The GOP Trade Gap

Investors Business Daily ^ | 01/15/2016 | Editorial

[expat_panama]

GOP's Dazzling Field Of Debaters Sharpen, With One Caveat

Election '16: The sixth Republican presidential debate, with its complex jousting over ideas and policies, demonstrated that every contender on the dais is worthy of the presidency. Except, that is, in one area.

The top candidates, from Donald Trump to Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie, pretty much all looked at the top of their game.

There were impressive arguments all around ...

[snip]

Their positions on issues reflected the good sense of the American people, and the message is clearly resonating, given voters' enthusiasm. But in what's undoubtedly influenced by poll-driven populism, the GOP risks becoming the party of protectionism if there isn't stronger leadership on free trade.

In the debate, Trump and Kasich spent time talking about "fair trade," a phrase with disturbing origins on the left. We also heard how China supposedly cheats us by currency manipulation, another leftist shibboleth.

[snip]

Cruz was upbraided for his shifting stances on Trade Promotion Authority...

[snip]

...the best way to ensure that the U.S. remains relevant in the Pacific in the face of increasing Chinese aggression in the East and South China Seas.

Not only does it boost U.S. soft power in the region, it also serves as a life buoy for U.S. jobs in the event of an economic slump. Free trade creates far more jobs than it destroys. But no one made that important argument.

The U.S. needs a full-throated leader to stand up for free trade. If the next president is Republican, we hope that he or she will come around on free trade as most presidents do.

If the goal really is to Make America Great Again, leadership on free trade is a big part of making it happen.

[expat_panama]

...get ready for the union goons ping...

[Darksheare]

” Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush and Chris Christie”

Imagine how many starving children could be fed if those three were converted into fertilizer.
Soylent Political Solutions, an idea whose time has come.
/ kidding, they’re already manure.

[expat_panama]

lol! Actually, I never really minded Rubio for the things I actually got directly from him. Sure, there've been some horrible things said about him but we all know what that stuff's worth.

[Mase]

Embracing the populist message while mindlessly chanting for fair trade is much easier than actually taking the time to learn basic economics. I shake my head at the appeal by many who should know better, to dramatically increase our taxes in an effort to level the playing field and sock it to those people who mutually benefit from these transaction. People who want to save us from ourselves are normally called democrats. Not anymore.

Lots of change going on out there.....