ECONOMICS / BUSINESS
The bursting of the housing bubble may have set-off the recession, but was it eroding incentives that depressed the labor market rather than expand it, that made the recession longer and deeper than it might have otherwise been?

As an increase in the cost of capital is expected to have a material impact on corporate investment, could it be surmised that at least a sizable percentage of overseas out-sourcing would be caused by the perverse impact of the relatively high capital gains tax rates here in the U.S.?

ELECTION ANALYSIS – FEDERAL
The German magazine Spiegel, gives a clear-eyed prediction of what the politics of the next four years will be about.

Here’s a look at the Obama Coalition with some good suggestions for a future platform positions to stop the GOP from being so badly locked out of some key demographics.

The election looks to be a particular disaster for religious conservatives as some high profile missteps from social conservative candidates drowned out what should have been a slam-dunk economic massage. “The understanding that the evangelical vote is a kingmaking vote, I think, is now dead,” says Shaun Casey, a professor at Wesley Theological Seminary.

I’m not always a fan of Mark Levin, but this is an important rallying cry for conservatives which I believe will be prescient for 2014 and beyond.

“They talk about this fiscal cliff, but in my mind I work with the assumption we are already over the cliff, we’re just wondering how we’re going to land…it is unsolvable because you have to cut spending.” Former Presidential candidate Ron Paul shares some final thoughts, on the election and Washington, as he leaves for retirement after 3 terms in the House of Representatives as a Republican Congressman (1976 to 1977, 1979 to 1985, and 1997 – 2012)

ELECTION ANALYSIS – STATE
Here are a number of articles that all give analysis on the stunning shift in power. The reasons given are primarily the amendments and opposition to them – in particular the marriage amendment, as Independents are turning away from them in poll after poll in every corner of the U.S. And finally the damage suffered to the “fiscal conservative” brand in the GOP’s passing a stadium bill.

• From MINNPOST 7 NOV 12

• From MPR 7 NOV 12 (includes a statement from Hennipen Country Commissioner and MNGOP National Committeeman Jeff Johnson who is forming an exploratory committee for a possible run for Governor in 2014).

Don’t forget it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work; we’ve already burnt 4 days, only 726 days left until the 2014 election!

Enjoy,
Stephen Kallestad
Northfield