CEOs Fret More about Obama than Europe

Please enjoy this free sample of our premium content featuring Jim Cramer. To get all of Cramer's premium content free for a limited time, please register here.

NEW YORK (RealMoney) -- Can this economy turn without Washington's help? Can it turn even with Washington hurting it? Those are the two questions I am asking industrial CEOs and the answers are a little surprising. First, many of the industrial CEOs I deal with actually see a turn happening in this country's economy. They see it in non-residential construction, which can be a real driver of the GDP growth. They see it in autos where a 13 million auto build, once dreamed of, is now a reality. They see it in larger orders for trucks and generators and construction equipment. They see it in the construction of billions of dollars' worth of energy infrastructure projects, many to meet long-agreed-upon EPA standards for phasing out coal. They see it in the billions of dollars of petrochemical plant and pipeline businesses to harness our natural gas -- now the cheapest in the world -- and turn it into plastics. They see it in the beginning of the gigantic aerospace build for the Boeing Dreamliner, which could actually, in a ripple effect, impact GDP positively. But if offered a chance for help from Washington, almost EVERY ONE of these manufacturing CEOs I speak to, and I know I speak to a lot more of them than the president, scoffs and says that help from Washington is inconceivable. Just out of the question. And not just because there is a limited amount of dollars for projects. There is no help from Washington because the CEOs behind this turn believe that the president is ideologically committed to hurting them either because their businesses involve some level of pollution -- or a build out of a fossil fuel system in some way or another -- or because labor is not going to do as well as capital in their successes. There is a "plague on your house" attitude from the White House rather than any encouragement, unless they are all green or the workers own more of the means of production, which, alas, isn't really a true capitalist doctrine. One thing that has changed, though, is that many of the CEOs I talk to have gone from reticence and defensiveness to "try and stop me Mr. President, I am going to make money for shareholders here." It's funny, as much as we on Wall Street fret every day about Europe, mostly about the imminent collapse of Italy, these execs, and I ask them all, are far more worried about the president and the Democrats and the obstacles they place on success. They think there is a deep-down anti-success bias. They think that the president is so anti-profit that he is the biggest hindrance to their successes, not Europe. They feel they can work around Europe but they know, in their hearts, that the president does not want them to succeed. Tweet 1 2 3 Last » Next › To begin commenting right away, you can log in below using your Disqus, Facebook, Twitter, OpenID or Yahoo login credentials. Alternatively, you can post a comment as a "guest" just by entering an email address. Your use of the commenting tool is subject to multiple terms of service/use and privacy policies - see here for more details. var disqus_identifier = '11296961'; (function() { var dsq = document.createElement('script'); dsq.type = 'text/javascript'; dsq.async = true; dsq.src = 'http://thestreet.disqus.com/embed.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('head')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('body')[0]).appendChild(dsq); })(); comments powered by Disqus. blog comments powered by Disqus adsonar_placementId=1341527;adsonar_pid=879768;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_zw=600;adsonar_zh=280;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com'; try { function DM_onSegsAvailable(segs, cust_id) { for (var i=0;i //* Global Functions *// function metadataRegisterNS(ns){ var nsParts = ns.split("."); var root = window; for(var i=0; i Dow Jones S&P 500 NASDAQ 10-Year Note 11,778.22 1,230.33 2,619.93 20.05 Oil * 109.38 UP 120.26 UP 12.05 UP 12.97 UP 0.04 10 Yr 2.01% SPDR Gold 168.69 +1.03% +0.99% +0.50% +0.20% Data delayed 20 minutes Top Stories and Tools var randnum = Math.floor(Math.random() * 100) if (randnum < 50) { document.write("10 Things Still Made in America"); document.write("Dividend Calendar: Find Ex-Dividend Dates"); document.write("30 New Android Apps for 2011"); document.write("10 Cult TV Shows Netflix Should Revive"); document.write("Today's Top-Rated Stocks (by Industry)"); document.write("FREE: 2012 Investing Strategies Conference"); } else { document.write("10 2011 Cars You Should Buy Now"); document.write("17 Products That Were Invented by Accident"); document.write("9 Completely Worthless Collectibles"); document.write("2011 Bank Ratings and Safety Screener"); document.write("13 Ugliest Phones of the Mobile Era"); document.write("10 Disastrous PR Moves by Companies"); } Twitter Facebook RSS Mobile App TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.sz = "336x280,336x850,300x250,468x648"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.resetTargets(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.calltype = "adj"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.additionalTargeting = ";;storytype=politics;kval=politics;;storytype=politics;kval=politics"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.writeTag(); adsonar_placementId=1341369;adsonar_pid=879768;adsonar_ps=-1;adsonar_zw=320;adsonar_zh=280;adsonar_jv='ads.adsonar.com'; Brokerage Partners Free Newsletters from TheStreet

After the Bell

Before the Bell

Booyah! Newsletter

ETF Daily

Midday Bell

TheStreet Top 10 Stories

Winners & Losers

We respect your privacy. Manage Newsletters Podcasts [Select Podcast] The Real Story Wall Street Confidential Podcast Daily RSS Updates

TheStreet Mobile Edition

Connect with TheStreet

YAHOO.util.Event.on(window,"load",function() { try { var loginlink = YAHOO.util.Dom.get("logonoff"); var cookie = new UserStatus().streetCookie; if(cookie.indexOf('|')== -1){ loginlink.setAttribute("href",""); loginlink.innerHTML = "Log In"; } } catch(e) {} }); var _sf_async_config={}; _sf_async_config.uid = 30213; _sf_async_config.domain = 'thestreet.com'; _sf_async_config.sections = 'Politics'; _sf_async_config.authors = 'Jim Cramer'; (function(){ function loadChartbeat() { window._sf_endpt=(new Date()).getTime(); var e = document.createElement('script'); e.setAttribute('language', 'javascript'); e.setAttribute('type', 'text/javascript'); e.setAttribute('src', (('https:' == document.location.protocol) ? 'https://a248.e.akamai.net/chartbeat.download.akamai.com/102508/' : 'http://static.chartbeat.com/') + 'js/chartbeat.js'); document.body.appendChild(e); } var oldonload = window.onload; window.onload = (typeof window.onload != 'function') ? loadChartbeat : function() { oldonload(); loadChartbeat(); }; })(); if (typeof ord=='undefined') {ord=Math.random()*10000000000000000;} document.write(''); TheStreet Mobile | MainStreet | StockPickr | BankingMyWay | Jim Cramer | Doug Kass | Real Money | Try Action Alerts PLUS TheStreet Corporate | Home | About Us | Advertise | Reprints | Customer Service | Employment | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Topic Archive | Video Archive | Stock Quotes Online | Terms of Use if (document.location.href.indexOf("/print/")!= -1){ var tsclogo = "tsc_logo200x41"; } else { var tsclogo = "tsc_logo190x39"; } document.write('

TheStreet\'s enterprise databases running Oracle are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA.

Quotes delayed at least 20 minutes for all exchanges. Market Data provided by Interactive Data. Company fundamental data provided by Morningstar. Earnings and ratings provided by Zacks. Mutual fund data provided by Valueline. ETF data provided by Lipper. Terms & Conditions. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions.

TheStreet Ratings updates stock ratings daily. However, if no rating change occurs, the data on this page does not update. The data does update after 90 days if no rating change occurs within that time period.

IDC calculates the Market Cap for the basic symbol to include common shares only. Year-to-date mutual fund returns are calculated on a monthly basis by Value Line and posted mid-month.

*Oil Data in Market Overview is Brent Crude Pricing

© 2011 TheStreet, Inc. All rights reserved.

'); \ TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.sz = "728x90"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.resetTargets(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.calltype = "adj"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.includeDcopt = true; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.additionalTargeting = ";;storytype=politics;kval=politics"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.writeTag(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.sz = "233x224"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.resetTargets(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.calltype = "adj"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.adtype = "cau"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.additionalTargeting = ";;storytype=politics;kval=politics"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.writeTag(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.sz="336x280,300x250"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.resetTargets(); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.setSite("remnant.thestreet.com"); TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.additionalTargeting=";box=second"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.calltype="adj"; TSCM.ads.AdPlacerx.writeTag(); /** * function wrapper that places all DART ads using TSCM.ads.positionToPlaceholder * if positionToPlaceholder can't find the elements specified, it just returns and is ready for the next call */ TSCM.ads.placeLazyLoadingAds = function() { // DART 1 (banner) TSCM.ads.positionToPlaceholder({ ad: 'ad728x90', placeholder: 'bannerContainer', flexibleHeight: false }); //DART 2 TSCM.ads.positionToPlaceholder({ ad: 'customUnit', placeholder: 'cauContainer', flexibleHeight: true }); //DART 3 TSCM.ads.positionToPlaceholder({ ad: 'boxAd', placeholder: 'boxAdContainer', flexibleHeight: true }); //DART 4 TSCM.ads.positionToPlaceholder({ ad: 'secondBoxAd', placeholder: 'secondBoxAdContainer', flexibleHeight: false }); }; TSCM.ads.placeLazyLoadingAds() window.setTimeout(function() { TSCM.ads.placeLazyLoadingAds() }, 2000); window.onresize = function() { setTimeout(function() { TSCM.ads.placeLazyLoadingAds(); }, 1000); }; function lazyLoaderVisibility() { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle("lazyLoadedObjects", "visibility", "visible"); } YAHOO.util.Event.onDOMReady( lazyLoaderVisibility ); var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-6534317-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar', 1, // This custom var is set to slot #1. Required parameter. 'gwo2', // The name acts as a kind of category for the user activity. Required parameter. 'gw-' + getcombo_ga2("7-0-0"), // This value of the custom variable. Required parameter. 2 // Sets the scope to session-level. Optional parameter. ]); _gaq.push(['_trackEvent', 'recommended', 'LOADED']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); /* */ var disqus_shortname = 'thestreet'; (function () { var s = document.createElement('script'); s.async = true; s.src = 'http://disqus.com/forums/thestreet/count.js'; (document.getElementsByTagName('HEAD')[0] || document.getElementsByTagName('BODY')[0]).appendChild(s); }()); adroll_adv_id = "HFYGVSKMBNDGLNFP5FL3E3"; adroll_pix_id = "KYEUL5FQ7ZAGLF5XH32WKO"; (function () { var oldonload = window.onload; window.onload = function(){ __adroll_loaded=true; var scr = document.createElement("script"); var host = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? "https://s.adroll.com" : "http://a.adroll.com"); scr.setAttribute('async', 'true'); scr.type = "text/javascript"; scr.src = host + "/j/roundtrip.js"; document.documentElement.firstChild.appendChild(scr); if(oldonload){oldonload()}}; }()); BF_BB_DATA = null; (function( ){ document.write(''); var sid="76IOF7"; var c=""; var b=""; BF_BB_SCRIPT=document.createElement('script'); BF_BB_SCRIPT.type="text/javascript"; BF_BB_SRC="http://buzzbox.buzzfeed.com/wd/BuzzBox?sid=" + sid + c + b + '&it=1&cb=' + (new Date()).getTime(); setTimeout(function() { document.getElementById('BF_BUZZBOX').appendChild(BF_BB_SCRIPT); BF_BB_SCRIPT.src=BF_BB_SRC; },1); })();

Before the Bell

Booyah! Newsletter

ETF Daily

Midday Bell

TheStreet Top 10 Stories

Winners & Losers

TheStreet Mobile Edition

Connect with TheStreet

Read Full Article »