Ken Langone’s economic forecast – change face of White House?

let’s get some parting shots from our guest host, ken langone, co founder of the home depot, chairman and president of invamed associates, and former nyse board member. you expect — you expect something to happen between now and november, next november? that we should be — yeah, a lot of things will happen. no, that has to make any progress in the areas where we need to make progress. not especially. if we didn’t get it with simpson/bow simpso simpson/bowles, that was the best way. both parties have to be in election. we are now. i want to talk about romney. bear in mind where most of the money comes from the investors, it comes from the state funds. look at the amount of money these state funds have put into — and there’s nothing wrong with that. it’s a great investment vehicle. but when you start talking about how they succeed, they succeed by rationalizing and managing businesses better. ken, do you think we’re putting too much hope on 2012, meaning ultimately do you think we’re going to be disappointed, no matter who wins the white house, no matter who wins the house and senate, in that we have put all of our eggs in one basket now, and maybe ultimately it doesn’t happen for us. i’m going to be very — i’m going to be very political. if we change the faces in the white house, we’re on the road to recovery. you think it’s that simple. i believe it’s that simple. we need leadership, we need cheerleading, we need encouragement. we need businessmen and fat cats to feel like they’re doing something good, not that they’re villains and not that they’re criminals. america’s best days are ahead. so a different person in the white house changes the entire landscape of — changes — no, of how businesses decide to invest, changes the command curve. i’ll give you examples, david novak, frank blake and those companies, they inspire people to go beyond where they think they — leadership is critical to anything you do in life. i don’t know a hill of beans about taking care of a patient. but when i go down to our medical center and i’m in there, i want those people to know one thing. you’re great. you can do better. we’re with you. and you — guess what? they rise to it. they do it. dammit, leadership is critical in anything we do in life. and i’m sorry, this is not leadership. this is politics, frankly, at its worst. not at its best, but at its worst. and we need to fix it. now, could romney disappoint me? yes, he could. but i’d like to think, based on what i’ve seen. but this article in the times last week about how he made all this money, 80% of that money went to the state of washington, the state of oregon. who did it go to? to the pension fund. that article was a positive piece, i thought. i thought so too. anyway, look. i leave you with a parting shot. don’t sell america short. we’re the greatest country on earth, we’re going to get our bearings back. we’re going to succeed. there’s a lost great companies out there. a little company i took over, this geek net, i’m looking at what’s happening, and i’m saying, guess what, things are happening. great. ken — bye. thanks for having me.