How I Became A Prophet
And how you can become one too—by not really trying, using your imagination, paying attention, and getting old
The last few years, and the last few weeks—QAnon cultists entering Congress as both invaders and members, the GameStop madness—have made me feel prescient and even, occasionally, megalomaniacally, I must confess, prophetic.
In the beginning was Trump. The satirical magazine Spy, which I co-founded, covered him a lot. As part of our 1988 election coverage, we commissioned a poll asking “Who are you most disappointed isn’t running for president?” In addition to legitimate politicians, we offered Trump as a choice, and 4% picked him, about as many as picked Joe Biden. “In terms of level of education, the voters who most favored a Trump candidacy—9%—were those whose minds remain uncluttered by any education beyond junior high school.” “We’ve come to believe,” we declared, mock-seriously, “that a Donald Trump candidacy is viable,” and what’s more, “we already have Donald Trump’s personal guarantee that if he did run for president, he would win.”
