1. If Trump is the only anti-TPP nominee, then he has a strong chance to beat Hillary.Reasons: TPP, besides featuring its own bad policy and worse (democracy-evading) politics, also has become the most visible pending issue that is not only substantively provocative of particular criticism and anger, but also symbolic of broader establishment abuse of little people, and provocative of their feeling that angry push-back should prioritize other political concerns.
2. Now is Obama’s last chance to address TPP in a way that helps Hillary and hurts Trump.Reasons: Now, an Obama pivot on TPP could be framed as a concession to Democratic primary election controversy about this issue, ideally including a hat-tip to Bernie and his supporters, and of course a less persuasive nod to Hillary’s stated “opposition”. Later, as Trump solidifies his grip on Republican nomination, especially if Bernie’s path to Democratic nomination is fully blocked, then any such pivot will be seen by everybody as a concession to, and desperate attempt to save Hillary from, Trump’s appeal.
3. What to do? (a) At least: promise not to allow TPP approval by a lame duck session of Congress. (b) What else? Commenters please have at it. (So many aspects of our politics are so distorted now that stand-alone improvements are hard to find).
4. Bonus points: (a) The next President (and the one after) would find it easier to govern after McConnell, Ryan and their ilk had been forced to choose between their voters and their donors on this issue in a less democracy-evading way. (b) Hillary and every future officeholder and candidate would see (more clearly than from a tough primary contest in isolation) that the power of special interest money in politics can occasionally ebb, instead of only flow.
