Biden would be only Democratic candidate backing TPP deal if he runs for president

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WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Joe Biden became the only prospective or current Democratic presidential candidate supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership on Wednesday as Hillary Rodham Clinton declared her opposition.

A longtime darling of unions, Biden has been skeptical of previous sweeping free trade deals, warning of risks to U.S. jobs. Yet he's publicly supporting the Trans-Pacific Partnership, jeopardizing his support from unions if he enters the race. Other declared Democratic candidates have said they oppose the deal.

Biden, who is considering running for president, made no mention of the controversial trade deal as he addressed union officials Wednesday at a White House workers summit. Instead, he focused on safe-bet issues like higher wages and collective bargaining, telling labor leaders their movement "built the middle class."

But Biden's office said he "supports the TPP agreement and will help pass it on the Hill," suggesting he'll lobby lawmakers to vote for it. The vice president also serves as the Senate's president, so Biden could be called upon to cast a tie-breaking vote.


read: http://www.newser.com/article/88b1bdebb52e487b980bf1e96a68aa32/joe-biden-would-be-only-democratic-candidate-backing-asia-trade-deal-if-he-runs-for-president.html

[still_one]

1. This will work against him with labor if he plans to run. Objectively, he is between a rock and a

hard place. He is part of an administration that supports the TPP, so as VP it would be difficult for him to go against it.

However, Joe has other issues which also present problems for him if he chooses to run, and those include the Bankruptcy bill, which he went against Elizabeth Warren on, his crime bill which has many controversial elements to it, and his coziness with the banking industry, MBNA specifically.

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3. he won't have the benefit of triangulating as a progressive

...that Hillary has with her virtual distancing from the WH.

Biden is stuck with Obama 2.0, if he runs.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. That's the box he is in...

HRC can be Obama Plus, Obama Lite, or Obama Reloaded by embracing the popular stuff and eschewing the unpopular stuff in the primary and general election. It might not be right or pretty but it is.

This phenomenon explains why it so difficult to ascend from the vice presidency to the presidency. Voters opt for change, even change from a reasonably popular president. That's why three of the last four vice presidents to run for president have lost.

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5. good point about veeps

...right now, as in most presidencies, his veep bid for his boss's job reeks of establishment politics before it's even approached the starting gate. Biden's going to be saddled as the establishment candidate in a decidedly populist Democratic primary campaign.

[still_one]

7. I agree in most cases, but the exception was Gore. The economy, was doing great under Clinton, and

Gore choose to distance himself from Clinton, which strategically was probably a mistake, since the economy was doing so well

[still_one]

6. However, if he did run, he probably wouldn't mind continuing most of the other policies

set forth by the Obama administration, and hope there aren't that many single issue voters. Problem is labor, whether real or a myth, is a big part of his appeal, and this would be difficult for him.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

8. I have no problem standing with PBO on TPP and no problem standing with HRC against it.

It's not a deal breaker for me. I can see both sides of the issues. On 99% of the issues I only see one side.