YouTube election predictions

Since there are no local election polls in Oshkosh, we political watchers can grab onto anything we want to make predictions about who will make it through next week's primary election.

We can, literally, put our finger to the wind and try to feel what the forecast is, or we can, electronically, navigate the Web and see whose video is getting the most play over on YouTube, where introductory statements were posted by the Oshkosh Community News Network as a public service. (Council candidates are here, and school board candidates are here.)

Based on this ridiculously flimsy evidence, I am prepared to make the following predictions (although I wouldn't put money on any of them).

In the Council race, the results will be:

1. Bryan Bain, 29.5%
2. Jessica King, 15.9%
3. Tony Palmeri, 15.9%
4. Meredith Scheuermann, 13.6%
5. Bob Cornell, 9.1%
6. Kent Monte, 9.1%
7. Mark Nielsen, 6.8%

There are no real surprises here. If we assume that name recognition is the most important factor at this stage of the game, it stands to reason that newcomer Mark Nielsen wouldn't make the cut.

In the board race, the results will be:

1. Dan Becker, 36.5%
2. Michelle Monte, 24.7%
3. Karen Bowen, 21.2%
4. John Daggett, 9.4%
5. Teresa Thiel, 8.2%

Here I have a little more trouble. I just can't see John Daggett making it into the general election. But, lord knows, I have been wrong before.