Virginia’s elections are down to the wire. The election is Tuesday.

The latest poll, by Roanoke College based on responses from 1,041 likely voters, shows Democrat Abigail Spanberger with a 10-point lead (51% to 41%) over Republican Winsome Earle-Sears in the gubernatorial race.

Democrat Ghazali Hashmi leads Republican John Reid in the race for lieutenant governor by two points (42% to 40%).

And Republican Jason Miyares is ahead of Jay Jones in the bid for Attorney General by 8 points (46% to 38%).

But, hey, what do pollsters know? How many ever get it right? Compare them to the all-wise, all-knowing readers and commenters who frequent Bacon’s Rebellion. This is your chance to prove how much more you know than everybody else! Post a comment and tell us who you think will win Virginia’s statewide races, and why.

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To read more about fortune telling through the reading of pig entrails, read on…

According to an article in Jajo Mag (about the culture and heritage of Borneo), citing a 1906 paper by Leo Nyuak, the Iban people of Sarawak on Borneo offered pigs to the spirits for the purpose of fortelling the outcome of headhunting trips.

“If small excrescences or pimples are seen on the liver, these are called igi sabang and foretell that the heads of enemies will be obtained. If the folds of the liver have some resemblance to the barb of a spear, the owner of the sacrifice will become renowned for bravery.

Should any portion of the liver ulcerated, the sign is bad. If it exhibits blood spots, it foretells wounds on the war path.

A liver the appearance of which is not pronounced as good or bad, is a sign of cowardice, but as this words is honourable, this sign is called ‘far from the enemy’.

If the gall does not lie flat on the liver but that is somewhat turned up, this is a sign of deceit that the owner of the sacrifice falsely claims to have obtained heads of the enemy: but if his bravery is well known the above sign foretells that he will soon add to the number of his trophies.”

As I do not have the stomach for eviscerating pigs, and as the dolorous political culture of Virginia has not yet descended to the level of Republicans and Democrats headhunting each other (except in the metaphorical sense), I will not be conducting any haruspicy (the reading of entrails) to divine the outcome of this election.

No elections-outcome prognostications from me. I’m much better in telling explaining why people won and loss after the fact — when nobody can prove me wrong!

— JAB

P.S. Hat tip to “Irrwurz” for the suggestion.