With Just One Week Before Election Day, Race Tightens But Clinton Still Leads
Most Americans head to the polls next Tuesday to cast their ballots but it is still too early to tell the impact of the latest FBI probe on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. IHS Markit's Lindsay Newman says this past summer when the FBI said it would not pursue a case against Secretary Clinton, she lost a couple of points in the polls, but this time around it could be a different story. "The number of undecided voters has really dropped since July, it's much smaller than even in September," says Newman, who also pointed to the fact that early voting is underway. "22 million people have already sent in their ballots, which represents 15% to 20% of voters who have already sent in their decision." While most polls still show Clinton leading Donald Trump nationally, there are several states which appear too close to call. Newman says she's not surprised given the intense campaigning and ad spending by both sides, particularly in North Carolina and Florida. Once the election is over, there are two main issues which Newman says will likely take center stage no matter who wins: trade and relations with Russia. On trade, Newman says, "there seems to be some sort of reevaluation or retraction on free trade and that will definitely be playing out post-election regardless of who wins." On the foreign policy front, "Syria and Russia are something we expect the markets and Europe to be watching closely. Relations with Russia for both candidates is going to be a big issue." TheStreet's Ruben Ramirez reports from Wall Street.
