Solution Providers Debate Which Presidential Candidate Would Be Better For Business

With two weeks before the U.S. elects its 45th president, solution provider executives attending this week's Best of Breed Conference had mixed responses as to what the two major-party candidates would deliver for business.

On the opening day of the conference in Atlanta, sponsored by CRN's parent, The Channel Company, economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin focused on the slower-than-optimal economic growth in the U.S. and what businesses could expect from either Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, or Hillary Clinton, the Democratic hopeful.

James L. Phipps Jr., president of BeCloud, a managed services provider based in Jackson, Miss., said he's "frankly, disappointed" in the choices, "but you've got to pick one."

Phipps cited concerns about the slower growth that Holtz-Eakin alluded to, as well as insufficient spending by business, which affects companies such as his.

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But, striking a hopeful tone, he concluded, "We'll be OK no matter who gets in there."

Robert Desman, director of business development for Carceron, an Atlanta-based managed services provider, criticized the "misinformation" the public is getting out of both camps and sees the election as a choice between chaos -- represented by Trump -- and "some degree of stability and predictability" with Clinton.

Clinton is "probably more prepared" to become president, although "you don't have to like her," he said.

As for Trump, Desman alluded to the GOP candidate's former reality TV show, "The Apprentice," saying the candidate "didn't take the time to become one" himself to prepare for the presidency.

Amit Waisserberg, owner of TechCM, a solution provider based in Hollywood, Fla., criticized Clinton for positioning herself to the right of how she'll govern should she be elected Nov. 8. She's "not telling the truth," he said.

Waisserberg also doesn't believe what either candidate has been pushing for on the campaign trail. Clinton, he said, won’t give away anything for free -- for example, she has called for free tuition for college students from families with annual incomes of up to $125,000 at in-state, four-year public colleges and universities -- while Trump won't deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

But Waisserberg underscored the importance of the election to business, especially tax policy. With a 25 percent corporate tax rate, "no company will invest." In addition, regulatory policy also needs to be more favorable because the Obama administration has been "unfriendly to business," he said.

Faisal Bhutto, vice president of enterprise networking, cloud and cybersecurity at Computex Technology Solutions, based in Houston, said technology executives in Silicon Valley should become "more vocal" during this campaign.

"It's an intellectual hub of the country," he said. " From an economic growth standpoint, there should be more [candid] conversation" coming out of that region. The election itself "is a tough one," Bhutto said. "Unfortunately, [that's] our political system. We've got to pick one or the other."

But Computex's Bhutto also turned his attention to which of the two parties would take control of the U.S. House of Representatives, which is now led by Republicans, with 246 seats to 186 for the Democrats. While the latest polls say the Democrats will cut into that gap, they may not gain enough seats to wrest control of the chamber come January.

"If the Republicans retain the House," which Bhutto said is what the GOP seems to be focusing on now, "then we're going to have the pro-growth policies through tax cuts" and other legislation, he said.

"Generally that has been good for business," he added. "We all want lower capital gains [taxes], an easy startup [climate] and less regulation."