p.s. (a self-promotional plug)

Did any other blogger or media pundit publish a prediction regarding GOP response to SOTU address?
- none that I've seen!

PrivateBuffoon dares to PREDICT - not simply analyze post hoc.

How'd I do? - I'm giving myself about 70% (your opinion may vary)

Not long ago I wrote some explicit predictions regarding the GOP response to Obama's SOTU address.
As loyal readers know, I'm a masochist: I frequently compare my predictions with what actually happened.
I've got the transcript in front of me (from Fox News!).

Here goes.
First prediction:
"We can't afford more "stimulus" (in quotes).
We need to focus on reining in the deficit and cutting taxes."

"What government should not do is pile on more taxation, regulation and litigation that kill jobs and hurt the middle class."
...
Republicans in Congress have offered legislation to reform health care, without shifting Medicaid costs to the states, without cutting Medicare, and without raising your taxes.
...
Last year, we were told that massive new federal spending would create more jobs immediately and hold unemployment below 8 percent.

In the past year, more than 3 million people have lost their jobs, and yet the Democratic Congress continues deficit spending, adding to the bureaucracy, and increasing the national debt on our children and our grandchildren.

The amount of debt is on pace to double in five years and triple in ten. The federal debt is now over $100,000 per household. This is simply unsustainable.
...
Many Americans are concerned about this administration's effort to exert greater control over car companies, banks, energy, and health care, but over-regulating employers won't create more employment, overtaxing investors won't foster more investment."
[emphasis added]

Okay - no calls for more tax cuts, but a repeated emphasis on no NEW taxes.
I'm counting this as a 100% for what I said they'd say.

BUT: I missed at least one theme in the budget-related stuff: regulation.
I didn't predict the emphasis on regulation (or - as the GOP would have it - over-regulation). This pops up a few times. My miss.

Second prediction: "Obama has taken his eye off the terrorism ball.
We're in more danger from al Qaeda today than at any time since 1776."

"But we have serious concerns over the recent steps the administration has taken regarding suspected terrorists. Americans were shocked on Christmas Day to learn of the attempted bombing of a flight to Detroit. This foreign terror suspect was given the same legal rights as a U.S. citizen and immediately stopped providing critical intelligence.

As Senator-elect Scott Brown has said, we should be spending taxpayer dollars to defeat terrorists, not to protect them."

I'm taking this as 90% (even if Gov. McDonnell didn't quite approach my hyperbolic "... since 1776"). No mention of "dropping the ball", but I'll accept "spending taxpayer dollars to defeat terrorists, not to protect them" as pretty close.

Third prediction: "Even Congressional Democrats have concluded that reforming our A#1 healthcare system would be a tragic mistake.
Why can't the President get on board?"

"There is much common ground. All Americans agree that we need health -- health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality. But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government."

Okay - no reference to recent Dem temerity, but I'll accept "much common ground" as a placeholder. I think I nailed this one - my reference to "A#1 healthcare system" being echoed pretty darn closely by, "the best medical care system in the world".

Fourth prediction: "Socialism is evil". In addition to above quotation about "turning over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government, we have...

"Here at home, government must help foster a society in which all our people can use their God-given talents and liberty to pursue the great American dream. Republicans know that government cannot guarantee individual outcomes, but we strongly believe that it must guarantee equality of opportunity for all.

That opportunity exists best in a democracy which promotes free enterprise, economic growth, strong families, and individual achievement.

Many Americans are concerned about this administration's effort to exert greater control over car companies, banks, energy, and health care, but over-regulating employers won't create more employment, overtaxing investors won't foster more investment.

Top-down, one-size-fits-all decision-making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism. As our founders clearly stated, and we governors clearly understand, government closest to the people governs best."

I'll take this as a very long GOP paraphrase of "Socialism is evil."

What'd I miss?
In addition to the anti-regulation bit which I should have anticipated, here are what I believe are my most serious misses:

Energy policy (drill, baby, drill);

"We want cooperation, not partisanship."
- this, too, I should have anticipated.

I'd cite the emphasis on education as a miss, but here Gov. McDonnell seems to express only agreement with Obama, so I'm giving it a pass.

Again - overall I'm giving myself a 70%.
If you care to score me lower, I'll understand.
(I don't think I can be scored any higher.)

For what it's worth: I wrote my prediction at 5 p.m. Mountain Time.
I could as well have written it a week ago.

final note: 70% = "C" in school... but all-time batting-champion in baseball's Major Leagues!

Well - that didn't take long!

As loyal readers know, I'm a big fan of checking on predictions - mine & others.
About an hour ago I made my prediction regarding the Republican Response to Obama's SOTU address.
I didn't have to wait long to find out how I did:

Republicans say nation can't afford Dem policies
By Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer
– 13 mins ago
WASHINGTON – The nation cannot afford the spending Democrats have enacted or the tax increases they propose, Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell said Wednesday in the Republican response to the State of the Union address.

McDonnell, in excerpts of his speech released in advance, said Democratic policies are resulting in an unsustainable level of debt. He said Americans want affordable health care, but they don't want the government to run it.

"Top-down, one-size-fits-all decision-making should not replace the personal choices of free people in a free market, nor undermine the proper role of state and local governments in our system of federalism," McDonnell said.


"All Americans agree, we need a health care system that is affordable, accessible, and high quality," McDonnell said. "But most Americans do not want to turn over the best medical care system in the world to the federal government."
...
Republicans said they want Obama to change more than his rhetoric. They complain that a $787 billion economic stimulus package enacted last year did not do enough to increase employment. And they oppose Obama's plan to let income tax cuts expire next year for families making more than $250,000 a year.
[emphasis added]

Bear in mind, this summary is based on "excerpts of his [McDonnell's] speech released in advance".

I think I did pretty well.
I bolded the elements above that agree pretty darn well with my predictions.
So far only "terrorism" has been omitted.
(I'm counting the references to federal-govt run healthcare, "the personal choices of free people in a free market", and the reference to "our system of federalism" as the equivalent of my "Socialism is evil" prediction.)

I'll see how I do when I have a transcript of the final, full response.
All I need is a mention of terrorism - and no other major inclusions - to have batted 1.000!