[mikemike]

With some of those, I think you are overestimating the President's power. However, on their merits, those suggestions sound like more of the same policies that got us where we are, rather than any solution. I haven't seen any credible evidence why more "free trade" will grow jobs here. Lack of regulation had a lot to do with our recent crash. I'm fascinated to hear which regulations are keeping jobs that make sense from appearing.

I am not saying to deregulate, I am saying that they should stop changing the regulations. There are a lot of regulations that are in flux for a whole range of industries. You hear about a handful of them like the automotive ones that they finally settled upon a couple weeks ago, but most are really arcane and industry specific.

Taking the automotive ones as an example, look at how little automotive products have changed in the past 2.5 years... instead of whole heartedly designing and building new models, new engines, new emissions systems, etc. the industry has been continuing with what they had because they knew that things were going to change but they didn't know the exact shape of things to come. So they probably continued to do the design work to design new automobiles that would comply with the strictest regulations possible but they didn't start producing it. Now that they know what to expect they will take that design work, cut it down to be compliant as cheaply and competitively as possible and they can start retooling lines and producing compliant cars.

The same thing is true in lots of other industries but because it is dealing with stuff that is way out of the general public's eyes and extremely specialized it is rarely discussed in the wider media.

So what I am recommending is saying that the regulations will stay the same and not get any stricter unless you shoot yourself in the foot and bring significant heat upon yourself. But in exchange for that stable regulatory environment we will have a tougher enforcement enviornment. They can focus on cleaning house with agencies to deal with regulatory capture issues, they can get out of their offices in washington meeting with lobbyists over minutia and into the field kicking some butts. There are certainly some companies out there that comply to the letter of the law or even go beyond it and there are some out there (like massey or BP) that thumb their nose at it. Being stricter will require those bad actors to step their game up and hire some new people and it will free the good guys to invest and expand with confidence.

I mentioned the free trade because Obama has mentioned it on multiple occasions and that is not something that the intransigent republicans are blocking.

We will wait and see what he proposes next month, but if it is a monolithic package ladened with pet causes to score political points instead of actually being pragmatic things that can pass it will be disturbing because that indicates to me that he won't be trying to govern for the next 15 months.

[shooz]

Taking the automotive ones as an example, look at how little automotive products have changed in the past 2.5 years... instead of whole heartedly designing and building new models, new engines, new emissions systems, etc. the industry has been continuing with what they had because they knew that things were going to change but they didn't know the exact shape of things to come.

You know that's wrong.
It's much to risky for the investors.
Lot's of edsels have been made over the years.

The same thing is true in lots of other industries but because it is dealing with stuff that is way out of the general public's eyes and extremely specialized it is rarely discussed in the wider media.

Like that wonderful drywall from China?
It only makes you ill.
I wonder who really paid for those illnesses?
Or maybe some more kids toys with lead paint?
Wonderful stuff non-regulation.

In the end, stuff changes, so should the regulations.

[jogiba]

Lets all vote for a Republican so the rich could pay less taxes and make the middle class slaves to them. Rush Limpdick said he wants Obama to fail and all of the weenie Republicans are doing their best to follow his orders. The Republicans are dead meat in 2012.

[shooz]

Here's the real deal on why corporate innovation is so slow.

If they can't have it, no one else can.

How Greedy Corporations Are Destroying America’s Status as ‘Innovation Nation’ New Deal 2.0