Washington Outlook: Continued Political Turmoil Ahead

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Politics, to state the obvious, have a huge bearing on the country’s economic climate and business environment. With Washington upended last year by the election of real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump to the presidency, the Stable Value Investment Association invited two of the country’s most astute political analysts to weigh in on the impact of the election so far, and what we might expect to happen in next year’s midterm elections. Bill Kristol, founder and editor-at-large of the conservative Weekly Standard, and Charlie Cook, editor and publisher of The Cook Political Report, shared their views during the SVIA’s 2017 Fall Forum in Washington, D.C., in early October.

Both Kristol and Cook were highly skeptical Republicans will be able to deliver the major tax reform they’ve promised, although Cook noted that because Republicans believe it’s imperative that they do something, he believes they will likely pass some sort of tax package. Here, edited for brevity, are highlights from their talks. (Note: The insights reported here represent the views of the analysts, not the Stable Value Investment Association or its membership.)