# Letter From 2012 in Obama's America-A Retrospective **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [October 5, 2012, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786 "2012-10-05T08:02:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/1 "2012-10-05T08:02:20Z")
[http://www.wnd.com/files/Focusletter.pdf](http://www.wnd.com/files/Focusletter.pdf) This letter purpoting to be from October 2012 if Obama won the election in 2008 is rather amusing to read in retrospect. A blogger did an analysis and found that only 1/2 of a prediction was right out of 34. Among other things Russia takes over much of Eastern Europe with America standing by, guns are banned in several states, Tel Aviv gets nuked by Iran, and health care ends up being rationed thanks to a nationalized system, and people who oppose many of these new measures get thrown in prison. Focus on the Family isn’t exactly alone in this however, considering, for example this article from 2004 ([http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm](http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm)) predicted a theocratic dictatorship if Bush II was reelected. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/2 "2012-10-05T08:09:52Z")
“Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right…” Both sides have their nutjobs. ---
**Author:** ![Algorithm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/algorithm/32/12204_2.png) [@Algorithm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algorithm)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/3 "2012-10-05T10:06:38Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > Focus on the Family isn’t exactly alone in this however, considering, for example this article from 2004 ([http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm](http://www.yuricareport.com/Dominionism/TheDespoilingOfAmerica.htm)) predicted a theocratic dictatorship if Bush II was reelected. Which year did The Yurica Report run an ad during the Super Bowl? ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/4 "2012-10-05T11:20:12Z")
What blogger are you talking about that found half the predictions correct? That seems ridiculously high. Also, shouldn’t the larger predictions count for more? Here is one blogger reviewing the predictions. > **["This is the most important election of all time!" (again)](https://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2012/10/this-is-the-most-important-election-of-all-time-again.html)** > > If you listen to leaders on the Right it sounds like this election is the most important election of all time and that all of America's freedoms are staked Romney defeating Obama. There's just one problem. They do this every single year. For example,... ---
**Author:** ![vd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b19c9b/32.png) [@vd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vd)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/5 "2012-10-05T11:39:09Z")
> [@theR](#): > > What blogger are you talking about that found half the predictions correct? That seems ridiculously high. I believe the OP is saying that the blogger found one prediction half true. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Knig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@Typo\_Knig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Knig)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/6 "2012-10-05T12:09:59Z")
[thread=470859]Related thread[/thread] mostly about the “Copy and Save for three years” item from 2008. Score: 0 for 10. The Focus on the Family item would be 0 for 34, but DADT was repealed. I think it’s generous giving FoF 1/2 point for that - most of the “predictions” in the “sentence” that mentions DADT are about horrific consequences that did not come close to occurring. ---
**Author:** ![theR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@theR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theR)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/7 "2012-10-05T14:55:14Z")
> [@vd](#): > > I believe the OP is saying that the blogger found one prediction half true. Ah, I misread. ---
**Author:** ![Knorf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/58956e/32.png) [@Knorf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knorf)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/8 "2012-10-05T16:09:48Z")
FotF’s raison d’etre has always been fear-mongering. ---
**Author:** ![Euphonious\_Polemic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/euphonious_polemic/32/3002_2.png) [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/9 "2012-10-05T16:28:59Z")
I am awaiting the followup from Focus on Family in which they say: “We were wrong in our predictions in every respect, and in retrospect must acknowledge that we were foolish in the extreme to engage in such partisan hyperbole.” \ ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/10 "2012-10-05T16:35:56Z")
#34 didn’t come true… dammit. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/11 "2012-10-05T16:39:46Z")
Pfft. Focus on the Family totally missed the collapse of Borders bookstore in #33. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/12 "2012-10-05T16:43:09Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I am awaiting the followup from Focus on Family in which they say: > > “We were wrong in our predictions in every respect, and in retrospect must acknowledge that we were foolish in the extreme to engage in such partisan hyperbole.” > > \ Hey, who left this petrified skeleton here? Their only mistake was underestimating Obama’s craftiness. Of _course_ those things wouldn’t happen during his _first_ term… ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/13 "2012-10-05T16:52:03Z")
I can’t get past the _“The land of the free”?_ and _“Home of the brave”?_ rhetorical device, both because it’s annoying and because the fucking question mark is outside of the quote. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/14 "2012-10-05T16:55:06Z")
> [@Euphonious\_Polemic](#): > > I am awaiting the followup from Focus on Family in which they say: > > “We were wrong in our predictions in every respect, and in retrospect must acknowledge that we were foolish in the extreme to engage in such partisan hyperbole.” > > \ I think you mean “Our predictions would have come true had it not been for the tireless efforts of the Republican party to thwart Obama’s evil godless liberal agenda. Thank Jesus they were able to stop him before he destroyed the country.” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2012, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/15 "2012-10-05T23:14:14Z")
> [@Algorithm](#): > > Which year did The Yurica Report run an ad during the Super Bowl? When did I say they were equally influential? And the article’s been linked to on established “skeptic” sites such as Skeptics’ Dictionary. ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2012, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/letter-from-2012-in-obamas-america-a-retrospective/636786/16 "2012-10-06T02:43:18Z")
> [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](#): > > When did I say they were equally influential? And the article’s been linked to on established “skeptic” sites such as Skeptics’ Dictionary. The point is that left wing wackos have been thoroughly marginalized, while right wing nutcases receive respectful attention from Republican Presidential candidates. Example: During an interview with Focus on the Family president Jim Daly, Paul Ryan reassured the anti-gay group that a Romney-Ryan administration will fiercely oppose gay rights. Focus on the Family and its founder James Dobson have a long history of promoting anti-gay policies and ex-gay therapy, and earned a shout-out from Romney earlier this week while campaigning in Colorado, where it is headquartered. [Paul Ryan Promises Focus on the Family that He Will Fight Gay Equality | People For](http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/paul-ryan-promises-focus-family-fight-gay-equality) In contrast, the Yurica blog is allegedly linked to by Skeptics Dictionary, though neither receive any substantive attention from the media or from the Democrats.