My Political Bias

A few times over the past weeks I've linked to commentary and analysis by others who've displayed a political bias, either conservative or liberal. As a result I always receive email suggesting that I have no right to link to those articles because some of you think I have a political bias or agenda on my own. So, let me take a moment to set the record straight.

First, as the election draws near, it does have an affect on the "mood of the market" and the articles I have linked to display that vividly. To avoid political commentary over the next few weeks is like planning an outdoor picnic without talking about the weather. The election does matter and it does affect the market's mood. Therefore I will continue to link to articles that talk about the election and many of those will have a political bias to them. Like everything I link to away from this website, my goal is to not persuade you to agree with those opinions but to understand what the issues are, how they may influence the election, and ultimately the market. Like always, you need to think like a lawyer when reading these articles.

As for my own political bias, you should know that I am not a Republican or Democrat. I'm registered as an independent and have a strong Libertarian bias (i.e. conservative on economic issues and liberal on social issues). For what it is worth, I neither voted for Bush nor Clinton and I tend to vote against incumbents at every opportunity. With a double-major in political science and philosophy in college, this political bias shouldn't be all that surprising. Most traders I know have similar political leanings and those who don't tend to let their own bias control their moods and strategies which can work against you unless you take action to control and limit their influence. In short, show me a flaming liberal or a right wing conservative and I'll show you someone who probably can't limit their bias to think and trade objectively. Sure, there are always unique exceptions to this rule, but not very often. The market often requires you to be much more objective if your top priority is to make money rather than just trying to prove your opinions are "right." I don't know about you, but I'm much more focused on making money. Opinions, even when correct, don't pay the bills.