http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2585210Trump's potato gaffeBy DAVID FREDDOSO (@FREDDOSO) • 3/8/16 10:40 AM
Yesterday, a friend brought to my attention that Donald Trump, who never visited Idaho during this campaign, had tweeted this out in a last-ditch bid to snag another state.
Thank you Idaho! I love your potatoes- nobody grows them better. As President, I will protect your market. pic.twitter.com/kqx8un1jnw— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 7, 2016
This tweet makes me believe he's never visited Idaho in his life, and might not even be able to find it on a map. To be more precise, it illustrates once again how much Trump is willing to say without knowing even slightly what he's talking about.
Idaho potato farmers, like most other American farmers, benefit from free trade, and the freer the better. I'm not saying that because I believe in free trade — I'm saying it because farmers are usually its direct beneficiaries, the same way a group of steelworkers in a particular town might be the direct beneficiaries of a punitive tariff. When protectionists talk about sinister interests that support free trade, they're talking about people like the farmers Trump was trying to suck up to in his tweet.
The single trade policy that would benefit Idaho's potato farmers the most would be completely free trade with Mexico. Here's what the National Potato Council has to say on the matter:
"High tariffs, restrictive tariff-rate quotas, trade-distorting foreign subsidies, and scientifically unjustified phytosanitary restrictions can impede access for U.S. potato exports in some markets. Fair access to foreign markets and non-restrictive tariff levels are essential to the continued growth and prosperity of the potato industry."
The U.S. exports about 18 percent of its potato crop, and in Idaho that figure is probably even higher. Potato growers are not worried about competition from "cheap foreign potatoes." They do not want their market to be "protected" — what they want is for Congress to approve the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, so that they can sell more potatoes into Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea and other foreign countries.
No one expects Trump to be an expert on potatoes, but everyone should expect and demand that presidential candidates at least study issues on which they're going to make policy proclamations. On this and other issues, Trump knows nothing and feels very comfortable showing it at all times.
As a side note here, your average Idahoan does not farm potatoes, and finds the whole potato thing to be eyeroll-worthy. Comedian Dave Barry, who vacations in Idaho, jokes that "Famous Potatoes" was put on the state's license plates in order to discourage obnoxious East Coast people from visiting the Gem State.
If Trump had known anything about Idaho, he probably would have said something about fly fishing instead. If he'd known anything about Idaho potatoes, he probably would have confined himself to saying how delicious they are.
