Tuesday Primary Voters Worry About Trade—But McCain Doesn’t Get It

by Seth Michaels, Feb 20, 2008

McCain: Strong supporter of NAFTA

Wisconsin union members and their households made up a strong 35 percent of the Democratic primary turnout, according to exit polls, voting 53­–44 percent for Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) over Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). Exit polls were not conducted in Hawaii, yesterday’s other Democratic contest. Overall, Obama netted a 58–41 percent victory over Clinton in Wisconsin and a 76–24 percent victory in Hawaii’s caucuses.

In Wisconsin, Arizona Sen. John McCain continued his path to the Republican nomination, defeating former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee by 55–37 percent.

While Republican voter turnout was slightly more than 400,000 in Wisconsin, Democratic turnout exceeded 1.1 million, continuing a trend we’ve seen throughout the primary season. Clinton got more votes than all the Republicans combined.

Wisconsin voters are clearly concerned about the economy. According to the exit polls, 45 percent of Democratic primary voters said the economy was the most important issue, and 90 percent said the economy was “not so good” or “poor.” A striking 72 percent of Democratic primary voters said trade is taking jobs away from their state.

McCain, the likely Republican nominee, doesn’t understand their concerns.

McCain has made it clear in his record and rhetoric that he subscribes to the same failed trade policies as have been pursued by the Bush administration. In a video interview with the Des Moines Register, McCain describes himself as a “free trader” and says he’s a strong supporter of NAFTA.

It’s not just NAFTA. McCain voted for the Central American Free Trade Agreement, as well as trade deals with Oman, Singapore and Chile. None of these deals have enforceable labor standards, hurting workers here and abroad and sending jobs overseas.

McCain even voted for “Fast Track” trade authority—giving the Bush administration the power to pass bad trade deals without input from Congress.

Even worse, the record shows he’s voted against assistance for displaced workers and against extending unemployment compensation. McCain also has voted for overseas outsourcing of federal contracts, and he didn’t bother to show up to vote on a economic stimulus package that would have given crucial assistance to those suffering from job losses. (That bill failed by one vote.)

As The American Prospect’s Ezra Klein puts it:

McCain is the champion for all manner of unpopular and discredited policies, and one can make a very sharp, and very concrete, argument against the actual vision he has for the country.

In their speeches last night, Clinton and Obama both addressed economic issues, saying the current economic climate gives urgency to the need to elect a president who will fight for working families. Both Clinton and Obama made the economy and trade a key part of their Wisconsin campaigns.

Clinton won 95 percent of the voters who said experience was the most important quality in selecting a candidate. Obama won 77 percent among voters who said the ability to bring about change mattered most.

In August, the AFL-CIO Executive Council said it would not yet make an endorsement on a 2008 candidate, freeing AFL-CIO unions to endorse candidates for the caucuses and primaries. The AFL-CIO will continue the Working Families Vote 2008 campaign to help elect a worker-friendly Congress and president. 

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Paid for by the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education Political Contributions Committee, www.aflcio.org, and not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

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