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Native

(5,942 posts)
Mon Aug 29, 2016, 12:14 PM Aug 2016

Donald Trump Doesn't Understand Trade - Tomorrow's rally in WA should be a hoot. Here's why...

This first paragraph shown here from the WaPo piece is an excerpt from a Politico piece by Eli Stokols:

Figuring out how to triage a presidential campaign when you’re bleeding in every swing state, all of which seem vital, is a difficult enough equation — and that’s without Trump spending time and resources last week in places that aren’t swing states at all. Trump sandwiched one rally in Tampa, Florida, between appearances in Texas and Mississippi, both solidly red states he’s unlikely to lose. And on Friday, his campaign announced a rally to be held Tuesday outside Seattle in Everett, Washington, home to a Boeing plant that ships planes overseas — a location that’s well suited for Trump to rail against global trade deals but makes no sense electorally.


There are two ways in which that bolded sentence makes no sense, and it’s important to recognize both of them.

The first is the “ships planes overseas” part. Maybe Trump is so used to saying things like “shipping jobs overseas” he thinks that any kind of overseas shipping must be bad. In this case, however, what’s being shipped overseas are U.S. exports, which I think even Trump might support. Indeed, Washington is America’s most trade-dependent state, and exports have been good for the local economy. Trump’s China-bashing is not going to play well in a state that has felt the economic chill from Sino-American trade tensions. I don’t think even Trump would be so ignorant as to bash U.S. exports, but I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.

The second problem with that paragraph, however, is that Stokols seems to share Trump’s confusion. Globalization isn’t some Demogorgon stalking Washington state. To repeat myself: Everett, Wash., is not “well suited for Trump to rail against global trade” at all. Maybe one could make the case that Trump’s speech is intended for a national audience, but his local audience will be one that benefits from the liberal trading order. Indeed, this seems like a guaranteed replay of Trump’s past mistakes of not understanding the locale where he holds his rally.

Here we go again![/

https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/08/29/donald-trump-doesnt-understand-trade-or-the-politics-of-trade/?utm_term=.d22d785a32d8
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pampango

(24,692 posts)
3. Trade is one of many things Donald does not understand but thinks
Mon Aug 29, 2016, 12:27 PM
Aug 2016

appeal to his base (who usually don't understand them either).

Native

(5,942 posts)
4. Unfortunately for him, he'll be speaking to a room full of people tomorrow who do understand trade.
Mon Aug 29, 2016, 12:28 PM
Aug 2016

pampango

(24,692 posts)
6. Donald will tell you that 'right-to-work' is a great thing and that the whole country should be like
Mon Aug 29, 2016, 12:59 PM
Aug 2016

South Carolina.

MFM008

(19,818 posts)
7. If I could get there
Mon Aug 29, 2016, 02:03 PM
Aug 2016

I would protest the fool.
Pisses me off he came to the western side
Of the state.

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