Bruce Watson
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Over the past few months, as election rhetoric heated up and the economy has cooled, one of Barack Obama's recurring themes has been that the secret to America's future will be the development of an alternative-energy economy. To a populace that has grown increasingly weary of the lackadaisical government approach to economic disaster, this has been particularly galvanizing, and was undoubtedly a major influence on the election. Now that Obama has won, however, the next question is how he will transform those exciting New Deal-esque words into concrete action.

John Podesta, co-chairman of the Obama/Biden transition team, may provide a useful insight into this question. In his day job, Podesta is president of the Center for American Progress (CAP), a liberal think tank that is based in Washington D.C. CAP has already drafted a green-energy stimulus plan; with several programs that are ready to go, it would create 2 million jobs, and would cost a relatively meager $50 billion. While there is no guarantee that CAP's plan will be adopted, given Podesta's proximity to the presidency, it seems likely that at least part of it will become reality within the next year. For a savvy investor, this could be a blueprint for industries that are, potentially, poised to explode with a massive influx of new funds.

Green Autos: Obama has made it very clear that he intends to directly tie any automotive bailout to the development of green technologies. CAP's plan calls for a 4% per year increase in fuel-efficiency standards, as well as investment in new battery technology for plug-in hybrids. With this in mind, it's worth seriously considering which automakers are best poised to go forth with more fuel-efficient models. Furthermore, programs like CAP's "Cash for Clunkers" could be a major boon for companies that process or deal in recycled metals.

This post is part of a feature on companies and products that our bloggers think are in need of a makeover. See all 26.

While issues like the economy and the war in Iraq dominate the current election, one lesser theme has largely gone unnoticed by the mainstream media. Often, while discussing his middle-class origins and lifestyle, Joe Biden points out that he regularly rides an Amtrak train to and from his home in Delaware. By comparison, John McCain has been an outspoken opponent of Amtrak, voting to cut the rail provider's budget and stating that he would shut it down if he became president.

It's easy to understand Senator McCain's dislike of the train line. I have ridden Amtrak for years, and have often found it to be slow, filthy, and surprisingly expensive. The dining cars are overpriced and generally missing at least a few items, the staff is often rude and uncommunicative, and there are many places where the line seems to run as a local commuter rail, seriously slowing down travel time. Based on Amtrak's current level of service, it's not hard to understand why Senator McCain is calling for an end to the company.

The thing is, Amtrak doesn't have to be like this. In riding trains throughout Europe, I have generally found rail travel to be clean, efficient, and utterly enjoyable. Admittedly, I was once on a Polish train that asked the passengers to help move a tree that had fallen across the track, but the train's employees and service staff also gave us free drinks and snacks, so I feel like things evened out. Beyond that, the club cars were well-stocked, the bathrooms were usually spotless, and the staff was friendly.

Over the past few years, the line between news and spin has grown thinner and thinner, to the point that it is no longer visible, even with the most advanced scientific instruments. In fact, according to most physicists, the line can only be detected by the infinitesimal gravitational pull that it seems to exert on surrounding particles, like faith in democracy, trust in authority figures, governmental accountability, and the inexplicable popularity of Perez Hilton. As a consequence, real-life causes and effects, decisionmakers and victims pale beside the far flashier waves that rustle through the covers of magazines and the ranks of the punditry. In the end, the past few presidents have demonstrated that truth is less important than "truthiness" and events are less important than titles.

In this spirit, the time has come to put a name on the economy's current crisis. As some talking heads have already noted, the Bush administration made a major mistake by allowing the term "bailout" to define the government's response to the economic meltdown. John McCain proposed the term "rescue," which sounds far more noble, while Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson suggested calling it the "Troubled Asset Relief Program," presumably hoping that a really boring title would make taxpayers forget about the issue. Using the same logic, petty thieves are now lobbying to have the term "pickpocketing" replaced with the monicker "involuntary, extralegal, above-market thigh massage."