Mike Randle, Editor

Bio Industry Perking Up in the South

Two years ago we created a department in Southern Business & Development dedicated to the South's life sciences industry. After all, biotech, if you listen to many of the South's governors, is the industry of the future in the region. The problem we've faced is there just haven't been enough bio projects in the South to write about. We have struggled over the last couple of years just to fill up a page.

As you can see by turning to the newly named Bio Industry South section in this issue, there are many more deals written up than usual. It looks as if those governors might be right. The bio industry is indeed perking up in the South. Watch for our newest Web site launch, www.BioIndustrySouth.com early next year.

The Winner of the Presidential Election Will Be ...

In the Winter 2003/2004 edition of Southern Business & Development, I promised you a prediction for the upcoming Presidential election. In that edition I made a blink and stab pick that George W. Bush would win by no more than a mere hair over the Democratic nominee. However, I also wrote that it was way too early for predictions; therefore I would give my official pick in the summer edition, when the race was in full swing.

Now, I don't want anyone to consider the following to be a political statement in any way. In other words, when reading this, please refrain from placing me into any liberal or conservative fortress that exists today. My political beliefs are not the point here. I am simply predicting who will win the Presidency in November based on what I believe is the mood of the majority of voters in this country.

Many people believe the upcoming election will be as close as the one between Al Gore and Bush in 2000. That could happen, but I don't think so. My prediction is the winner of this Presidential election will prevail by three to five percentage points.

The 2004 Presidential election will be won by John Kerry. Why? My intuition tells me that Presidents these days must ride close to the center of the fence if they are to be elected or reelected. That or at least they must appear to be centrists to the voting public.

There are no more than 30 percent of registered voters in this country who can be described as "right wing." There's probably just as many that are proud to wear the label, "left wingers." If my estimations are anywhere near correct regarding the far right and the far left, then the majority of the voting public is a group who hold moderate views toward the issues.

Centrists, or moderates, will decide this election. Bush has already shown that his policies lean heavily in the direction of the far right. Far right, far left, those are not labels you want in today's political, social and religious extremist environment. In fact, I believe we are in one of those cycles where anything extreme, whether it be religion or politics, is looked down upon by most Americans.

The next logical question to ask is, is Kerry a centrist? Probably not. Yet, he appears to be more aligned with the center than Bush in this election. Yet, if Kerry wins the White House -- and I think he will -- and sways too far left over the next four years, the mood of the country will favor the Republican side again.

Southern Business & Development Has Moved

On September 1, 2004, SB&D moved its offices. Our phone and fax numbers have changed. Please note that our new phone number is 205-871-1220 and our new fax number is 205-871-1375.