The Clintons Get Results: How Hillary Can Take the Offense on Trade, Jobs and Her Record

The one area cited as a weakness in Hillary’s debate performance revolved around NAFTA and trade agreements. Trump repeatedly cited NAFTA as a reason to vote against Hillary — especially if you are a white, working-class man. Trump’s argument is that these trade deals have shipped high paying blue collar jobs overseas. And while he’s partially right, Hillary needs to fact-check Trump yet again. Bush Senior signed NAFTA in 1992. Bill Clinton oversaw the implementation of NAFTA in 1993. That’s a huge and very important distinction. NAFTA is Bush’s baby. Not Clinton’s. 

In addition, Trump makes many of his products in China and overseas. Trump has personally benefited from NAFTA and trade deals that ship jobs overseas, proving yet again he’s a fraud — a con-man. You really think Donald Trump, who has stiffed American workers his entire career, is going to suddenly fight to reverse trade deals he has personally benefited from? If you read his tax plan, it proves he will simply continue a system that has benefited rich Daddy’s boys like himself. It is a shame that white, working-class men have been fooled by a 4-times bankrupt fraud. That’s why we must never forget Trump is a master con-man. A very compelling propaganda artist. 

The bottom line is — Hillary needs to correct a few fundamental points: her husband, Bill Clinton, did *NOT* sign NAFTA [Bush Senior did]. And it is Trump who has actually shipped American jobs overseas. 

[VIDEO] Hillary criticizing Trump for not making his ties in America. How does this make America great again?

During the debate, Hillary responded to the criticisms on trade by bringing up her economic plan and comparing it to Trump’s, which she labeled “Trumped-Up-Trickle-Down.” Trumped-Up-Trickle-Down will essentially give HUUUGE tax breaks to the super wealthy [like Trump], which we hope will then trickle down to the rest of us — the exact same policies that got us into the recession in the first place. Trump responded by saying it is actually Hillary who been involved in politics for 30 years and is by default the reason our economy collapsed [even though it is Trump’s plans that mirror the policies that actually caused the recession]. However, Trump is forgetting a key part of American history: the Clinton economy was probably the strongest economy we have ever had. Ever.

During the debate, Hillary did, in-fact, cite the strengths of the 1990s economy as a response to Trump saying Hillary hasn’t changed anything in 30 years. Sadly, Trump interrupted her and stepped on her point. But I’d like Hillary to cite the Clinton economy over and over again. Why? Because it puts some teeth behind her plans and proposals. Her current plans and proposals are the same type of policies we implemented during the 1990s. This suggests that when experts say her plans would create 10 million jobs, the 22 million jobs created during the 1990s can be used as historical back-up. Tie Hillary’s current plans to the economic record of the previous Clinton economy. Hillary can simply say: “I know what works. And I want to do what works again. Experts and history agree with me.”  

The other side of this coin is tying Trump’s policies directly to the Bush Administration. During the debate, Hillary never specifically mentioned Bush’s name and I think that was a mistake. Trump’s policies, which are a Trumped-Up version of George W. Bush’s policies, would cause yet another Bush-style recession. Instead of going back to the Bush economy that led to a recession, let’s go back to the Clinton economy that led to a surplus — an economy where we invest in the middle-class. An economy where we grow from the middle-out; *NOT* the top-down.

Trickle-down economics helps families like Trump stay rich at the expense of everyone else. We could have used Trump’s missing tax dollars to pay for many of the things that help keep America great — our schools, veterans, public health, roads, bridges, and parks. Instead, Trump has stayed rich at the expense of everyone else who paid their fair share in taxes. And how does Trump reward us? He ships our jobs overseas and then has the gal to say he’s against trade deals that the Clintons didn’t even sign? 

If we are going to talk about NAFTA and the 1990s, let’s talk about the full picture. Because the Clintons killed it during the 1990s.

Despite Bush’s NAFTA, the 1990s gave us broad-based economic prosperity: 22 million new jobs, incomes rising at all income levels, 7 million people lifted out of poverty [the most at any time in U.S. history], and a balanced budget and surplus.

Hillary brilliantly lists these facts in the video below:

Hillary: ”It was the greatest economic era we’d had in decades — I want to get back to what worked.”

Nostalgia is very powerful. Just look at the success with Trump’s nostalgic slogan: “Make American Great Again.” Joke is — the Clintons actually made America great during the 1990s. 

So when Trump says the Clintons are “typical politicians” [all talk; no action] we need to remember that they are the exception to the rule. Though political animals, the Clintons also get things done. Hillary tried to remind Trump of this during the debate, but he interrupted her in the middle of it. Next time — don’t let him. Set the record straight: the Clintons, despite being political animals, produced results and the 1990s economy proves it. 

Hillary’s current plans are estimated by experts to create 10 million jobs because they are the same policies that led to the economic success of the 1990s [Clinton Economics]. Trump’s plans are estimated by experts to lose us 3.5 million jobs because they are the same policies that led to the economic recession caused by George W. Bush [Trumped-Up-Trickle-Down].

But some might say this is HIllary taking credit for what her husband did [even though conventional wisdom during the 1990s said Hillary was the one really running the show in the White House]. But let’s say it’s questionable for Hillary to take credit for her husband’s phenomenal economic record. My response would be: if you are going to blame Hillary for NAFTA being implemented during the 1990s, she also gets credit for the 22 million new jobs, balanced budget and surplus, incomes rising at all income levels, and the 7 million people lifted out of poverty. Blaming Hillary for her husband overseeing the implementation of NAFTA works both ways because many Americans also did well under her husband’s economic record [even poor, white men — incomes went up at all levels and 7 million fewer people were living in poverty].

We could have continued the Clinton economy if we had elected Al Gore. Instead, too many voted for Ralph Nader, leading us to George W. Bush. Now, Trump wants us to take us back to the same policies that created the mess in the first place, while Hillary wants to take us back to the prosperity of the 1990s by building on the groundwork Obama has laid.

Unfortunately, many Americans think a recession can be fixed in 8 years and are too impatient, blaming the slow recovery on Obama rather than unprecedented GOP obstructionism and the lingering impact of George W. Bush’s policies. Let this be a reminder to not vote third party. We could have avoided Bush all-together if even a fraction of Nader voters had voted for Gore in Florida. Imagine if we could have continued the Clinton surplus ::sigh::  

TPP?

As Secretary of State, Hillary is obligated to fight for her Presidents trade agreements. Despite what Bernie Sanders might have you believe, we do have to trade with the rest of the world. Hillary was Obama’s Secretary of State during his first 4 years, and started the very beginning stages of TPP. She was not involved in the final negotiation, which is her reasoning for currently being against it.

Trump and many Sanders supporters call this an example of Hillary being a calculating politician. Well, that’s only if you think Hillary is untrustworthy. Because guess what? Hillary voted against the Central American Trade Agreement as New York Senator — CAFTA. In other words, the only time Hillary has voted on a trade agreement, she voted against it. As for NAFTA? Bush Senior signed it. Her husband oversaw the implementation of it. Point is — Hillary voted against CAFTA, and NAFTA is not the Clintons baby [it’s Bush’s]. And it’s Trump that has actually been the one who has shipped jobs overseas to make his products in China, whereas the Clintons created 22 million new jobs right here in the United States of America.

But let’s say Hillary really did reverse on TPP due to being a typical politician [despite fulfilling her obligation as Obama’s Secretary of State, not being involved in the final negotiation of TPP, and voting against CAFTA] — so what? Aren’t politicians supposed to respond to the will of the people? 

Currently we have the most progressive platform in history thanks to Bernie Sanders [isn’t that reason enough to vote for Hillary?] As Bernie said — let’s get beyond personalities and not repeat Ralph Nader. We could have continued the Clintons surplus with Al Gore and instead we got Bush who gave tax-cuts to the rich and caused the economic collapse. Are Americans really forgetting their history? Pretty sure we are and need a refresher. And Hillary is the perfect person to give us this history lesson at the next debate. She just needs to make sure to weave her plans and Trump’s plans into her history lesson.

We have a choice: we can either go back to George Bush’s disastrous policies with Trumped-Up-Trickle-Down, or we can go back to the 1990s with Hillary’s plan that is said to create 10 million jobs according to independent experts. 

And the next time Trump says Hillary is a typical politician who is all talk and no action, remind him that the Clintons are the exception to the rule given the economic record of the 1990s. The Clintons get sh*t done. 

Furthermore, Hillary doesn’t only have Bill to rely on. Which brings me to the one other area I’d love for Hillary to improve on for round 2: pointing to a positive every time she criticizes Trump.

For instance, when she discusses the Justice Department suing Donald Trump for racist housing discrimination against African Americans during the 1970s, follow it up with reminding everyone of the work she did for the Children’s Defense Fund during the exact same era — investigating racism in South Carolina where African American children were put in adult jails.

We need to start highlighting the clear contrast between Hillary and Trump: he’s a racist while Hillary helped young African American children in adult jails. Hillary’s work at the Children’s Defense Fund is overlooked, ignored, and ultimately led to Hillary helping create the Adoption and Safe Families Act and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which insures 8+ million children. Instead of just destroying Trump, she’s also building herself up on the exact same issue [racial justice]. Or, for example, when she’s trashing Trump on foreign policy [“I know more about ISIS than the generals do, BELIEVE ME!”] — immediately bring up helping President Obama hunt down and kill Osama Bin Laden. 

Pointing to the positives Hillary brings to the table is her missing element in an otherwise perfect debate performance.  

Bottom line is: Hillary’s plans will bring us back to the economic record of the 1990s — prosperity for all. Trump’s plans will bring us back to the economic record of George W. Bush — prosperity for people like Mr. Trump. That’s why experts say Hillary will create 10 million jobs and Trump will lose us 3.5 million jobs. Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it [ie: Nader].

Do Americans really think Trump, a man who has stiffed American workers throughout his career, will repeal trade deals he’s gotten rich off of? Actions speak louder than words and thanks to David Letterman, we know Trump produces his ties in China. The Hillary ad “Someplace” explains exactly why Trump loves trade policies like NAFTA — a trade deal put together by Bush Senior:

Thanks, Bush Senior [NAFTA], for making people like Trump richer while the rest of us tax-payers pick up the tab! Personally, I’m ready for the Clintons to get us results again. 

I’m ready for another Clinton Economy:

Continue Obama’s progress by electing the WOMAN with the most PROGRESSIVE platform in HISTORY. Thanks Bernie!!

Donald Trump:“The economy does better under the Democrats.”
Wolf Blitzer: “Well, it certainly did well under Clinton.”

 “The economy does better with a Democrat in the White House.” 
~Hillary Rodham Clinton

It took a Clinton to clean up after the first Bush, and I think it will finally take a Clinton to build on Obama’s progress and get us back to where the Clintons left us in the year 2000: 22 million new jobs, a balanced-budget and surplus, wages rising at all income levels, and more Americans lifted out of poverty than at any time in U.S. history — 7 million.

Trump economics? 4 bankruptcies; billions in debt.
Clinton economics? 4 balanced-budgets; billions in surplus.

The choice is clear. Vote Hillary for first female President!!