Focus

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"Hell, I never vote for anybody. I always vote against."—W.C. Fields

W.C. Fields' utterly prescient statement probably served as the voting model for most Americans a few months ago as Republicans lost a 10-year hold on Congress, giving the Democratic Party renewed vigor in its campaign for the top office in 2008.

Most political pundits agree that many Republican candidates lost not because of their merits but because of the perceived lack thereof in the Republican Party—particularly with regard to the president. But whether it's Clinton, Obama, Giuliani or McCain winning the executive seat in 2008, the roofing industry will focus on its agenda and continue to support candidates who further the causes of small businesses.

In this month's cover feature on page 24, NRCA Vice President of Government Relations Craig S. Brightup describes how the new Congress likely will address the issues important to the roofing industry, namely immigration, small-business health plans, energy legislation and taxes.

Brightup explains that though the changed political climate certainly will challenge the roofing industry's agenda, there is room for optimism. He says the industry can work under the adage, When one door closes, another opens.

Brightup also shares how well ROOFPAC, NRCA's political action committee, fared during the 2006 midterm election (Click here to read Brightup's article). ROOFPAC faced an interesting dilemma when it was forced to withdraw its support of members of Congress who pushed an immigration package counter to the roofing industry's agenda. As a result, ROOFPAC did not spend all its campaign dollars, allowing it to reserve money for the more crucial elections in 2008.

As we brace ourselves for another onslaught of political posturing, it can be easy to fall into W.C. Fields' mindset. But by taking a close look at what the roofing industry wants to accomplish and how best to attain those goals, perhaps the decisions on Nov. 6, 2008, will be less about the parties and more about the issues.

Ambika Puniani Bailey is editor of Professional Roofing magazine and NRCA's director of communications.