"Although regulators claim not to be caught up in presidential politics, many observers argue the banking agencies have been holding off on finalizing controversial provisions of Dodd-Frank until after the election," write American Banker's Washington bureau editors.
With the uncertainty of the election behind them, regulators may now speed up implementation efforts, finalizing rules on the qualified mortgage rule, qualified residential mortgages and the Volcker rule.
Is there any upside for opponents of the legislation? Possibly. Some argue with the election politics aside Democrats may be in a less defensive and more pragmatic stance on implementation.
"Reelection could give them the benefit of perhaps recognizing unintended consequences and adapting accordingly," said John Bowman, a former acting director at the Office of Thrift Supervision.
The Democrats are now thinking Dodd-Frank and healthcare are “secure enough you can move from defensive posture to how do we make things work," says Mark Calabria of the Cato Institute.
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