Why has the Obama campaign scrubbed his pro-globalization positions from his website?

[Maven]

Less than a month ago, the following paragraphs appeared on Obama's "Economy" issues page, praising globalization and even reflecting favorably on the trade policies of the Clinton administration:

Be a Tough Negotiator for Smart Trade Agreements: The process of globalization is bringing millions of people into the global economy, increasing the efficiency of resource allocation through stronger capital markets, raising productivity by putting new technologies to work, and exploiting efficiencies of integrated supply networks. But globalization also leaves some Americans behind as patterns of production change, jobs relocate, and wage pressures intensify. Barack Obama supports trade agreements that lower prices for American consumers while also opening up fair and competitive markets for the sale of American-made goods and services abroad. Obama will ensure that trade agreements include strong labor and environmental protections and that all Americans share the rewards of globalization. As president, he will lead a proactive strategy to make sure that those who lose their jobs to globalization have the tools and resources to find other work and share in the benefits of the global marketplace.

Promote American Businesses Abroad: Trade can create wealth and drive innovation through competition. Barack Obama supports a trade policy that ensures our goods and services are treated fairly in foreign markets. At the same time, trade policy must stay consistent with our commitment to promote improved labor and environmental practices. In its first six years, the Bush Administration has filed only 16 cases to enforce its rights under WTO agreements. This compares to 68 cases filed during the first six years of the Clinton Administration. President Bush has failed to address the fact that China has engaged in ongoing currency manipulation that undercuts US exports; that China fails to enforce US copyrights and trademarks and that some of our competitors create regulatory and tax barriers to the delivery and sale of technology goods and services abroad. Barack Obama will fight for fair treatment of our companies abroad.

I linked to those paragraphs on Obama's site here on January 30.

Yet now, just 20 days later, those pro-globalization positions are nowhere to be found on Obama's website. In fact, Obama's entire trade-related position statement has been reduced to three very short (and labor-friendly) paragraphs.

Just in case anyone doubts the original paragraphs came from Obama's site, here's part of the portion I just quoted posted on the same day I originally posted (Jan. 30) by an Obama supporter on barackobama.com:

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/jimbickerstaff/CGjHh

Here's the entire text reposted on Yahoo! Answers (scroll down to comment by "Danny Boy"):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080117134733AAnptcg

And again on sciforums (search for comment by user "Ganymede"):

http://www.sciforums.com/showthread.php?t=76900

So why did Obama eliminate references to his pro-globalization stands from his website pre-Wisconsin and Ohio? Could it be that industrial workers wouldn't be sympathetic to Obama's concern for "integrated supply networks" and "fair treatment of our companies abroad?" Or that they might not be comforted by Obama's promises that "those who lose their jobs to globalization have the tools and resources to find other work and share in the benefits of the global marketplace?"

[boston bean]

1. The man is a charade. Nothing else. nt

[Fovea]

2. In contrast

are you saying that I should consider Hillary an anti globalisation candidate?

What percentage would you give her likelihood to oppose NAFTA/CAFTA if elected?

[Maven]

9. Obama has NO PLANS to undo NAFTA.

At least his people had enough shame to leave that part in.

[rinsd]

16. Hillary voted against CAFTA.

[Benhurst]

3. Maybe Axelrod issued new marching orders.

:shrug: Or maybe Obama, himself, changed his mind.

[blm]

4. Probably getting ready to do what ALL NOMINEES DO - add best notions from other campaigns

like Edwards after he endorses him. Kerry added bits and pieces of other campaigns pet issues to his policies as a sign of respect for their campaigns and their supporters.

This is EXPECTED as part of unting a party after the primaries.

I thought you were more savvy about these things, HK, or are you just trying to pull one over on newer Dem activists?

[Maven]

7. What a weak answer.

Seems the only one trying to "pull something over" is Obama. In case you didn't notice, he didn't add anything, he just selectively retracted.

"This is EXPECTED as part of unting a party after the primaries."

The primaries aren't over yet. Try again.

[blm]

12. I disagree with you - preparing to incorporate some of Edwards' language, for instance

is exactly what he would be doing now.

And furthermore, I don't doubt that INTERNAL POLLS are showing Obama is NOT getting ahead of himself.

Deal with it.

[Maven]

13. Can you address the obvious concealment or not?

"And furthermore, I don't doubt that INTERNAL POLLS are showing Obama is NOT getting ahead of himself."

I can't even begin to decipher that statement.

[blm]

17. Heh - concealing or tweaking his position to accept language from another

candidate well-respected in that area?

Deal with it, HK. You know I'm right, you just can't admit it. And Internal Polls are showing Obama is NOT going to lose. Of COURSE, he'd be preparing to adapt language that was better than his original position. They ALL do.

[Maven]

21. Uh, no. But kudos for the creative BSing.

Edwards hasn't endorsed anyone, and one wouldn't need to "prepare" a website for an endorsement.

The only thing Obama's internal polling told him was that workers in Wisconsin and Ohio wouldn't be keen on "stronger capital markets." You deal with it--Obama is a shapeshifter who wants to be one thing one day and another thing the next to pander as he sees fit.

[blm]

26. Baloney - You're mistaking that for Bill and Hill 'always against the war' Clinton

And EVERY campaign tweaks their language over the ocurse of the campaign and especially at the point where they sit down with a former adversary (like Edwards) and agree to incorporate some of that language into the Dem campaign.

You really want to pretend otherwise, go ahead. YOUR game is silly.

[Maven]

27. "Tweaking," LOL. Nice spin.

Can you point out where Edwards' language has been incorporated?

[HeraldSquare212]

31. Hillary's website contains all of her positions?

[rinsd]

32. This is about removing and replacing info as opposed to omission.

I would be surprised if every single view of either candidate was contained on their respective websites.

But scrubbing info is not cool.

[HeraldSquare212]

35. So omitting information from the beginning is OK?

and you're sure there have been no changes in her website?

[rinsd]

38. That's not what I said.

Though omission of some glaring issue would certainly raise red flags.

"you're sure there have been no changes in her website?"

I don't monitor the site so much as use it for info so I couldn't tell you that.

[blm]

40. Like OMITTING her senate floor speech AGAINST Iraq withdrawal timetable in June2006.

Gee - why would she do that? Maybe because her fellow senator speaking against that timetable, Joe Lieberman, shortly after his speech lost his Dem primary race?

[rinsd]

5. Its all about Ohio and hiding his support for NAFTA.

[OzarkDem]

6. O-H-I-O

So he can make dodgy statements in his Ohio stump speeches about "jobs".

[John Q. Citizen]

8. Probably the same reason Hill is now trying to sound like a populist. Or the same reason Hill

won't release her tax returns.

You know, the only way Clinton is going to be the nominee is if she ignors the will of the voters, right?

She will not have the majority of elected delegates, that's almost a mathimatical impossibilty.

If Hill somehow finagles the nomination, you do realize what it means for the party as a whole, right?

Does that concern you, or do you just not care?

[juajen]

39. How many times do I have to defend her for not releasing

tax forms that are not required at this time, nor have they even been filed by their accountants. If other candidates have done this, they didn't have to and they must have had them prepared awfully fast.

[John Q. Citizen]

46. Hillary hasn't submitted a 2006 Tax Return? Does she think taxes are just for little people?

If she gets the nomination and McCain figures thgis out it all over.

I don't want to vote for a Senator that thinks she's above the law.

[Webster Green]

10. I gave him a call and straightened him out on this issue..

Got him to totally change his mind.

I ROCK!:patriot:

[ProgressIn2008]

11. Yep, it's about the rust belt.

I hadn't seen these earlier trade statements, actually, and found the bit about amending NAFTA. I thought it was a little light at the time, but I figured they didn't want to say too much and commit to anything.

Re: free trade expansion into Peru -

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/breaking-obama-says-he-w_b_67780.html

"Obama said he would vote for a Peruvian trade agreement next week, in response to a question from a man in Londonderry, NH who called NAFTA and CAFTA a disaster for American workers. He said he supported the trade agreement with Peru because it contained the labor and environmental standards sought by groups like the AFL-CIO, despite the voter's protests to the contrary. He also affirmed his support for free trade."

The voter's "protests to the contrary" are exactly right. The AFL-CIO does not support the bill expanding NAFTA into Peru, and the much-trumpeted labor/environmental standards leave enforcement up to the Bush administration, rather than empowering third parties to enforce them (like corporations have the power to enforce investor rights provisions in these same trade agreements). Leaving enforcement to the Bush administration -- or any administration -- is the biggest loophole possible. It is precisely why corporate lobbyists have bragged to reporters that the standards are not enforceable.

See also: Hamilton Project.

[Lucinda]

14. Thanks for the info! Boomarking to read tonight.

:hi:

[Tom Rinaldo]

15. Politics? Yup, I think so

He pulled his speech against going to war with Iraq off his web site during the 2004 Election also.

[OnionPatch]

18. Wow, guess I'm voting for Hillary, then.

Oops! I forgot.....She's an unapologetic free-trader who assures the Indians that our jobs will continue to be sent to them.

Looks like we have two choices here. At least Obama took down the free-trade accolades from his site.

[rinsd]

19. LOL praise for a candidate deceiving the public!

You do know that Obama & Hillary have the same position on H1B visas & outsourcing right?

[rodeodance]

22. if you have some time-whenever-can you pass me his position on outsoursing I

constantly read comments that HILL will outsourse and have nothing to say back. no rush-some say:-)

[rinsd]

25. They both support ending tax breaks for companies that outsource

And they both are for h1B visas.

Both seek to improve education so the h1B visa becomes a moot point.

[rodeodance]

45. thanks. have a good evening:-)

[OnionPatch]

23. My point was that they are the same.

Was the OP supposed to make me want to vote for Hillary instead? :shrug:

[Emit]

43. Lol!

spot on.

[Apollo11]

20. It would appear that John Edwards works in mysterious ways.

Maybe he has been hacking Barack's website? :eyes:

[rodeodance]

24. thanks

[jackson_dem]

28. Obama is morping on trade for Ohio. He will say anything to win.

His record on trade compared to his current rhetoric: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4585898

Obama ran to the right of Alan Keyes on NAFTA in 2004: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4656600#4656648

[Maven]

29. And voila! The motivation for Obama's little website "cleanup:"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x4665626

[golddigger]

30. Yeah that's right! You the man Harvey Korman.

:thumbsup:

[Emit]

44. Looks like they fell for it

NPR shows their exit polls at 60-40 in favor of Obama. He changed his website just in the nick of time. Phew.

[Emit]

33. Because it appears that was not Obama's info -- that was from the community blog at Obama's site

Are you sure you pulled that from his policy issues and not the Community blog?

http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/jimbickerstaff/CGjHh

Community Blogs Login | Register | Search Blogs

Post from Jim Bickerstaff's Blog:
Repeal NAFTA Now!
By Jim Bickerstaff - Jan 30th, 2008 at 1:52 pm EST
Also listed in: 6 groups

Comments | Mail to a Friend | Report Objectionable Content
Chess Players out there? I see checkmate. It is the subject most important to Americans. The Clintons are responsible for NAFTA and will have nowhere to hide anytime it is in the conversation. I suggest hitting this hard. Issues, issues, issues!

Be a Tough Negotiator for Smart Trade Agreements: The process of globalization is bringing millions of people into the global economy, increasing the efficiency of resource allocation through stronger capital markets, raising productivity by putting new technologies to work, and exploiting efficiencies of integrated supply networks. But globalization also leaves some Americans behind as patterns of production change, jobs relocate, and wage pressures intensify. Barack Obama supports trade agreements that lower prices for American consumers while also opening up fair and competitive markets for the sale of American-made goods and services abroad. Obama will ensure that trade agreements include strong labor and environmental protections and that all Americans share the rewards of globalization. As president, he will lead a proactive strategy to make sure that those who lose their jobs to globalization have the tools and resources to find other work and share in the benefits of the global marketplace.

~snip~
****************************


The "promote american businesses abroad trade can create wealth drive innovation through competition barack obama supports policy ensures our goods services treated fairly foreign markets same time must stay consistent ..." is still there:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/technology/

[Maven]

37. No, it *was* on his issues page - now it's gone.

I cited to the community blog merely to show that the original text was legitimate, as the Obama supporter who posted there copied and pasted from the same page on the same day.

[Emit]

41. I'm following you now Harvey

Thanks for clarifying

[Cameron27]

34. Good work !

K&R

[Alamom]

36. k&r

[HeraldSquare212]

42. That 'protect homeownership' is probably an addition, right?

Since that issue didn't hit big time till what, late last fall? Looks to me like changes happen all the time.

[Sapphocrat]

47. And I thought this kind of research was my specialty. LOL

Your work and power of observation never fail to amaze me, HK. I am truly humbled, and in awe. :patriot:

[eridani]

48. Because of Dennis Kucinich, and later John Edwards

--Obama has gotten a clue that his supporters don't care for deindustrialization. Clinton apparently agrees also.

This is what happens when you push from the bottom--keep doing it!