An inherited budget deficit of over $400 billion will tie the hands of whoever is elected president this November.

However, Money Morning’s Martin Hutchinson says a McCain victory would boost defense and Big Pharma stocks. And McCain’s VP choice, Sarah Palin, is a strong advocate of more drilling for oil, which is encouraging for domestic oil stocks.

On the other hand, McCain would likely hold onto Ben Bernanke as Fed chief. This would mean an extended period of low interest rates and painful inflation down the line.

Martin Hutchinson in Money Morning says that over the long-term oil and agricultural commodities are likely to deflate.

This is because, once the threat posed by the U.S. housing crisis has passed, the Federal Reserve will be forced to increase interest rates to fight inflation. Other countries will follow, which will deflate the commodities boom.

However, over the short-term, gold, whose movements are directly linked to inflation, is likely to bounce. Martin reckons a price tag of $1,500 an ounce for the yellow metal is entirely possible. He recommends two ETFs and four gold miners to profit from this situation…

When it comes to income investing, it’s all too easy to fall into the trap of forgoing growth in pursuit of juicy dividends. It’s a major problem when investing in U.S. stocks in particular, but internationally, investors can have their cake and eat it, too: There is no reason why you cannot have both income and growth.

Like it or not, with the invasion of Georgia, we have a new Cold War – as well as the profit opportunities that accompany such a conflict. International investors were able to make a lot of money during the “first” Cold War, so if any more politicians or TV commentators tell me they don’t want a return to those halcyon days, I shall scream.

With sky-high growth potential, China and India are the two markets no investor can afford to miss out on. But that doesn’t mean they’re impervious to market turbulence, and in times of trouble, India is the more reliable investment.