2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: My Endorsement of Hillary Rodham Clinton for President [View all]guillaumeb
(42,641 posts)Let me be a little more clear:
NAFTA, and GATT, and the TPP (that of course will pass), are, as you said, window dressing in the sense that manufacturing has been leaving this country since the 1960s. But the deals, and the tariff policies that accompany them, are symptomatic of the mindset of the rulers of this country. Jobs can cross borders, money can cross borders, but workers are chained to their country of birth.
But as to deficits and sources, China is a huge trading partner, as are Canada and Mexico. China enjoys most favored nation status, Mexico and Canada of course are covered by GATT and NAFTA. Many of the jobs lost in the steel industry went to China and S. Korea in the 1960-1970s. So yes, the problem pre-dates Clinton and of course Obama.
As to the "not liberal enough" meme, I agree. My politics are to the left of Bernie Sanders so I appreciate that my politics are farther left than the vast majority of US voters. But my vote will always go to the best candidate, not the perfect candidate. Whoever the Democratic nominee is, while no ones "perfect candidate", will get my vote. For appointments to the SCOTUS, if nothing else.
I agree completely with your last paragraph. Very well said.