Betrayed Again, This Time By Unconvincing Arguments For The TPP

[portlander23]

Betrayed Again, This Time By Unconvincing Arguments For The TPP
Thomas Palley
Common Dreams

Voters of all stripes have recognized the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as another betrayal of working people, and they have resoundingly rejected it. Despite that, President Obama continues to push it, to the extent of possibly seeking passage in a “lame duck” session of Congress.

President Obama’s pushing of the TPP is recklessly irresponsible politics that benefits Donald Trump, who is the outsider candidate running for the Republican nomination. Hillary Clinton, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, is the insider who has touted her links to President Obama, and she still lacks credibility regarding her TPP opposition because of her past endorsement.

In the current dangerous political climate, there is no room for error. Yet, that is what we have. Clinton has refused to condemn the TPP in the Democratic Party platform, setting herself up for Trump. Not only does she risk handing the issue to Trump, giving him the economic high-ground, she also sets herself up as “crooked Hillary.” She was for the TPP, then she was against it, and now she is for it again? That plays into voters’ worst assessment of her character.

Yep. Writing opposition into the platform would shore up Mrs. Clinton and deprive Trump of an attack. Fighting over TPP opposition in the platform is a bad political strategy on top of being bad policy. There's an easy win here if the party would take it.

[MaggieD]

1. Polling shows it makes no difference

https://ballotpedia.org/The_Trans-Pacific_Partnership_trade_deal:_Public_opinion_on_TPP_and_TTIP

[randome]

7. In your study, 78% of those polled have read nothing about TPP or 'not very much'.

That is...let's see...a very big number, shall we say? And yet we're supposed to believe that people are up in arms about this. Yet another Internet Bubble floats to the top.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[MaggieD]

8. Exactly

It is not an election issue because people don't give a crap or are too intellectually lazy to learn about it.

[randome]

12. And anything we don't understand must, by definition, BE EVIL!

Obama's "I got this" meme has been over-used but I feel confident about what he's trying to accomplish with this.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[randome]

2. No, there isn't an 'easy win' on this. Most people don't give a damn about this stuff.

Can you imagine a family sit-down at the table where Mom and Dad and Suzie and Little Timmy actually discuss stuff like this? No. It doesn't happen. The only thing that does happen is knee-jerk responses because that is easier than trying to understand international trade relations.

Obama is not trying to 'get us' by pushing this. He legitimately believes it's in the world's best interest. And I can see his point.

You and Common Dreams can feel 'betrayed' all you want. The rest of us have more important things to attend to.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesn’t always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one you’re already in.[/center][/font][hr]

[MaggieD]

3. +1

[NurseJackie]

9. More important things ... yes indeed. Well said.

[Dr Hobbitstein]

4. -50 points, no mention of neoliberalism. nt

[pampango]

5. Seems that your opposition to TPP is about 'triangulating' to "deprive Trump of an attack".

Writing opposition into the platform would shore up Mrs. Clinton and deprive Trump of an attack. Fighting over TPP opposition in the platform is a bad political strategy on top of being bad policy. There's an easy win here if the party would take it.

Democrats should adopt some of the positions of the republican candidate so as to take votes away from him?

Obama is a popular president. He is not in the position that Bush was in 2008 when republicans wanted to stay as far away from him as possible due to his unpopularity. Our platform is not going to rebuke him on a policy that is important to him and ignore the many Democrats that agree with him on TPP. If that empowers the right wing demagogue that Hillary is running against, so be it.

[demwing]

6. So your argument for the TPP is "Obama wants it, so he gets it"?

nothing on the merits?

[pampango]

10. No but what Obama and a majority of Democrats want should be acknowledged

by the platform committee rather than thrown in their faces in order to triangulate a policy position that will be effective against Trump - which is what the OP's comments implied to me.

[demwing]

13. First, "a majority of Democrats" do NOT support the TPP

Second, the article that the OP quoted presents a well rounded argument against the TPP based on merits, including these points:

• TPP supporters make unconvincing economic arguments
• TPP supporters make unconvincing national security arguments
• TPP is dangerous to democracy
• TPP is about global governance, not free trade

We can't reprint entire articles, but a discussion of the OP should include some acknowledgement of the points covered by the source material, agreed?

[pampango]

14. Yes they do. Your arguments are sound. The platform should recognize both sides.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/10/20/what-canadas-new-government-might-mean-for-u-s-relations/



http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/11/07/why-cant-we-all-get-along-challenges-ahead-for-bipartisan-cooperation/

Initial TPP Ballot (of Democrats only)
Q7. From what you have heard, do you… President Obama's proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement?

Strongly support 20%
Somewhat support 31%
Somewhat oppose 10%
Strongly oppose 8%
Don't know 30%

SUPPORT 52%
OPPOSE 18%

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54e2b1d1e4b043f1c9a2a9ed/t/55424db8e4b04641a244468d/1430408665168/trade-poll.pdf

[MohRokTah]

11. Whare are the "Oligarch" accusations?

It can't be TRUE anti-trade outrage without "Oligarch" accusations!

[Dem2]

15. So TPP is the new 24/7 most important thing in the world?

Let me add it to my auto-trash list.

I don't have time for the arm flailers.