The Wall Street Journal is a little unnerved to realize that suddenly being for free trade will get you sacked from a Democratic presidential campaign. I especially like this part of their complaint:
The grownups in both campaigns realize that free trade is good for the country, yet they must take a vow of public silence.
As recently as the 1990s, Bill Clinton’s support for free trade was seen as a sign of his economic centrism and that he understood global competitive realities. In the 2008 campaign, free trade has become the primary Democratic taboo.
There’s that word again: “grown-ups”.
Isn’t it the grown-ups that said it would be super fantastic to invade Iraq? Didn’t the grown-ups tell us the economy was doing really well? America has a problem with its grown-ups…they turned out to be ideological greedheads. Don’t be surprised to see America elect some non-elites in November. You know…comedians and social activists and National Guardsmen and college professors and public school teachers and restaurant owners. They’re on the ballot, and chances are a bunch of them are going to be in our next Congress.
