President Barack Obama and South Korea's President Lee Myung-bak were in Detroit on Friday to promote the U.S.-South Korea trade pact that passed both chambers of Congress on Wednesday. The support of Detroit's Big Three automakers and the UAW has been widely credited with giving the trade agreement the momentum it needed to pass. It now only awaits Obama's signature to become official.
Detroit is gearing up to be a focal point in the 2012 presidential elections. Obama has used the recovery of the Big Three to promote his economic strategies and has frequently referred to Detroit as a city "on its way back." Friday's stop further augmented the city's rising national profile.
Why Detroit, why now?
The national unemployment rate was stuck at 9.1 percent for the fourth straight month in September, and Obama very much needs to look like he has a successful plan for putting Americans back to work. His much-hyped jobs plan was shot down by Senate Republicans last week, and if his new strategy to break it into more manageable pieces is to work, he needs the support of everyday Americans to put pressure on Congress.
Detroit has become a proving ground for Obama's economic strategy. The bailout of the auto industry in 2009 was a very unpopular move politically, coming so soon on the heels of the massive, and massively underwhelming bailout of the banks. The fact the auto industry bailout has appeared to work and that all three Detroit automakers -- GM, Ford, and Chrysler -- are back on their feet is a major win for Obama's camp.
What was the focus of the visit by Obama and President Lee?
Lee specifically chose to come to Detroit to personally reassure autoworkers that the new trade deal between the nations will not cost them their jobs. The pact was renegotiated from some of its initial provisions to put more protections in place for the American auto industry. Lee, and by extension Obama, needed to thank UAW workers for their support and rally them around the pact. The two carefully chose to visit GM's Orion plant to re-emphasize their dual and individual commitment to what they have promised will be genuinely free trade between the nations.
Will Detroit continue to maintain its higher national profile into 2012?
It's looking that way. Obama is very likely to use the dramatic turnaround of the American auto industry extensively in his re-election campaign, and will probably continue his new habit of stopping in to the city every so often to rally the unions and other would-be supporters.
The first lady appears to be joining in on the Detroit goodwill campaign as well. First lady Michelle Obama is now scheduled to make a trip to Detroit on Oct. 25. She is reportedly going to be participating in a fundraiser to benefit both her husband's reelection campaign and the efforts of other Democratic Party nominees.
Vanessa Evans is a musician and freelance writer based in Michigan, with a lifelong interest in politics and public issues.
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