If anyone thinks TPP = TPA, ask yourself why the TPP isn’t law by now.
The TPA gave Obama authority to negotiate. It also made it easy for TPP to pass the Senate, if it came up for a vote. But to come up for a vote, McConnell pledged that a majority of the Republican Senators would have to support it. That’s actually a much MORE difficult threshold than the two-thirds majority that that the TPP would need WITHOUT the TPA.
Essentially, the Republican Party passed the TPA, knowing that they could block the TPP crafted the deal in a way to focus on getting liberal votes (bad immigration laws, openness to China, environmental restrictions on the U.S., etc.) “You can negotiate on trade, but WE have to approve of what you do.”
Don’t believe me? Check out the Senate calendar.
So why pass the TPA at all, given the extremely unlikely chance Obama crafts a Republican-friendly deal? Because guess who gets to negotiate for us next year... President Cruz or President Trump!
Polling Data
Poll Date Sample MoE
Clinton (D)
Trump (R)
Spread
RCP Average 2/11 - 3/6 — — 47.3 41.0 Clinton +6.3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 3/3 - 3/6 1200 RV 2.8 51 38 Clinton +13
ABC News/Wash Post 3/3 - 3/6 864 RV 4.0 50 41 Clinton +9
Rasmussen Reports 2/29 - 3/1 1000 LV 3.0 41 36 Clinton +5
CNN/ORC 2/24 - 2/27 920 RV 3.0 52 44 Clinton +8
FOX News 2/15 - 2/17 1031 RV 3.0 47 42 Clinton +5
USA Today/Suffolk 2/11 - 2/15 1000 LV 3.0 43 45 Trump +2
Quinnipiac 2/10 - 2/15 1342 RV 2.7 44 43 Clinton +1
Quinnipiac 2/2 - 2/4 1125 RV 2.9 46 41 Clinton +5
PPP (D) 2/2 - 2/3 1236 RV 2.8 47 40 Clinton +7
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 1/9 - 1/13 800 RV 3.5 51 41 Clinton +10
FOX News 1/4 - 1/7 1006 RV 3.0 44 47 Trump +3
Rasmussen Reports 12/22 - 12/23 1000 LV 3.0 37 36 Clinton +1
CNN/ORC 12/17 - 12/21 927 RV 3.0 49 47 Clinton +2
Quinnipiac 12/16 - 12/20 1140 RV 2.9 47 40 Clinton +7
FOX News 12/16 - 12/17 1013 RV 3.0 49 38 Clinton +11
PPP (D) 12/16 - 12/17 1267 RV 2.8 46 43 Clinton +3
ABC News/Wash Post 12/10 - 12/13 851 RV 4.0 50 44 Clinton +6
NBC/WSJ 12/6 - 12/9 849 RV 3.4 50 40 Clinton +10
USA Today/Suffolk 12/2 - 12/6 1000 LV 3.0 48 44 Clinton +4
CNN/ORC 11/27 - 12/1 930 RV 3.0 49 46 Clinton +3
Quinnipiac 11/23 - 11/30 1473 RV 2.6 47 41 Clinton +6
MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist 11/15 - 12/2 2360 RV 2.0 52 41 Clinton +11
FOX News 11/16 - 11/19 1016 RV 4.0 41 46 Trump +5
PPP (D) 11/16 - 11/17 1360 RV 2.7 45 44 Clinton +1
McClatchy/Marist 10/29 - 11/4 541 RV 4.2 56 41 Clinton +15
Quinnipiac 10/29 - 11/2 1144 RV 2.9 46 43 Clinton +3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 10/25 - 10/29 847 RV 3.4 50 42 Clinton +8
CNN/ORC 10/14 - 10/17 956 RV 3.0 50 45 Clinton +5
FOX News 10/10 - 10/12 1004 RV 3.0 40 45 Trump +5
PPP (D) 10/1 - 10/4 1338 RV 2.7 44 44 Tie
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 9/20 - 9/24 RV — 49 39 Clinton +10
FOX News 9/20 - 9/22 1013 RV 3.0 46 42 Clinton +4
Quinnipiac 9/17 - 9/21 1574 RV 2.5 45 43 Clinton +2
ABC News/Wash Post 9/7 - 9/10 821 RV 4.0 46 43 Clinton +3
CNN/ORC 9/4 - 9/8 930 RV 3.0 48 48 Tie
MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist 8/26 - 9/9 1115 RV 2.9 53 40 Clinton +13
SurveyUSA 9/2 - 9/3 900 RV 3.3 40 45 Trump +5
PPP (D) 8/28 - 8/30 1254 RV 2.8 46 44 Clinton +2
Quinnipiac 8/20 - 8/25 1563 RV 2.5 45 41 Clinton +4
CNN/ORC 8/13 - 8/16 897 RV 3.5 51 45 Clinton +6
FOX News 8/11 - 8/13 1008 RV 3.0 47 42 Clinton +5
Quinnipiac 7/23 - 7/28 1644 RV 2.4 48 36 Clinton +12
McClatchy/Marist 7/22 - 7/28 964 RV 3.2 54 38 Clinton +16
CNN/Opinion Research 7/22 - 7/25 898 RV 3.5 56 40 Clinton +16
PPP (D) 7/20 - 7/21 1087 RV 3.0 50 37 Clinton +13
USA Today/Suffolk 7/9 - 7/12 1000 LV 3.0 51 34 Clinton +17
CNN/Opinion Research 6/26 - 6/28 890 RV 3.5 59 35 Clinton +24
FOX News 6/21 - 6/23 1005 RV 3.0 51 34 Clinton +17
Quinnipiac 5/19 - 5/26 1711 RV 2.4 50 32 Clinton +18
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 3/3 - 3/6 1200 RV 2.8 45 47 Clinton +2
CNN/ORC 2/24 - 2/27 920 RV 3.0 49 48 Cruz +1
FOX News 2/15 - 2/17 1031 RV 3.0 46 45 Cruz +1
Quinnipiac 2/10 - 2/15 1342 RV 2.7 46 43 Cruz +3
USA Today/Suffolk 2/11 - 2/15 1000 LV 3.0 45 44 Cruz +1