First Read: Why Clinton's Trade Flip-Flop Is So Unbelievableby
Chuck Todd, Mark Murray and Carrie Dann
Why Clinton's flip-flop on trade is so unbelievable
Yes, Hillary Clinton's new opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade accord cleans up something she needed to do before next week's first Democratic debate. And, yes, it puts pressure on Vice President Joe Biden getting into the race (because he'd be on the only major candidate in support of TPP). But make no mistake: This flip-flop isn't believable at all. For starters, there was the time as secretary of state when she said
TPP "sets the gold standard in trade agreements." In her book, "Hard Choices" (which she sent out to all the GOP candidates), she called TPP
"the signature economic pillar" of the Obama administration's strategy in Asia. And then there's the wiggle room she left for herself, as well as the fact that she hasn't even fully reviewed the trade accord because it's not public yet. "I'm continuing to learn about the details of the new Trans-Pacific Partnership, including looking hard at what's in there to crack down on currency manipulation, which kills American jobs, and to make sure we're not putting the interests of drug companies ahead of patients and consumers. But based on what I know so far, I can't support this agreement," she said in her statement yesterday. And because this opposition is so unbelievable, it feeds every negative stereotype about her -- despite the short-term political benefits.
Why Hillary flipped: to protect her left flank
So why did Clinton flip? It was all about protecting her left flank. As
one of us wrote yesterday, Clinton's newfound opposition to TPP protects her against Bernie Sanders' challenge (especially before Tuesday's debate; it helps solidify her support with organized labor; and it makes Biden the only Democrat in favor of the accord (if he gets into the race). But we want to focus on the point about organized labor. As AFL-CIO chief Richard Trumka said on "
Meet the Press" last month about Clinton and TPP: "I think if she doesn't take a position on TPP, then you can say she's looking for our vote. If she does take a position on TPP, then she's looking for our support. And the difference is, if you get my vote, I come out on Election Day and I pull the lever. If you've got my support, I get up at 7:00 in the morning, I stuffed 200 envelopes, I make seven calls, I go knock on a few doors, and I get my neighbors all excited about voting for her as well."
And why the reversal didn't do the Obama administration any favors
Here's a final point we want to make about Clinton's new opposition to TPP: It doesn't do the Obama administration any favors, that's for sure. Obama and his team face a situation where the entire Democratic '16 field (for now) opposes the TPP accord, which won't make it easier to twist Democratic arms to get congressional ratification. (In fact, it's the opposite of the situation around the Iran deal, where the party's '16 contenders and much of the base SUPPORTED the Iran deal.) This time, the Obama White House will have to get much of its support from Republicans -- just like it did in winning fast-track authority earlier this year. And as House Ways & Means Chairman Paul Ryan suggested on "MTP Daily" yesterday, House Republicans might have some concerns about the TPP accord. There's still plenty of time to go, but the Obama administration will start the ratification process on shaky ground.
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By definition it's nonsense.
