We were suffering the growing unskilled labor migrations over the Mexican borders.  Clinton argued that we could shed our assembly line lower payed old economy type jobs over the border and see them replaced by the high income more rewarding jobs of the New Economy.  This would make Mexico a stronger economy reducing worker migrations while strengthening their ability to be consummers of American made New Economy products.

One of the most covered public debates on the issue took place on Larry Kings program in the form of a debate between Vice President Al Gore and Ross Perot.  Perot argued for the loss of jobs hurting American labor "The Great sucking sound of jobs to Mexico and abroad".  Gore deftly connected Perot's anti NAFTA position to the failed Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of the Hoover years that was a tariff protectionist bill that drove us even deeper into the great depression.  Gore even presented Perot a photo  of Smoot who looked strikingly like Ross Perot.  Gore also disclosed Perot's ownership of a new Dallas Airport Free Trade Zone that would be rendered valueless by Nafta.  These Free Trade Zones allowed partially completed components of products to be imported from abroad and by receiving its final minor piece of assembly would than be a completed product exempt from import tariff because it was techically made in America.

The Southern Democratic Senators 9many more than, than now) supported NAFTA because they had little interest in backing organized labor which was always weekest in the South due to state laws that favor right to work laws.  Democratic lawmakers outside the South were willing to jump on board because High Tech industries that were never viewed to be imperilled but in fact enhanced by the economic strengthening of Mexico who will be able to afford to buy their products and increase these jobs even more.

I was a big supporter of Bill Clinton in the 90's and I would support him again but I felt truly dupped by this NAFTA issue that so damaged organized labor and the working class of our country.  One point that Clinton has made in defense of his position is that an Al Gore administration would have had the time and support to insist on all the Environmental, Workplace Safety and Health Coverage aspects of the agreement being enforced.  This arguably would have leveled the playing field and corrected many of the flaws in the NAFTA agreement.