No jovial hand shaker would get far without helping the local economy. Make no mistake, jobs and economic prosperity are the main issues here.

Even if Angela Merkel wanted to copy Thatcher's radical renewal program, she would fail bitterly in Germany's political system, where federal states have a strong veto right.

This election would be a vote on a complete change of political direction if there were different coalition alternatives.

If the election results permit, then the Social Democrats will definitely give it a try.

The economy is going to accelerate but only at a moderate pace and that means the ECB won't be very quick to raise interest rates further.

We're concerned with the long-term economic prosperity of Rowan County: jobs, jobs, jobs.