Although nothing really changes at midnight on December 31, except a digit in a new year, the annual event gives optimists the opportunity to imagine new beginnings. Wishful thinking for a better year is different than making resolutions, which invariably fade faster than a Cancun tan in a Minnesota winter; or predictions, which usually turn into embarrassing prognostications. And, of course, one person's hope for the future can be another's worst fears. Given that 2010 saw some of my political fears come true (Michele Bachmann reelected for a third term) here's what I'm hoping for in 2011.

  • Mark Dayton will surprise both critics and supporters by being a much more effective governor than he was a senator.
  • Governor Dayton and the Republican majority in the Minnesota House and Senate will address the state's deficit with reasonable cuts in spending and responsible increases in taxes.
  • By the end of the year I will remember our new lieutenant governor's name – Yvonne Prettner Solon – and know how to spell it.
  • Sarah Palin's overexposure will result in a precipitous drop in her popularity removing her from serious consideration as a viable candidate for the Republican nomination for president in 2012.
  • Garrison Keillor will interview Tim Pawlenty at the Fitzgerald Theater when the former governor's book, Courage to Stand: An American Story, is released in January.
  • Although Tim Pawlenty will fail to gather traction in his race for the White House, he once again positions himself on the short list of contenders to run on the Republican ticket for VP and to eventually host his own TV series, Tim Pawlenty's Minnesota.
  • Michele Bachmann will announce her intention to challenge Amy Klobuchar in the 2012 senate race making room for a moderate Democrat to win Bachmann's seat. The DFL rallies around Dr. Maureen Reed as its prospective nominee for the 6th congressional district.
  • Tea-Partiers elected to the U.S. Congress will discover that governing is much more nuanced than campaigning from the extreme right. The brightest of the incoming class of Tea Party representatives will realize this and temper their comments and views. The rest will enjoy their 15 minutes of fame and return to their districts after serving a single term.
  • Someone will emerge, from some political party, who will be a voice of tolerance and moderation, and will not only renew our hope in the future, but live up to our expectations.

It's a new year. As we saw in 2010, anything is possible.