Under George W. Bush, oil stocks became gushers. Technology stocks lit up during the Clinton presidency. So which shares would rise the most during a Barack Obama stretch in the White House? It's actually easier than it might seem to pick the right investment themes for a politically charged run. After all, you didn't need to be Warren Buffett to figure out that ExxonMobil and Chevron would benefit from a Texan President or that defense stocks would flourish under Reagan. Of course, you would have needed a well-polished crystal ball to have known to load up on Internet stocks in late 1992 as Clinton's presidency became a reality. Yahoo!, after all, didn't go public until 1996. Still, investment professionals across the country are hopeful that they can figure out which companies — and stocks — would benefit most from an Obama presidency. Already, according to International Strategy & Investment, an economic-forecasting firm, a portfolio of Obama-friendly investments has outperformed McCain stock picks by nearly 12% since August.
Click through to find three sectors and stock picks that stand to benefit if Obama is sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009.