# SDMB Third Annual Time "Person of the Year" Midseason Predictions **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 5, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166 "2005-07-05T18:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/1 "2005-07-05T18:18:04Z")
Half way through 2005, and I can’t say that there is a clear frontrunner. But for the third year in a row, we’ll throw some names out. Yet, no single individual comes to mind. If the cover was selected today, I’d bet it would be a group or an idea like past winners “The Whistleblowers” or the “American Soldier.” Maybe the “Gang of 12” from the Senate filibuster (ZZZzzzz) or Bush/Clinton for their fundraising efforts. No one else really stands out. I could see the battle to replace O’Conner producing a nominee in the second half of the year. If the far right prevails, maybe James Dobson. If the left prevails, I predict the winner will be Associate Justice Alberto Gonzalez. Anyone have any first half favorites or second half predictions for Time’s most prestigous award? ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/2 "2005-07-05T18:24:49Z")
Minor nit: It’s the Gang of 14. And, for the record, these guys will be all tied up in the fight over O’Connor/Rehnquist. I think they are the front-runner at this point. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/3 "2005-07-05T18:47:21Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > Minor nit: It’s the Gang of 14. Um…err…I’ll be cold in my grave before I recognize the Senators of MAINE! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/4 "2005-07-05T19:03:44Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > Um…err…I’ll be cold in my grave before I recognize the Senators of MAINE! 😃 Nice recovery. I needed a chuckle right about now. Thanks to you and **MEBuckner** (closing the November 2006 thread), I got a couple of them. My sincere appreciation and here’s some good karma, don’t spend it all on one lifetime. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/5 "2005-07-05T21:30:49Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > Maybe the “Gang of 12” from the Senate filibuster (ZZZzzzz) or Bush/Clinton for their fundraising efforts. > > No one else really stands out. > > I could see the battle to replace O’Conner producing a nominee in the second half of the year. > > If the far right prevails, maybe James Dobson. > > If the left prevails, I predict the winner will be Associate Justice Alberto Gonzalez. I don’t have any idea, but I’m certain it won’t be any of those. The Person of the Year has to have world-wide impact. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/6 "2005-07-05T21:56:10Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > The Person of the Year has to have world-wide impact. Patrick Fitzgerald 😃 ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/7 "2005-07-05T21:57:35Z")
Like the whistle blowers? Newt Gingrich? Jeff Bezos? Time has more than shown they are willing to go the American only route. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/8 "2005-07-05T22:00:23Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Patrick Fitzgerald 😃 I think Time is more likely to make Bin Laden the person of the year than Mr. Fitzgerald! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/9 "2005-07-05T22:27:59Z")
Who’s Patrick Fitzgerald? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Zagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@El\_Zagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Zagna)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/10 "2005-07-05T22:32:01Z")
Jon Stewart, maybe? Other than that I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/11 "2005-07-05T22:58:03Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > Who’s Patrick Fitzgerald? He’s the special counsel who’s investigating the Plame outing. [Prosecutor Demands Time Reporter Testify](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=533&e=1&u=/ap/20050705/ap_on_re_us/reporters_contempt) ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/12 "2005-07-05T23:01:07Z")
> [@John Mace](#): > > I don’t have any idea, but I’m certain it won’t be any of those. The Person of the Year has to have world-wide impact. \ I predict that it will be Rush Limbaugh after he is hurled to Earth from space and wipes out 3/4 of China. I know. Fat Rush Limbaugh joke=lazy joke. shame on me. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/13 "2005-07-05T23:20:49Z")
> [@watsonwil](#): > > Like the whistle blowers? Newt Gingrich? Jeff Bezos? > > Time has more than shown they are willing to go the American only route. I forgot about Newt. Bezos, it can be argued, had a global impact. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/14 "2005-07-05T23:23:54Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > He’s the special counsel who’s investigating the Plame outing. > [Prosecutor Demands Time Reporter Testify](http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=533&e=1&u=/ap/20050705/ap_on_re_us/reporters_contempt) Thanks! I tried google, but there are more Patrick Fitzgeralds out there than you can shake a search engine at. ---
**Author:** ![rorty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@rorty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rorty)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/15 "2005-07-05T23:54:04Z")
El Papa ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2005, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/16 "2005-07-05T23:57:01Z")
> [@rorty](#): > > El Papa D’oh! rorty got it first, but yeah, it’ll probably either be the late Pope or the new one. ---
**Author:** ![Malodorous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47774/32.png) [@Malodorous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malodorous)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/17 "2005-07-06T16:21:41Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > D’oh! > > rorty got it first, but yeah, it’ll probably either be the late Pope or the new one. You have to be living at the end of the year to make the cut, so the late Pope is out. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/45deac/32.png) [@Evil\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_One)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/18 "2005-07-06T19:24:33Z")
“The Insurgent”. ---
**Author:** ![bluecanary](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bluecanary/32/3614_2.png) [@bluecanary](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bluecanary)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/19 "2005-07-06T21:49:36Z")
Depending what happens at and in the aftermath of G8: Bob Geldof & Bono? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2005, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166/20 "2005-07-07T03:58:41Z")
Well, there are 6 more months to go, so anything can happen. Still, if I had to pick the one news story from 2005 that has the greatest potential to change the world for ages to come… it might be the work that’s been done with stem cell research and cloning in South Korea. I won’t argue the pros and cons or the morality of such research. I’ll just say that a South Korean scientist may well be the Man of the Year, at this point. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sdmb-third-annual-time-person-of-the-year-midseason-predictions/311166.md?page=2)