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Akamai

(1,779 posts)
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 11:58 AM Mar 2016

Does Obama want Bernie out because Obama wants the TPP to survive?

It struck me this morning that perhaps Pres. Obama wants Bernie out of the campaign because Obama wants the disastrous TPP agreement to succeed. If Bernie gets out now, certainly the odds are greatly increase that TPP will pass and more American jobs will go overseas, corporations will gain more power, local areas will see their decision-making the road to international corporate tribunals, etc.

If Obama really wants Bernie to drop out, perhaps he can offer to kill the TPP, take it off the table, etc.

Any thoughts on my conspiracy thinking?

I generally like very much what Obama has done, especially in the face of the utterly intransigent greed that is now the Republican party. But TPP is certainly "a bridge too far."

Any thoughts on my paranoid ravings?

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Ferd Berfel

(3,687 posts)
8. Why would you beleive him or Clinton
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:17 PM
Mar 2016

saying they were all of a sudden against it? Yea yea Clinton has already triangulated on it and obviscated a murky
side-step. Clearly weaseling around the problem.

GreatGazoo

(3,937 posts)
5. Please stop spreading the lie that Obama said he wants Bernie out!
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:14 PM
Mar 2016

Please don't take the word of some in GD-P over the Obama WH:

Josh Earnest, Press Secretary for Obama)...as Democrats move through this competitive primary process, we need to be mindful that our success in November in electing a Democratic president will depend on the commitment and ability of the Democratic Party to come together behind our nominee”

dogman

(6,073 posts)
6. Not really an idea that would work.
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:15 PM
Mar 2016

Rump will be making this a big issue to take labor votes, actually indications are he already is successful with this meme.

pandr32

(11,446 posts)
7. You are using a very narrow focus
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:15 PM
Mar 2016

Pres. Obama has worked closely with Sec. Clinton and they know each other very well--not to mention Sec. Clinton is ready to go on Day 1. She is critical of how the TPP is written and so your "paranoid raving" does not explain why he is hoping that she will follow him into the oval office.
Pres. Obama is pragmatic and can see the forest and not just the trees--he recognizes that at this point there is no real chance for Sanders to win the nomination, and by staying in the race he is not helping to end the divisiveness we need to address in time for the GE. Pres. There is a lot at stake--much more than the TPP which even Pres. Obama admits is not perfect. We need to stop Republican led regression--the antithesis of progress.

 

Akamai

(1,779 posts)
10. "Chamber of Commerce Lobbyist Tom Donohue: Clinton Will Support TPP After Election"
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 01:23 PM
Mar 2016

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-naiman/chamber-of-commerce-lobby_b_9104096.html

"In an interview from Davos with Bloomberg TV on January 20, Chamber of Commerce President Tom Donohue, a top lobbyist for the pro-corporate-power Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] agreement, assured viewers that if Hillary Clinton wins the Presidential election, Clinton will support the TPP, even though she opposes it now.

"Reporting on the interview, Inside U.S. Trade noted:

"The Chamber president said he expected Hillary Clinton would ultimately support the TPP if she becomes the Democratic nominee for president and is elected. He argued that she has publicly opposed the deal chiefly because her main challenger, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), has also done so. “If she were to get nominated, if she were to be elected, I have a hunch that what runs in the family is you get a little practical if you ever get the job,” he said."

*****************

Reporter Lee Fang on the Thom Hartmann show yesterday said that Hillary's rejection of the TPP was far less definite than Bernie's strong, "No!" Fang (his name is pronounced "Fong&quot noted that even if people enter the presidency promising to end trade agreements, such as Obama did, once they get in office they change their positions and support trade deals. We absolutely know that Bernie will not.

I sure urge Bernie to stay in the race unless Obama publicly rejects this awful trade agreement.

global1

(25,166 posts)
9. Where Did You Get The Notion That Obama Wants Bernie Out?......
Sat Mar 19, 2016, 12:23 PM
Mar 2016

If anything I would think that Obama supports Bernie's wanting to take this all the way to the convention. Obama is most likely sitting on inside info on the e-mail investigation and has to be mindful that if something happens to Hillary - that the Dems are going to need a strong candidate to move in and win the GE.

I've always had the feeling that this might have been discussed with Bernie when he had the meeting with him early on in this contest and perhaps that is why Bernie is not suspending his campaign and is taking it all the way to the convention. Again - we'll never know for certain if that conversation ever happened - but I got to believe that Obama doesn't want the Repugs to move into the White House in 2017. He's got to protect his accomplishments and his legacy. We've got a Supreme Court to worry about as well.

The worst thing that can happen is that the Dem Party has no contingency plan.

That's just my opinion - and not any more unreasonable as your thoughts. That's the neat thing about what is going on - we can all have our theories and we get to sit back and watch it all play out. Sometimes at our own peril.

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