval numbers neither bounce back nor plummet, but meander along in the current meh-to-disappointing range, mirroring an economy that is neither recovering strongly nor slipping much further.
One of Oprah Winfrey’s first interviews on her new network, OWN, will feature the President and First Lady.
Buzz about Joe Biden’s departure from the ticket grows, as he becomes more prominent in White House decision making than in the Rahm Era, but as gaffe-prone as ever. Within the Beltway, Democrats remain convinced that Obama will win reelection fairly easily and handily, and so the opportunity to replace Biden is seen as an easy stepping stone to the Democratic nomination in 2016.
Redistricting turns out to be a lot less fun than Republicans are anticipating, as every elected GOP lawmaker begins trying to make their district even more Republican.
With no hope of getting back to a majority in the foreseeable future, at least a half dozen more senior Democrat incumbents announce their retirement, suddenly discovering the need to spend more time with their family.
Republicans sweep the three governors races this year: Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana. Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Phil Bryant follows Haley Barbour; David Williams, currently president of the Kentucky State Senate, defeats incumbent Democrat Governor Steve Beshear; and Bobby Jindal wins a second term in Louisiana. The landslide victory for Jindal increases the presidential buzz around him, but he steadfastly refuses to run. Nonetheless, he is frequently mentioned as a possible running mate for the 2012 nominee.