Elections are unper- dictable by their nature. Just look at events in Italy: The establishment has been tarnished by a series of scandals and appears out of touch with the masses. Allegiances are shifting among an aging and volatile electorate. The media speculate incessantly about who's up and who's down, but in the absence of hard polling data, the outcome is difficult to forecast. But enough about the Vatican, where it's anyone's guess whom the College of Cardinals will select to succeed Pope Benedict XVI. Across the Tiber, Rome's political class is in turmoil after the recent parliamentary election produced an inconclusive result - just about the last thing Italy needs.
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