After the campaign dust settles

Remember when "change" and "hope" were just words? When not every one knew the difference between a "hockey mom" and a "pit bull"? When "Maverick" was just a Mel Gibson movie, and William Ayers was not a household name? And, remember when the Dow was nearing 14,000? When Iraq was top of mind for the presidential candidates?

It’s been quite a campaign. And tonight, it will all be over—providing we don’t have a repeat of the hanging chads of 2000. So, what’s next? And, more importantly, how is it going to affect the glass industry?

As the campaign dust settles, the president elect will have an enormous, unenviable job awaiting him. And the decisions the next president makes in the early months of his term will have a huge impact on the country, the world and, yes, even the glass industry.

Earlier this month, Glass Magazine Publisher Nicole Harris posted a blog about the top ten jolts to the glass industry. When the next president takes office, he will have to pay particular attention to Harris’ top three: The decline of the housing market (and now the nonresidential market as well), the corresponding credit and financial crisis and the rise of energy costs.

How will the next president do it? How will he fare? And, how will it affect our industry?

E-mail me, or post your thoughts. And vote, if you haven't already!

—Katy Devlin, commercial glass & metals editor, retail glass co-editor, Glass Magazine