Al From, CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council (and and often a lonely voice of reason among Democrats), asks: “Where are the pro-trade Democrats?” I confess I wish he had written his effective defense of free trade in late February when Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama were wrestling over whose rhetoric could be the most protectionist in an effort to ingratiate themselves with Big Labor and disaffected Rust Belt state voters. But it is nice to hear that there is some recognition of reality, albeit not from anyone actually in office. From writes:
But if Democrats are serious about turning the economy around, we have to be willing to tell people that job and income growth depends on Washington’s willingness to get its fiscal house in order, invest in people and technology, and, yes, expand trade.
Well since none of the elected Democratic leadership nor the Democratic presidential nominee is telling anyone anything remotely positive about the necessity for expanding trade and removing trade barriers what does that tell us about their seriousness and readiness to govern in the 21st century?
On trade, as on Iraq, there is a sense one gets from some of the pundits and non-elected officials (even the ill-fated Austan Goolsbee and Samantha Power on the Obama camp) that the Democrats are winking at us, telling us not to worry, that it is all a big lie and that in the end they will behave responsibly and do the opposite of what they say in the campaign.
Aside from the duplicity involved, this of course never works out quite how the helpful advisors envision. Because, after all, people believe you when you run on a particular platform, a consensus is formed, interest groups’ expectations rise and it becomes virtually impossible to turn on a dime after the election without completely losing face.
So if From is right and free trade is the only and the obvious path for prosperity it is foolhardy to vote for the candidate who says the opposite in hopes that he’ll reveal himself to have been a fraud after Election Day.
