Why is President Obama pushing the TPP with every ounce of political muscle he possesses?

[TreasonousBastard]

5. I've been saying this since, well, forever...

The TPP has become one of those articles of faith and buzzwords within certain parts of the Left that do not understand the intricacies of trade, diplomacy, and regional power blocs. It is being blamed for our internal labor and rights issues that will actually be the worse without it. It is also being looked at as another aspect of American hegemony, which is apparently a bad thing.

China is enormous, and now a direct competitor to us. This is not new, or necessarily a bad thing, since we are dealing quite well with the EU, Japan, and S. Korea. Most people would say competition with them is working out quite well for everyone. China, however, is in the same place we were not along ago-- much larger than the competition and and able to simply push everyone around to get its way. They are pushing the competition to new, and dangerous, levels.

Let's say it is China's day, and they should be on the world's stage as a major player. Fine, but not at the expense of its neighbors, and not radically upsetting whatever we have achieved so far,