Bad News: 2013 Will Suck

If you woke up energized by the promise of a new year, Alex Pareene is ready to burst your bubble. While he's quite pleased that the days of 2012 are dead and gone, he has no hope for a stellar 2013, at least when it comes to politics. He explains why on Salon:

• Austerity: "It's coming," declares Pareene ominously. He expects to see "regressive budget cuts at all levels of government" and anticipates the GOP will push more spending cuts through via the impending debt ceiling fight—which "might just crash the world economy anyway."

• A do-nothing Congress: The 112th Congress was the epitome of do-nothing, but don't expect the 113th to be significantly different. We'll see small shifts in its makeup, but "it’s still the case that House Republicans have no incentive to compromise on anything, while Senate Democrats live to compromise." Don't hold your breath for major progress on climate change, gun control, or immigration, predicts Pareene.
• 2016: Quite simply, "there is no escape." The ball will get rolling this year, and Pareene expects to see Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio, and Andrew Cuomo everywhere.
• TV will stink: Not exactly a political prediction, but a gloomy one all the same. 30 Rock is soon to be no more, Louie will be absent til 2014, and "Arrested Development will totally be disappointing. Sorry."

Click for Pareene's complete list, which includes Game Change 2. (More 2013 stories.)