Oscar chances update

As Barack Obama's statistical chances of a repeat win for the presidency continue to improve this week, Meryl's chances at repeat Oscar gold have drastically decreased.  Let's get something straight, however: no one, myself included, has been under any illusions that Meryl might actually win a fourth Oscar for Hope Springs. But for a brief period this fall, it looked like she stood a reasonable chance at an 18th nomination.  Gold Derby currently has her dropped to #11 on the Best Actress poll. With Jennifer Lawrence surging since Toronto for Silver Linings Playbook and both Helen Mirren (Hitchcock) and Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty) recently added to the mix, Meryl has been left by the wayside.  I mean seriously, they now even have her behind Laura Linney, whose film Hyde Park on Hudson got shitty reviews, and Helen Hunt, who's being campaigned in supporting for Christ's sake. 

I think Meryl is still basically a lock for a Golden Globe nod, but I'm finding that the Best Actress Academy Award race is looking more like I thought it would earlier this year, despite the glimmer of hope over an early autumn fortnight.  Possibly not that dissimilar to what many Republicans are thinking to themselves right about now...