fbpx

Editor’s Blog: What the election means for the economy

As I write this, former Vice President Joe Biden is on track to win the 2020 presidential election and collect 306 electoral votes, the same number that President Trump won in 2016. Of course, Trump lost the popular vote by nearly three million votes, while Biden is on track to capture the popular vote decisively, beating President Obama’s 2012 vote share (though not Obama’s 2008 landslide). Biden has already accrued the highest number of votes in the history of American presidential elections.

 

The markets like certainty, and 2020 has been a year of queasy uncertainty, to say the least. The economic news continues to show a mixed picture: According to today’s Labor Department report, although the unemployment rate has dropped a point, from 7.9% to 6.9%, long-term unemployment has risen to due the effects of the coronavirus. And the case count just hit a horrific all-time high: 121,000 new cases yesterday.

So the election results add a bit more certainty to the landscape, which is partly why the markets rose healthily in the last few days. As of today, we will have a divided government, with the Democrats leading the presidency and the House, and the GOP holding the Senate. Because the markets like stability and gridlock means certainty and fewer sudden moves, we can be guardedly optimistic about smooth sailing ahead. The expectation that Biden will do a better job with the pandemic and will cut some kind of stimulus deal with the Republican Senate should also calm the markets.

 

There are a few caveats. President Trump’s promised legal challenges to the election results may darken the certainty picture, more so if a case ends up the Supreme Court.

 

And a factor that is something more than a wild card: In January, Georgia will hold two run-off elections for the Senate. If the Democrats (Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock) prevail in both of their respective races, the party will likely control the body, 50-50, with Kamala Harris, then Vice President, as the tie-breaker. No more divided government.

 

If that turns out to be the case, look for an even bigger stimulus package than any compromise would produce, which the Fed and the markets should love. Worries about increased regulation and higher corporate taxes under a Biden Administration will likely be offset by a surer handle on twin crises of the pandemic and the pandemic-addled economy, at least in the short term.

 

The long term? More uncertainty. Biden will have to show successful navigation of these unprecedented crises—the sooner, the better—and not just for the record-breaking 73,573,010 (and counting) people who voted for him, but for everyone.

 

 

You May Also Like

Miami Distillery Harry Blu’s Collaborates With Celebrity Simon Cowell

Simon is known for discovering some of the world’s greatest entertainment talent through his global TV franchises, “Got Talent” and “The X Factor.”

Miami Spa Month Provides Ideal Time to Rest and Unwind

August means specials on some of your favorite massages, facials and other treatments during Miami Spa Month.

W Fort Lauderdale Launches Drag Brunch Experience in August

This bubbly and bountiful brunch is for guests 21 years and older.

Business for the Arts of Broward Holds Third Annual Art & Somm Event

Tickets and sponsorships are available, with proceeds benefiting BFA’s Endowed Fund for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Broward.

Other Posts

Galbi Steakhouse & Sushi Signs Lease to Open First South Florida Location

A restaurant concept that’s generating a lot of buzz is making its way to Florida thanks to the efforts of Lee & Associates South Florida. Senior Vice President Matthew Katzen

Five South Florida Advisors Named “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” By Forbes

Five South Florida Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Financial Advisors were recently named to the 2023 Forbes “Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State” list, recognizing the top women wealth advisors nationwide. The honorees are:

Spirit Airlines Raises Over $1.5 Million for Charity at Annual Golf Tournament

At its sixth annual Spirit Open, the Spirit Charitable Foundation raised over $1.5 million for national and local nonprofit organizations in South Florida. Participants included aviation industry professionals and community leaders who

Tal Aventura Releases First Look at Interiors and Amenities

Tal Aventura, a luxury living building offering a selection of customizable lanai and penthouse residences, released the renderings of its 86 units ranging from two to five bedrooms spanning from

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.