Can Kerry convince voters he will stop outsourcing?

[tobius]

"This is all just showboatin'," he said. "See this guy right here? You think he can really do anything about jobs going overseas? I don't think so. This trend didn't start the day George W. took office, it started decades before that. Same with the economy. You can't hang all its problems on Bush. The economy runs on its own cycles, no matter who's in there."

http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/8060202.htm
But even though Kerry declares that he knows "what's going on in the real America," and rails against the "Benedict Arnold CEOs" who have relocated offshore, the fine print in his stump speech suggests an awareness of the presidency's modest powers.
In Toledo the other day, he said that "we need to encourage" a humane corporate culture; that "we're going to demand" that corporations warn workers in advance of outsourcing decisions; that "we will insist" that tougher labor and environmental standards be written into future trade pacts.
In other words, he wouldn't be able to dictate anything. His proposals wouldn't stop the migration of jobs anyway, because the prime incentive for outsourcing - lower wages abroad - is impervious to presidential action. He's also a free-trader who voted in the Senate for all the major pacts, and he's not renouncing them now.<snip>

"... If a Democrat gets in and wants to change the tax code, how does he win over a Republican Congress, know what I mean?"
Maybe that's because of John Kerry's caveats. The other day in Ohio, while declaring that he'd "keep the good jobs we have here," Kerry also said it was important "to do it in a way that makes sense." Translation: let's not invite retaliation from our trading partners, because our consumers still want those "low-cost products" that we import from abroad.
This was a rare admission that he, like any other president, would heed the benefits of global trade. Those benefits abound, although neither the Democratic candidates, nor the Bush administration, have cited them lately. In South Carolina last month, Kerry and Edwards lamented the migration of textile jobs overseas, but rarely point out that BMW, the German carmaker, has been sending thousands of jobs to the state since the '90s, and the Spartanburg area has prospered as a result.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

1. I think he made it pretty clear that he would enforce

the portions of trade law that do have regulations concerning labor and environmental clauses which gives companies less incentives to outsource overseas. He can also tie incentives to jobs here and he FOR SURE will reinforce the ban on awarding contracts to companies that move their headquarters offshore to avoid taxes which means MORE MONEY in the system OR more domestic jobs since many companies that accept this practice also outsource...remember those Chinese Army caps?..and Clinton did this as well..so yes..he does have an effect on it.

He never said he would STOP it and no president can the way existing law is written, but a president can change the political will of the country and has the soap box to do it.

BTW although I am for reshaping NAFTA and other agreements, I believe in trade...FAIR trade.

[fearnobush]

2. ABB,XN Anybody But Bush, Except Nader.

Do you think Bush would do any better? ABB, XN

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

3. I don't think that matters so much. It is a valid question

and the president can offer incentives/ sanctions via executive order and can also twist the arm of congress to act since he has the bully pulpit and congress has some turnover every two years.

[Moderator]

4. Locking.

Wrong forum.