[expat_panama]

Some say the fed never gets involved w/ politics, others say they're always in there as our dedicated political enemy. What we know for sure is that life is complex and that and both can be true at the same time.

[fso301]

When rates on 30 year fixed rate mortgages go back above 6 percent, the housing market will be crushed.

[Cowboy Bob]

If Trump.is.elected they will raise rates and gleefully blame Trump for the economic downturn.

But what will happen if Hillary is elected? They cannot delay an increase forever. How will they explain an economic collapse under Hillary? Especially if Obamacare is imploding at the same time?

[expat_panama]

A very happy Monday morning to all as the 'eye of the storm' seems to remain calm.  Even this morning's stock futures are still flat --after a month of tight trading.

Precious metals however are giving up their 'safe haven' status as silver drops to $19.03 --off it's cozy base it was trying to establish.  Futures for all metals this morning are a bearish -0.97%.

No econ reports today, later this week we get GDP and next week's the Fed favorite inflation gage, the PCE.

Over coffee:

• Philly Fed Manufacturing Index Turns Positive, Jobless Claims Dip
• U.S. stock index futures pointed to a flat open Monday, as investors remain on edge ahead of the Fed's Jackson Hole meeting later
• A top Wall Street strategist explains why everything about markets seems broken right now
• Hillary’s New and Improved ‘Communication Stream of Conspiracy Commerce’
• Asian shares slip, dollar stands tall on Fed hike bets
• Yellen’s speech at Jackson Hole set to dominate mood on Wall St.

[BykrBayb]

Does the Federal Reserve play politics? You could just as well ask if the Pope is Catholic.

So then, used to be, but not anymore?

[agere_contra]

They’re not going to raise rates ever.

They can’t afford to sell any of their bond assets, because those assets are junk.

When the Bond market finally implodes, rates will spike up then. But it won’t be the Fed doing it.

[brucedickinson]

if Trump wins I imagine gas prices will shoot to $12 a gallon and the press will flip and start talking about how bad the economy is every 3-4 minutes. It will be 24 hour doom and gloom.

[Wyatt's Torch]

There is no need to hike before the election based on actual evidence. December at the earliest.