For those shows that remain, however, many seem to be holding up, especially considering the dismal predictions after Sept. 11.
If, for example, the Communist Party's Robert Hue were to exceed the pollsters' dismal predictions, a President Jospin would have to take note.
The dismal predictions of the 1960s convinced many governments, particularly in poor countries, that they were fighting a war, and "collateral damage" was often seen as inevitable.
Her dismal track record at predictions -- she confidently predicted she would die at 88, not 77, for instance -- would only be laughable if they did not hurt so many people," he said by email.
It was a year of biblical firestorms in the West and historic flooding across the South, and while there was temporary relief from drought in California, long-term predictions remain dismal for those relying on the sparse water resources of the Southwest.
It was a telling moment at Senator Tom Harkin's 33rd annual steak fry, where Mr. Plouffe, along with David Axelrod, a senior adviser to the president, came to try to dispel the predictions of a dismal November for Democrats.
But far from remaining a "dismal science when it comes to prediction", at least 13 high-profile economists, including Wynne Godley, Nouriel Roubini, Steve Keen, Dean Baker and Ann Pettifor forecast the 2008 crash, yet they are largely ignored by policymakers today.
Predictions about this year's dismal bonuses have no doubt disappointed financiers on Wall Street, who often complain that they are underpaid even when all evidence points to the contrary.
Early reviews are largely negative, and the predictions for its opening box office performance are dismal.
Season breakdown & prediction: The non-conference schedule is a killer, and will doom F.I.U. to another dismal season before September is out.
