On Free Trade, conservatives opting against the system

WASHINGTON -- By a nearly two-to-one margin, Republican voters believe free trade is bad for the U.S. economy, a shift in opinion that mirrors Democratic views and suggests trade deals could face high hurdles under a new president.

The sign of broadening resistance to globalization came in a new Wall Street Journal-NBC News Poll
that showed a fraying of Republican Party orthodoxy on the economy.
While 60% of respondents said they want the next president and Congress
to continue cutting taxes, 32% said it's time for some tax increases on
the wealthiest Americans to reduce the budget deficit and pay for
health care.

Six in 10 Republicans in the poll agreed with a
statement that free trade has been bad for the U.S. and said they would
agree with a Republican candidate who favored tougher regulations to
limit foreign imports. That represents a challenge for Republican
candidates who generally echo Mr. Bush's calls for continued trade
expansion, and reflects a substantial shift in sentiment from eight
years ago.

"It's a lot harder to sell the free-trade message to
Republicans," said Republican pollster Neil Newhouse, who conducts the
Journal/NBC poll with Democratic counterpart Peter Hart. The poll comes
ahead of the Oct. 9 Republican presidential debate in Michigan
sponsored by the Journal and the CNBC and MSNBC television networks.

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