This isn’t a political blog, but with the extremely partisan and fractious state of the US government right now, small changes in the political spectrum can have wide-ranging impact throughout the rest of the country and the economy overall. The Democrats – with their fillibuster-proof majority – are taking the country in directions diametrically opposed to the directions the Republicans would like, and they’re doing so at an aggressive pace. Every new law and new directive is having profound effects on the economy, on businesses, and hence on marketers.

So, as smart business people do, we adjust. We plan – for better or for worse – based on the direction we see the politicians taking us over the next year. But what if the fundamental basis of our bets suddenly changes? Will our marketing plans have been ruined or will we be able to adjust? That answer, of course, is partially dependent on how well we are informed and prepared for the possibilities.

What is that possibility we might want to prepare for? The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Republican Scott Brown has a reasonable chance of winning the special election in Massachusetts to fill Ted Kennedy’s seat. If he does win, that takes away the Democrats’ 60th seat, which might represent a fundamental power change. No longer would they be able to push through any legislation they want without a single Republican’s support.

From a business person’s perspective, if we were betting on a sure thing before with regard to legislative actions over the next year, now might be a time to hedge our bets.

Domus is a full-service marketing communications agency based in Philadelphia. For more information, visit us at http://www.domusinc.com.