The problem, though, at election time — and that’s always when this comes up — is that it’s too hard to explain economics to someone who has just been promised a raise by someone else. So, these minimum wage workers become a large voting bloc.
Your goal is to win the election. Far more voters DON’T understand economics than do. Do you give a voting bloc to your opponent just so you can maintain economic purity?
Trump is right to counter with a 10 dollar minimum that’s regionally flexible. He can say Clinton has no chance to get her passed in tough times, but his will pass. So would you rather have a real 2 dollar raise or a 7 dollar promise that will never happen?
A $2 per hour increase would cost a business with 10 FTE or equivalent well over $40K per year after factoring in other employment costs. If you can't pass those costs on to the consumer or drastically alter the business model, it is likely they would shutdown.