Are the Democrats Serious About Free Trade?

Like many Americans I watched the most recent Democratic debate between Barak Obama and Hillary Clinton. I almost fell asleep while watching the two argue about one another's healthcare plan for the 494th time but my curiosity was again piqued when the topic finally switched away from healthcare to NAFTA and free trade.

I enjoyed watching both senators wiggle around a little bit in their chairs. It seems that they support NAFTA when they are in the South. They'll talk about how great it is for inland port cities like Laredo while trying to win Texas votes but they'll pander to the "I lost my factory job" crowd in the old steel regions of Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Hillary was especially apologetic because it was her husband who signed NAFTA into law. Hillary said that she "quietly and privately" thought NAFTA was wrong back then. Mmmm...How convenient.

After the NAFTA portion of the debate ended I was left scratching my head. Which is it? Does the future president of the United States (assuming Democrat victory which is not a far gone conclusion) have any idea what free trade actually does?

I think that we saw typical Democrat pandering during the debate. A recent Wall Street Journal piece by Kimberly Strassell agrees with me.

Here are some highlights...

"I think Lou Dobbs took the pulse of America and realized he could drive his ratings up by engaging in protectionist rhetoric and pandering. I think there are an increasing number of politicians who are also pandering to the less informed emotional impulses of a lot of U.S. voters," says Cal Dooley, a former Democratic congressman from California who helped lead the party to trade victories in the 1990s....

If Democrats wanted be trusted on national security, they've got to underpin their promises with a commitment to trade. "Once you are president of the United States you have to first and foremost protect the security of the United States, and one of the tools that you have to protecting that security is in building strong relationships that are going to be founded on an economic partnership," he says.

In other words, it's hard to make nicey-nice with the global community when you are stiffing it on trade.

You can find the article here: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120424592454501493.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries.

Have Americans lost factory jobs because of NAFTA? Sure. But cotton weavers lost jobs when Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin too. Progress happens. People adjust and learn new skills. Should we have held back the industrial revolution because it hurt farm jobs????