Why Did The DNC Refuse To Address Trade, Keystone XL, And Climate Change In First Debate?

One of the biggest topics barely mentioned in the Democratic debate this week was trade. The corporate media and the DNC must not think it’s an issue worth debating — or is there another reason?

The only mention of trade in this week’s 2016 Democratic debate was on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal that Hillary Clinton once called a “Gold Standard” for trade deals. She’s now coming out against it, but Clinton has been on record 40 times saying she agreed to the TPP trade agreement deal. Then in this week’s debate she reformatted her words by saying “she had hoped it would be the gold standard.”

Hillary Clinton is a polished, seasoned politician. Her response was crafty and something a casual observer of politics might not catch. But her response was a total flip-flop from her previous position on this trade deal. The fact is that Hillary Clinton has supported this trade deal and her response in the debate were a major reversal.

Why Did Hillary Clinton Flip-Flop on the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal?

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders — her main opponent in the 2016 Democratic Race — has been out front on the TPP Trade Agreement and how it would be a disaster for the economy. One of the main reasons for the growing surge of Bernie Sanders in the polls and social media has been his leadership in opposing this international trade deal. As a writer, I have covered the TPP trade deal extensively for two years and have concluded that the TPP is nothing more than a “corporate handout disguised as a trade deal.”

The Trans-Pacific Partnership [TPP] trade agreement is a big deal for this country. The facts of the matter are the TPP will encompass 40 percent of the gross domestic product. It will depress wages in this country. It will cause further damage to our manufacturing sector. It will widen the income inequality problem in our country, and it will ship jobs overseas.

What was disappointing is that none of these issues came out in the first Democratic debate. This election is about jobs, wages, and the growing wealth inequality in America. Bernie Sanders has been the leader in bringing these issues to the table.

Currently, the TPP trade deal is in a 90-day examination period. Legislation on the issue will not be addressed in Congress until after the first of the year. So why was this issue not front and center in this week’s Democratic debate?

Could it be because Hillary Clinton does not want it to be? Or that the corporate media does not want it to be? Or because the DNC — who fear for their preordained choice Hillary Clinton’s political future  — does not want it to be?

Hopefully, in one of the five remaining Democratic debates the topic of trade will be covered in more depth. There needs to be a conversation about the “meat and potatoes” of our economy.

Another issue of grave importance to our nation’s economy and well-being is the Keystone Pipeline XL Project.

You cannot have a serious discussion about Keystone and not include the other major issues in the 2016 Democratic race — global warming  and climate change. They are congruent issues. The Keystone pipeline would bring the most toxic, nasty, and environmental unfriendly product in history to market.

What makes Keystone XL so dastardly is that it’s unnecessary. We have an oversupply of oil right now. It would not bring down gas prices in our country. It would expand the same old fossil fuel business-as-usual model and be in stark contrast to the move away from fossil fuels that’s supported by Bernie Sanders and most Progressive Democrats. Moreover, the Keystone XL deal is connected to Wall Street in a big way.

With the entire Republican Party and its politicians in the hip pocket of the oil and gas industry, it’s not surprising that they are all climate change deniers. Bernie Sanders has sided with President Obama in opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline. Hillary Clinton has refused to take a position on it. Why?

Hillary Clinton has said on more than one occasion that the Keystone XL Pipeline Project was part of a broader conversation with the Canadian government. The truth is that Hillary Clinton is late to the party on these issues. Bernie Sanders has for years been a champion of these issues that are Progressive issues as well.

Clinton positions have been (until recently) out of step with the environmentalist community. Let there be no mistake. Tar-sands oil is the worst product that could ever be brought to market. The science is clear on this. It begs the question: what is more important — trade deals or our environment?

The Democratic Party has shifted from a “Center-Right Party” to a “Center-Left Party.” The Progressives make up a huge base of the party. No matter who you support, the clear fact is that Bernie Sanders has influenced Hillary Clinton to run left as fast as she can and the real winners in the first Democratic Party debate were Progressive Democrats.

Featured image by AFGE via Flickr under a  Creative Commons Attribution Generic License.