How the trade war is changing minds in a Senate battleground
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
FILE - In this May 29, 2018, file photo, President Donald Trump listens as Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., speaks at a rally in Nashville, Tenn. The trade tension has re-shaped the race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Bob Corker in Tennessee, where Blackburn, has been one of the president’s biggest boosters for the last two years. Yet with the local business community up in arms, she’s dramatically softened her support, on Trump’s trade policies, at least. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Jimmy Tosh's sprawling hog farm in rural Tennessee is an unlikely battleground in the fight for control of the U.S. Senate.
Yet his 15,000 acres (6,000 hectares) two hours west of Nashville showcase the practical risks of President Donald Trump's trade policies and the political threat to red-state Republican Senate candidates such as Tennessee's Marsha Blackburn.
Tosh, a third-generation farmer who almost always votes Republican, said he's voting this fall for Blackburn's Democratic opponent, former Gov. Phil Bredesen, in part because Trump's trade wars are hurting his family business — a sizable one with some 400 employees and 30,000 pigs. The cost of steel needed for new barns is up, Tosh said, and the expanding pork market stands to suffer under new tariffs.
Similar concerns are roiling high-profile Senate contests in Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Dakota and forcing GOP candidates to answer for the trade policies of a Republican president they have backed on almost every other major issue.
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Similar concerns are roiling high-profile Senate contests in Missouri, Indiana, Pennsylvania and North Dakota and forcing GOP candidates to answer for the trade policies of a Republican president they have backed on almost every other major issue.
In 2016, populist attacks against free trade defined Trump's political rise. Now, as he sparks an international trade war four months before the midterm elections, few policies could be more problematic for Trump's allies in pivotal Senate contests.
The tension has reshaped the race to replace retiring Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn. Blackburn, an eight-term congresswoman, has been one of the president's biggest boosters for the past two years, yet with the business community up in arms, she's dramatically softened her support for Trump's trade policies, at least.
An estimated $1.4 billion in Tennessee exports are threatened by Trump's trade moves, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a longtime Republican ally. Those exports are linked to more than 850,000 jobs in the state related to farming, steel, baked goods, car manufacturing, whiskey and more
As a constituent, watching how this 'easy' to win trade war plays out will certainly be a factor. Jobs and the fact Phil Bredesen is highly esteemed, is going to give Blackburn a run for her money.
Marsha Blackburn is so extreme. I hope she is defeated.
I am speculating, but I have this gnawing feeling that this 'trade war' has an ulterior purpose. For reasons I can't quite grasp yet, it appears that there is a movement to diminish the influence, affluence and guidance of The United States of America on the World stage.
Anybody else looking past the usual headlines and stories about pigs, cows, whiskey and steel?
Well to start out, Trump started it. Now that that is out of the way there is no doubt in my mind that the Chinese want to be the preeminent power in the world, but they want to do it through trade not war. If pushed into a corner militarily they would soon be able to change their vision. They are not some backward country without resources.
If you follow the Chinese, as I have for decades having made my first visit there in the early 80's and dealt with them for the next 25/30 years. They have a vision and that is to be Number 1....Time is on their side and they known it. Our focus is election to election, 2 to 4 years with battles between the dems and repubs..They do not have that constraint. They are looking out decades into the future. To lose a battle or make some concessions now in this trade war doesn't mean a whole lot to them if they see their goal coming into view.
They now have pipelines from Russia to China which is pumping huge amounts of oil to them. They are also the world 6th largest oil producer and they haven't even gotten into fracking..They are well entrenched in Africa with it vast resources including oil. Their first foreign military base is in Africa. They have rights for oil drilling off the coast of Brazil and are in negotiations for rights to another field which would include a part interest in a refinery.
The rail and improved rail line from China to London and up to Finland has opened a whole new trade lane.
A couple of other things to mull over. Their domestic consumption is now over 50% of the GDP (a huge internal market) and only 18% of their exports come to the US...They have huge trade lanes with the EU and all of Asian. Most recently they attended a summit that included most all eastern European countries. To the Chinese that is another market worth their investment.
The are a formidable adversary and not to be taken lightly. I'm afraid that is exactly what we are doing.
So what should the US be doing in regards to the trade imbalance with China?
I've outlined my thoughts on this many times in other articles. How about you give us you thoughts on how the trade imbalance works. What the actual imbalance is to include the service portion of the trade. How is the US making China rich. What can we do to even things up using actual facts and figures.
Any ideas?
Then you see my point?
yup
Yes... but why is President Trump following such a mad agenda?
He has
- insulted our closest allies,
- sucked up to dictators,
- started a trade war with our biggest trade partner,
- started a trade war with our allies,
- ...
Now he is threatening the existence of NATO.
Why?
I can't answer the why's but this is one thing that struck me.
Getting into a trade war with China is going to be rough under any circumstances. Not only has he declared a trade war with China, but also the EU, Canada and Mexico...History serves up a lesson on that. If Hitler hadn't started another front in WWII, (Eastern Front, Russia) which ended up with the Nazi's fighting a two front war. Western front, Eastern front, there might have been a very different outcome.
It seems to be that is exactly what Trump is doing. Not a wise choice IMO.
I think you're not thinking things through and looking at things the wrong way.
That's always a possibility. And I certainly cannot think of any reason to start these trade wars in the first place.
If we assume that the President of the United States knows what he is doing... (and isn't it incredible that I can pose that condition and everyone agrees that it's fifty-fifty at best...
... ... if the President knows what he is doing then you are correct. I do not understand.
How about you explaining your thought on the topic? Maybe you've seen something that I haven't seen.
Because trump is a moron that is screwing over the people that voted for him... Sad.
Did you notice the thoughtful Reply from Greg Jones, just above, when I asked him for his thoughts on the trade war?
It's a remarkably constant reaction to requests for "thoughts"....
For someone that claims that they are on NT to mock liberals I wouldn't expect anything of value from him. Sad as that comment by him is, one can see that a intelligent dialogue is truly a oxymoron in his case.
If Greg is only here to mock liberals, then I guess it's ok to seriously ignore everything he says.
Of course, since it's mostly hot air...LOL
Yes, I agree. There is another objective. I can't imagine it's solely due to what Russia has on Trump but I do think there is some truth to that speculation. I'm really worried because our government branches are not working as they should. There seems to be a coup happening against our constitution and the republicans are leading it.
What kind of coup? What are the signs and symptoms of it?
Oligarchy? Foundation for a democratic oligarchy?
American president with help from the existing American government, shunning our traditional allies while courting dictators, despots and thieves...….and the Markets were up over 300 again today. Constitution be damned...……..the economy is on the boom. Something is not right here.
But ... ... ... ...
WHY??
What could possibly be gained that's worth the cost?
Can the trumpsters really be this stupid?
Is there some mechanism for Trump's personal enrichment?
... ...Why??????????????????
What's it costing? Isn't China already getting rich and powerful at our expense?
No. That' a fundamental misunderstanding of international trade. A balance of payments deficit does not mean a country is "losing" any more than a BoP surplus means it's "winning". Trade is not a zero-sum game. Everyone can win at the same time.
China is getting rich (well... less poor... the median family income is around $10 000, a fifth of the American median) because the Chinese are working hard, and the Chinese economy is well organized.
Let's recall that the US BoP deficit is about two-tenths of one percent of GDP. Insignificant.
Soy bean farmers all over the country are really starting to regret voting for trump. There have been over 22,000 application requests for exemptions to trumps tariffs. That alone speaks VOLUMES. The largest nail maker in the country had to lay off 500 employees, because they cannot afford to pay them, AND the new cost of steel.
Winning? Not even close.
Trump said he could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot someone, and not lose a single supporter. Undoubtedly true.
Now the question is... What about shooting the supporters themselves? Will that be enough to make them turn on him? So far... it seems not! They grin and bear it.
Hey! He's keeping "those people" in their place. Therefore he can do no wrong...