The Simpsons, Free Trade, and Elections

One issue that started to get more steam this primary season before the Ohio primary is the issue of free trade. Since 1968, there has only been one President (Jimmy Carter) who has enacted major restrictionist policies on trade. This begs the question: Can a candidate for President of the United States actually win on an anti-trade platform?

To quote Reverend Lovejoy from the Simpsons, "The short answer is 'yes' with an if. The long answer is 'no' with a but." For the short answer, if Obama and Clinton can somehow convince people that the reason we are currently in an economic downturn is not due to cyclical economics and recent overspending by Congress, then it is possible because they somehow make it seem like a trade agreement signed about 15 years ago suddenly made the economy slow down.

For the long answer, it is likely that Clinton and Obama will at the very least reduce their anti-trade rhetoric when the election draws near. Free trade has brought higher paying jobs into the United States through our ability to create superior technologies and stay ahead of the rest of the world in that aspect. Free trade has also helped countries such as South Korea rise above a former third world status. My personal guess is that whoever ends up as the Democratic nominee will at the very least tone down the anti-trade talk and advocate the status quo for trade.

But to expand free trade, we need to elect John McCain. Even though he has said that he isn't as strong in economics as he is in foreign policy, don't mistake that as a weakness in economics. He understands how pet projects add up and hurt the economy. He understands the need to find ways to lower prices for consumers by not levying higher taxes on companies. He understands that the United States has too many great assets not to freely trade them with the rest of the world. He understands that rather than having people keep lower paying jobs that may be lost by free trade, we should invest in retraining them for higher paying jobs in areas where we have the comparative advantage.

Let us make sure as conservatives that we rally around McCain's understanding of the economy. I know if we don't act, we as conservatives will collectively say "D'oh" at our economic situation under an Obama or Clinton presidency.