Vox: Hillary Clinton's flip-flop on the TPP makes no sense

[portlander23]

Vox: Hillary Clinton's flip-flop on the TPP makes no sense

During her time as secretary of state, from 2009 to 2013, Clinton was a strong supporter of the TPP. CNN has a fun article documenting 45 times Secretary Clinton spoke out in favor of the deal, which was then in the early stages of negotiation. She even said in 2012 that "this TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements."

Now she sees things differently. In the interview with PBS's Judy Woodruff where she came out against the treaty, she cited two specific objections: It doesn't have language dealing with currency manipulation, and it has provisions that favor big drug companies over patients.

These are totally plausible arguments for opposing the TPP. But they make no sense as reasons for Clinton to change her mind about the treaty.

There are two ways that Clinton's professed concern over an excessively pro-pharma deal rings hollow. One is that — unlike currency manipulation — this is an issue where Clinton speaking up earlier could have made a difference in the negotiations. Instead, Clinton at the time carefully avoided addressing the substance of the TPP's drug provisions. I can't find a single example where she called for Obama to accept the more consumer-friendly terms other countries were demanding.

Second, the final version of the TPP wound up being less friendly to big drug companies than the version US negotiators proposed. If Clinton was concerned about the TPP being too friendly to big drug companies, the final version should have made her more, not less, comfortable, than the "gold standard" version she once praised.

Currency manipulation was never going to be part of the TPP

Clinton knew perfectly well there was zero chance that US negotiators would even bring up the issue, to say nothing of getting other countries to go along with it. Raising the issue in 2015 was simply a way of laying the groundwork for eventual opposition.

Of course, if she really thought currency manipulation was an essential part of the agreement, she probably shouldn't have described the deal as the "gold standard in trade agreements" in the first place.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

1. Nothing about Hillary's many flip-flops make sense. Would've been nice if she had raised all these new concerns when she was praising and pushing the TPP deal as Secretary of State.

[Agony]

2. kick

and rec

[artislife]

3. She is a coward

If she really was a "fighter" she would have fought against it when there was a chance to defeat it.


But this is classic h, fence sitting trying to get as many votes out of an issue while trying to appease lots of different viewpoints.

If anything, my little esteem for her has shrunk even further.

[BernieFan57]

4. Right?

Wait til it's too late then come out with concerns.
TPTB must love it.

[artislife]

5. And funny

how a certain segment isn't lamenting how she is throwing the President under the bus with this calcul--er, move.

[Babel_17]

6. Just in time for the debates (nt)

[AgingAmerican]

7. She was just wearing her Bernie Sanders Halloween mask

Don't take it seriously.

She flipped over to Sanders position for the debate, but contradicting Obama is seen by her as political suicide, so she flopped back again.