[chuckles]

Sounds like the wrong question was asked on a poll as usual. The problem with “Free Trade” is there is very little, if any of it. Just as an example, we still have the tariff on imported ethanol from Brazil when we are trying to cut oil consumption. At the same time we subsidize corn farmers when prices are plenty high enough. Not to mention we subsidize sugar which would be a better feedstock for ethanol. We block importing cheap sugar from poor countries that could use the money. Then we send money through the World Bank to prop up the countries we should be buying sugar from. In extreme cases we then send troops to quell revolution in the same said countries.

Now if you ask a congresscritter from Iowa, he/she/it, will say we need to open markets for their corn. There are plenty of Texas and Louisiana farmers that would like to sell rice to Asia, but their farmers would have a cat. At the same time they all insist that we buy all of their crap no matter what.

This is just one example, but it shows there is not really Free Trade. The right question for the poll would be for Fair Trade. The people that gripe about losing their jobs to foreigners are low skilled workers or they wouldn't be losing their job in the first place.( Yes, I know their are programmers and engineers overseas also) Do we really need thousands of shoe workers or textile workers in the US? If those jobs stay in the US they will go to illegals anyway.

The ones that have a gripe( programmers and engineers), are really griping because they want more money. If you are a programmer, you didn't go to school to make $30-$40k a year. They all believed they would make $60-$100k. If you really have Free Trade, then why shouldn't the company send the business to India and get programmers for $22k per year?

The terms should really be defined a little better to make a comment on them.

[MEGoody]

I wonder, do people who favor limiting imports realize that policy will affect the jobs of those who depend on exporting goods to other countries? Naturally, other countries are not going to allow free flow of products from us if the trade is not reciprocal.

That is not to say we shouldn't do what we can to maintain a better balance of trade, but whatever limits we put on imports, we'd better expect other countries to reciprocate.

[DesScorp]

If we abandon free trade, we’re throwing in the towel on being globally competitive, and taking up protectionism again. Ronald Reagan would be ashamed.

[RightWhale]

By a nearly two-to-one margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy

Maybe one in a hundred actually knows what free trade is.

[uncbob]

When American companies run to China to take advantage of the cheap labor is the savings in labor cost passed on to the consumers in the form of lower product costs or does the cost of the product remain the same and business gets more profit

Anybody have facts and figures

[dragnet2]

Free Trade's Not So Good After All

No kidding...

lol

But the fat cats that enjoy low wage peasant labor love it.

[dalereed]

ssMy answer is o lock up he antiamerican State Department in a rubber room and send a simple letter to every country stating that as of Monday the tarrifs and restrictions on your goods will be exactly the same as the ones that you impose on ours.

At that point we will achieve fair trade and eliminsate the horrindeous free trade garbage.

[tcrlaf]

Ahhhh...
The Effectiveness of PROPOGANDA....

“FREE TRADE” is great!

It’s trade hobbled by the effects of DEMOCRAT/LIBERAL POLICY that is bad...

Over-Taxation,
Over-Unionization,
Over-Regulation
Inane Enviro Rules
and
UNLIMITED CIVIL LIABILTY, all have an effect on the cost calculations.

Add in The Standardized Shipping Container, and it’s little wonder you can’t even compete making plastics and SHAMPOO in America anymore!!

Do Chinese factories require large enviro compliance staffs, and an army of HR goons trained in lawsuit avoidance, “Sensitivity”, and “Gay Civil Rights”?

Do they have rubber rooms for non-productive or dangerous employees who should be TERMINATED, but Union Rules don’t allow it??

Do Chinese factories have armies of Lawyers to oversee the flood of frivilous racial Discrimination lawsuits, and ADA lawsuits?

Do Chinese factories hire extra staff to cover for FMLA abusing employees?

We’ve run OUR OWN jobs out of the country, and unless you think the term “Rust Belt” is something new , have been doing it since the 70’s.

[Pelham]

When global labor arbitrage gets called “free trade” it’s little surprise people turn against it.

[billbears]

Six in 10 Republicans in the poll agreed with a statement that free trade has been bad for the U.S. and said they would agree with a Republican candidate who favored tougher regulations to limit foreign imports

Oh well by all means, let's end free trade and go back to what started the Republican party, protectionism.

I would be interested to know exactly how these six in 10 Republicans believe free trade has been bad for these United States. Especially since it hasn't been implemented on a wide scale in a very, very long time. But heck Republicans hear boogey man stories about the mean Chinese that 'hate America' and are trying to 'get us' with lead toys or some such so let's just run back to protectionism. We all know that works so well....

[NeoCaveman]

Yup lots of Republicans out there screaming “I want to pay more for stuff”.

[Calpernia]

Related:

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-bloggers/1903002/posts
A Discussion With Presidential Candidate Congressman Duncan Hunter

Excerpt:

A key factor in his reception among Michiganders was his tough stance on trade, vowing to stop allowing China to “cheat” on our existing trade agreements and devaluing its currency. Further, China was using these ill-gotten gains to purchase military hardware that (in my personal opinion) will be used against us in the next couple decades.

While the Congressman is low-ranked on most polls, at this point Duncan saw the race as still one predominantly based on name recognition, where candidates like Fred Thompson have an advantage. Once the campaign got more into issue mode, Hunter thought he’d start moving up the ladder. To that end, beginning next week Duncan would start buying TV time in key states - one thing that surprised me was how inexpensive commercial time is in certain early primary states ($100 for a spot on Fox News, as one example.) Also Hunter pointed out that these commercials would be featured on his website.

This was in response to the first question that was asked. I asked the second one addressed in the twenty-minute call. It was one I’d ask any Republican candidate given the situation here on the Eastern Shore: what policy do you feel is your best for attracting the conservative Democrats to our side to vote for you?

The Congressman likened the situation to that which attracted the Reagan Democrats in 1980, and it was about the same key issue - jobs. There’s pressure on good jobs in this country coming from two fronts - China cheating on its trade agreements as discussed above and illegal immigrants undercutting wages. Hunter gave an example of a drywall contractor who he met in Iowa that employs all American workers getting underbid constantly by unscrupulous contractors employing illegals. Further, Duncan claimed that the established Hispanic community in our country is dead-set against amnesty. I think he qualifies as an expert since he represents San Diego in Congress.

So I thought he gave me a good answer to my question. Then he went further into talking about his efforts to secure the border - Rep. Hunter wrote the law authorizing the double border fence to continue along the entirety of our Mexican border. This is a fence style that has cut smuggling 90% in the San Diego area where it exists now.

[gondramB]

>>I’ve seen a lot of opinion polling, but my jaw dropped when I saw this result from our special NBC News-Wall Street Journal poll of Republicans in advance of next week’s presidential candidate debate sponsored by CNBC, MSNBC and the WSJ. By a nearly two-to-one margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy, a shift in opinion that mirrors Democratic views and suggests trade deals could face high hurdles under a new president.<<

Economists around the world are worried about the coming wave of U.S. protectionism.

[Halgr]

Great Post

But, all tin foil aside - the NWO is behind this slow destruction of the American Middle Class

[JasonC]

Why is it happening? Um, might the $700 billion annual trade deficits running on and on, have something to do with it? How about parity with the Canadian dollar and a 50% rise in the Euro, since the last time they bothered to take the poll?

Pundits always think the American people react to rhetoric and their leading editorials. The American people react to reality. It is ideologues who don't.

[xzins]

Duncan Hunter, who opposes unequal trading deals, is on record against so-called “free trade” that ties American trade up in legal knots, while America lives up to its deals.

Hunter also strongly supports the rational need for America to keep its own Defense Industry strong and totally in our country.

[Sun]

http://blog.barofintegrity.us/2007/09/04/duncan-hunter-interview-with-hugh-hewitt.aspx

Hugh Hewitt interviews Presidential candidate Duncan Hunter at the Texas Straw Poll before the results came in—Hunter won with 41% of the vote...

Transcription:

Hugh Hewitt: Any member of the media or any of the debate ask any questions that haven’t been asked yet?

Duncan Hunter: You know Hugh, I would like them to ask about the long term prospects for opportunities for this next generation. Good job prospects.

That is a question that begs for analysis of what we are doing with our trade policies where we are pushing American industry off shore. We are sending lots of manufacturing and high paying jobs to China. You have a lot of people on Wall Street selling those jobs out. They mark up the difference between $25 - $30 per hour to an American vs. a $1.00 per hour to somebody in China. And they move the company.

We are going to need to level that playing field, so that Americans, the next generation of Americans, those great kids coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq, have the same good job opportunities that we had.

excerpt