Who is the strongest democratic candidate -- on the economy/job loss?

[cthrumatrix]

I'm sick of the headlines. Our economy is on an extremely slippery slope becuase corporations continue to "layoff" people and send their jobs overseas.

(thread on job loss : http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=117120&mesg_id=117120)


Corporations are fighting any change in this area because it's quite profitable for them to attract cheap labor. And our wonderful treaties (NAFTA, WTO, CAFTA etc....) legally permit this crap.


My question: which candidate has come out and will strongly fight for our jobs...?

[inthecorneroverhere]

1. what I would like to see

I would like to see a protectionist Democrat who isn't afraid to be a little bit 'politically incorrect' about keeping jobs here in the U.S. with measures like ending all tax 'incentives' for companies that ship jobs overseas and tariffs on imports from low-wage countries. I am much more in favor of free trade with other countries that protect their workers (Europe) and in favor of 'fair trade' with developing countries in things that U.S. workers don't produce, for example the things that are sold by Ten Thousand Villages, which is a pretty cool fair trade jewelry-handicraft store.

There's nothing wrong with a little taste of 'nationalism' or 'protectionism' if it means protecting citizens' right to make a living and rights to social security in old age!

This is totally different from militarism and projection of excess power abroad. It's more like trust-busting from the old Progressive era (pre WWI) with a little bit of Populism thrown in.

There is a huge vacuum for a candidate who will protect the American middle class first and in doing so also help out those struggling to even join the middle class.

[Prodemsouth]

2. Bob Graham is saying he will end those "incentives" and raise taxes

on corporations that charter in Bahamas, Bermuda, etc.

[AP]

3. If you believe, as I do, that the problems with the ecoonomy

are caused by a Republican plan to make it much easier for very large companies to make lots of money (ie, transfer great deals of wealth from the middle class to the super-wealthy by NOT having to compete against small businesses and foreing businesses and businesses which donate to democrats, thanks to totally regressive taxation, government subsidy, and legislated hegemony (eg, FCC deregulation)), and if you believe, as I do, that the best way to really build an economy that is do it the way Keynes said it should be done -- build up a wealthy working/middle class (not an upper class) -- then I don't see how any candidate has a better approach to the economy than Edwards.

He's called small business the engine of economic growth, he's the ONLY candidate who is talking up progressive taxation (eg, he wants to progressivize cap gains tax, among MANY other things he has said about taxes), and his metamessage -- his central campaign theme -- is that he's going to make the American middle and working class wealthier, happier, and healthier.

Edwards's central message is that we can create an economy that works better for everyone if we have a system that rewards work. Work creates wealth for people who are willing to work. Work creates progress too. Right now we have an America that rewards wealth, and not work. That's why we aren't solving problems, and creating new ideas and new inventions that really help people to the degree that society should be helping people. Furthermore, the soceity Edwards envisions creates more wealth for the wealthy than Bush's creates (and Edwards gives everyone equal access to wealth) so long as -- and this is the key -- the wealthy are willing to work hard. This is the exact opposite of the world Bush wants -- he wants only the currently wealthy to have access to wealth and he wants to make sure they don't have to work hard to keep it, and he'll accept a poorer society so long as the Bush family and their cronies have their tight grip on wealth, and, therefore, power.

And Edwards is the only candidate whose message addresses these issues straight on

[BrewCrew]

4. overseas

if these "free trade/fair trade" issues are your issues. I'd say Gephardt and Kucinich probably appeal most to you. Both have solid voting records in regards to these type of agreements. But each democratic candidates have their own solid economic theories. All, of which, are far better than W's whack-ass tax cut policy

[AP]

5. Edwards has a record of protecting NC workers

David Broder says the DLC doesn't like him for this reason.

But, believe me, the reasons I noted above are way more important than losing jobs to overseas markets. Protecting American jobs from overseas competition is a small part of the bigger puzzle of making sure that (1) America is a competitive economy, and (2) demanding a level of social justice abroad as well as at home so that America isn't competing with slave labor.