You're right, T, there are many changes in the wind right now and that makes for a situation that is pretty much impossible to predict. My thought is that the fall election is THE big one in all this. If Romney wins, there could be a "relief rally" with stocks climbing to 14k or better... maybe even 15k. But this will likely be short-lived as reality sets in, trumping enthusiasm. If Obama wins, the market will probably tank, big-time. I'm thinking a 3-4,000 point drop. This too will be temporary, with the market recovering much of that over the following 6 or so months. In either case, I want about 75% of my money in cash and PMs while this gets sorted out. It is just too volatile and unpredictable to stay in this gyrating market with everything I have.
As to PMs, I don't think that the election will have a huge impact on them directly but there could well be a sizable indirect connection. By this I mean that it depends a lot on what the stock market is doing at the time and whether or not people are trying to buy or sell stocks and mutual funds. If people want to raise cash to buy stocks, they will sell their PMs to raise that money. If they are afraid of what the market will do or is doing, then they will sell stocks to hold PMs and cash.