Great news if you're a protectionist, huh?
Protectionist would be funding the Federal government largely with import tarrifs, making others pay for the priviledge to trade in our market.
What we have now is the exact oposite, it is protectionist for everyone else at our own expense. We fund the federal government by taxing our own production, whether they are to be sold domestically or abroad, all while allowing other countries to manufacture their goods outside the jurisdiction of our tax system, and give them access to our markets to sell their goods without their prices having to bear the federal tax burdens like our own products do.
The FairTax levels the playing field a bit, but I don't think you could call it protectionist except relative to our current system.
Great news anyway you look at it. If we pass this, the country will become a haven for manufacturers who want to remain competitive. Great news if you want to work, huh?
"The point is that the price of imports wil not be favorably affected."
"Great news if you're a protectionist, huh?"
Not really. Great news if you believe that our tax system should not create a handicap for US producers and a bias toward foreign producers.