Hillary Clinton hasn’t given her opinion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement yet. Although she supported it while Secretary of State that’s no guarantee she’ll support it now. The one thing I think we should agree on is that wherever she eventually lands on it, it will be calculated. Ruth Marcus makes a prediction:
History suggests she will duck. And also that, after much hemming and hawing on Clinton’s part; after pundits like me pouncing on her evasiveness and inconsistency; after incessant pounding from interest groups and activists, Clinton will end up opposing the deal.
That would be the worst of all worlds — which is, all too often, exactly where Clinton finds herself.
Ms. Marcus herself is an enthusiastic supporter of the agreement. I might be, too, if I knew what was in it. I won’t support a trade agreement for the sake of a trade agreement or because the president supports it. I’ll make my evaluation on the merits which illustrates why I’m not a politician.
