Steel Thyself, Karl Rove

WSJ Online ^ | 8/6/03 | Wall Street Journal

[Texas_Dawg]

After all George Bush has done for steel, the United Steelworkers of America yesterday returned the favor and endorsed Richard Gephardt for President. Call it more evidence, if any more were needed, that the Administration's decision to impose 30% tariffs on steel imports last year was a major economic and political blunder.

[FITZ]

Isn't it funny that Bush passed these steel tariffs and bloated farm subsidies yet you and I will probably still vote for him...

Agriculture is apparently one of the only industries doing very well ------ so well it justifies a million indigents coming in from Mexico every year because that many jobs must be getting added. Health care is still doing well and it's certainly being subsidized. Also of course the Welfare agencies. And Education. Most of the jobs in this area are in health care, social work, and education ---all are subsidized by the federal government.

[Victoria Delsoul]

I'm no fan of those steel tariffs, but there's no disputing the fact that George W. Bush is now the president largely because he got a lot of votes among steelworkers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Bumpity, bump!

[jla]

I'm no fan of those steel tariffs, but there's no disputing the fact that George W. Bush is now the president largely because he got a lot of votes among steelworkers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

There really aren't that many steelworkers in those three states combined to even remotely effect a nat'l election.

[Alberta's Child]

See my correction in #25.

Unless I am mistaken, the coal that is mined in the states of West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky is used primarily for coking in the steel production process.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Yes, but every little bit helps. ;-)

[Victoria Delsoul]

Thanks AC, noted.

[Alberta's Child]

Not the first time I made a fool of myself in public. LOL.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Oh, c'mon! Be nice to yourself. :-)

Do you know that Actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is going to run? And you know what? He is going to win.

[Alberta's Child]

That announcement caught a lot of people by surprise. I wonder what was behind that whole story.

[Victoria Delsoul]

Some said that once Feinstein said no, it opened the doors to Arnold. I don't know if this is the case.

[Alberta's Child]

That's a good point. I didn't even think about that.

[Victoria Delsoul]

I didn't it either, LOL.

[Timesink]

I'm no fan of those steel tariffs, but there's no disputing the fact that George W. Bush is now the president largely because he got a lot of votes among steelworkers in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

I don't know about KY and TV, but the main reason Bush won WV is because: 1) He actually came here, multiple times, to campaign, something that was absolutely unheard of in this state since JFK in 1960; 2) He was pro-gun and Gore was not.

To expand on what You Dirty Rats said, there really aren't that many steelworkers left in West Virginia either. Bush's steel position, combined with Clinton/Gore's general abandonment of the steelworkers, certainly helped, but there just aren't enough of them left for them alone to have given Bush the state.

[Burkeman1]

I am actually taking a second look at tariffs. They seemed to serve our country well for the 19th and much of the 20th centuries.

[Texas_Dawg]

It doesn't matter who the unions support ---they always support the democrats ----what matters is that what Bush did for steel is apparently helping the economy ---because right after he did it, we got some nice reports of the economy doing a turn-around.

You're joking, right? This is like the Democrats who say that Bill Clinton's tax increases created the stock market boom of the late 90s.

[Alberta's Child]

I don't have a problem with tariffs in general, but there's no way in hell I would support them under this country's current economic system. When we're already paying more than 50% of our income in various taxes anyway, tariffs will do nothing but reduce our standard of living by making things less affordable.

High taxes plus expensive products and services is a second-rate European-style economic system.

[FITZ]

Well ---- Bush decided to do that for steel and suddenly we got reports of the economy turning around and manufacturing orders going up. I think Bush wouldn't have done that if there wasn't some good reason for the economy to try something other than more "free trade".

[Texas_Dawg]

Well ---- Bush decided to do that for steel and suddenly we got reports of the economy turning around and manufacturing orders going up.

Suddenly? He did it nearly a year and a half ago... yet we have continued to see unemployment rise, not only in manufacturing (where we are inefficient), but also in other industries (punished by the tariffs on steel which affects numerous businesses). I think Bush wouldn't have done that if there wasn't some good reason for the economy to try something other than more "free trade".

Some good reason? Like... trying to gain votes?

[FITZ]

Some good reason? Like... trying to gain votes?

Or trying to turn around the poor economy. I keep seeing reports that joblessness claims are now down, so maybe what Bush did with steel is the right thing to do. Government subsidizes health care and agriculture and education---and you have to admit those are doing very very well as far as providing jobs.

[Texas_Dawg]

Or trying to turn around the poor economy. I keep seeing reports that joblessness claims are now down, so maybe what Bush did with steel is the right thing to do. Government subsidizes health care and agriculture and education---and you have to admit those are doing very very well as far as providing jobs.

Are you kidding? This is like saying that the stock market is up much higher on average (as it is) in years where the NFC team wins the Super Bowl than it is in years where the AFC team wins. Even if the government was responsible for the jobs in those sectors, who cares? That still says nothing about government subsidies being inefficient. The Cuban government has "created" nearly 100% of its country's jobs in agriculture, education, and health care as well.