Deadly New Disease': 1998 Poll of Americans' Predictions for Future Were Surprisingly Prescient'

"The pollsters called 1,055 Americans and asked them to predict if certain events would or would not have happened by the year 2025. Some were surprisingly prescient, wrote Edwards-Levy, with people correctly guessing that we would have elected a Black president, gay marriage would be legal and commonplace plus the emergence of a deadly new disease."

"Americans were correctly skeptical that space travel would be common for ordinary people (still pretty much limited to billionaires and pop stars) or that aliens would make contact (as far as your friendly neighborhood Mediaite contributing editor is aware, not yet, but there's a soundtrack ready for if/when it happens)."

"Gallup still regularly polls Americans about a variety of topics, noted Edwards-Levy, including our opinion of the country and we've gotten a lot more pessimistic over time: Gallup is still polling, of course, albeit with less of an emphasis on landlines. So we can get a sense of how Americans' overall outlook on the country has changed over the past 27 years. In fall 1998, about 60% of Americans said they were satisfied with the way things were going in the US. Today, that number stands at 24%."

A 1998 Gallup and USA Today poll asked 1,055 Americans to predict whether certain events would have occurred by 2025. Respondents correctly anticipated a Black president, legalized and commonplace gay marriage, and the emergence of a deadly new disease. Respondents were skeptical that space travel would become common for ordinary people or that aliens would make contact. Some expectations proved inaccurate, including hopes for a cure for cancer, election of a female president, and routine 100-year lifespans. Gallup continues to poll public opinion, and satisfaction with the country's direction fell from about 60% in fall 1998 to 24% in 2025.

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