Jonah Goldberg loses bet to Juan Cole about Iraq, owes the USO $1,000.

[BurtWorm]

http://www.matthewyglesias.com/archives/2007/02/jonah_goldberg_day/

Jonah Goldberg Day!

Two years ago today, Jonah Goldberg threw down the following challenge to Juan Cole:

Since he doesn't want to debate anything except his own brilliance, let's make a bet. I predict that Iraq won't have a civil war, that it will have a viable constitution, and that a majority of Iraqis and Americans will, in two years time, agree that the war was worth it. I'll bet $1,000 (which I can hardly spare right now). This way neither of us can hide behind clever word play or CV reading. If there's another reasonable wager Cole wants to offer which would measure our judgment, I'm all ears. Money where your mouth is, doc.

Since Goldberg enjoys throwing a little smear-job in with his punditry, he also offered this:

One caveat: Because I don't think it's right to bet on such serious matters for personal gain, if I win, I'll donate the money to the USO. He can give it to the al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade or whatever his favorite charity is.

Got it. So we have a prediction, along with the insinuation that Professor Cole is a terrorist whereas Goldberg is a patriot. Obviously, Goldberg's prediction was incredibly wrong. The prediction, of course, came in the context of a larger argument about credibility and Goldberg's wildly off-base prediction tends to confirm precisely Cole's position in this argument -- Goldberg, while certainly a clever rhetoritician, basically has no idea what he's talking about. Meanwhile, somewhat hilariously, Goldberg thinks that pointing out that Cole turned his wager down should somehow spare him from mockery. The point, however, is still about the very, very poor prediction, not about Cole's skills as a gambler.

[Ellen Forradalom]

1. Pony up, Jonah!

Everybody email him!

[NewJeffCT]

2. too bad Cole never took him up on that challenge

Maybe Cole thought it was like taking candy from a baby, given the level of Goldberg's intellect?

[MarinCoUSA]

3. Ditto.

Put your money down Jonah!

[Buzz Clik]

4. Goldberg is 100% jackass.

I really don't care what is opinion might be about anything. His ability to be wrong is stunning.

[Roland99]

5. Oh, he'll welsh on that for sure.

[Beelzebud]

6. To be fair, Cole is a man of integrity that wouldn't bet on human lives.

So the Goldberg spawn doesn't really owe him anything.

[oasis]

7. Kick for the USO.(eom)

[twilight_sailing]

8. Mockery, yes, he deserves that.

But he doesn't owe anyone money. A bet was proffered but not accepted. There was no bet. It's that simple.

Again, mockery, yes, in spades.

[Bandit]

9. Name one thing any right winger has been right about in the last decade..

They simply don't know what they are talking about but are always so matter of fact about it. They always start with "Everyone knows this to be true" or "It is undeniable" or what ever but they have been proved wrong on every account for over a decade yet they still spout off continuously..Remember when Dick Armey stood in the well on the floor of the House and said Clinton's budget would destroy America. Every Republican voted against it but thankfully we had the majority and it passed. America went on to experience the greatest economic growth in history. Bush* comes along and does away with all things Clinton and America experiences the greatest economic turn around in history