Jeff Raikes: the midterms’ real business risk are not which party wins, but whether the rules hold
Source: Fortune ·
Companies can plan around either party’s agenda. What they can’t plan around is rules that might change overnight, or don’t get enforced fairly.
From the source
I grew up on a farm near Ashland, Nebraska. My family dealt with plenty of things outside our control, from the weather and crop prices to the costs of seed and fertilizer. Farmers learn to plan around uncertainty. But there’s a difference between not knowing what the weather will bring and not knowing what the rules will be. When much of your crop is sold overseas, a sudden change in trade policy can undo a season’s planning before the crop is out of the ground. Nebraska farmers have spent much of the past two years learning that lesson again. Even after a deal brought Chinese buyers back, the tariff fight over soybeans still isn’t settled, and prices slipped to a two-month low this month. I’ve been thinking about those farmers as Election Day, Nov. 3, draws closer. For business leaders, the same question applies: can you plan around the rules? Most business coverage of the midterms focuses on forecasting: which party will control Congress, what will happen to taxes, and which…