Despite the fact that a significant majority of Americans do not like Donald Trump and do not support his re-election, there remains widespread fear and anxiety that Trump will win in November anyway. In January when we did predictions on the subject, John and Peg and Shelly all predicted he would win in November despite the fact that it made them physically ill to contemplate that possibility. Perhaps to be contrary, as is his wont, Jim predicted a Trump loss.

Now that six months have passed and some actual data is available (and, oh yes by the way, the world we live in has been turned upside down) Jim is eager to reaffirm his prediction.

Shelly gamely took on the thankless task – equivalent to representing Manson in court - of trying to argue why Trump will win. Jim relied upon data from polls and recent electoral history to make a strong case why it seems very likely that Trump will lose. However, Shelly made several strong points on the other side, notably that Trump retains a core of avid supporters and that many of his policy positions are widely supported.

John speaks for many liberals who suffer from Trump Derangement Syndrome and expresses his fear that somehow he will pull off some dramatic surprise to win re-election. But in this case let’s hope Bobby McFerrin is right.

Peg was away on a family trip so she could not participate but she dis text to say that if she could have joined us she would have forgotten to prepare a recommendation anyway.

Recommendations: Shelly recommended The Splendid and the Vile by Erik Larson, Jim recommended leaving a big tip when returning to restaurant eating. John recommended reading closely, and, for practice, visiting or re-visiting the language of Jane Austen in Sense and Sensibility.