Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hailed the Japan-U.S. agreement on goods trade — the talks on which he wrapped up with U.S. President Donald Trump and inked a joint statement in New York on Sept. 25 — as a "win-win" deal that benefits all the people of the two countries. However, the agreement is nothing short of a scheme to help Trump win farmers' votes in the U.S. Midwest and get re-elected next year. Indeed, the deal represents a loss for the people of both countries.
In a U.S. presidential race, the results of most states are largely known even before the vote, For example, California will vote for a Democrat candidate and Texas will go to the Republicans. What determines the race is the outcome in the 10 or so swing states, and many swing states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa are located in the Midwest.
Trump won the 2016 election by claiming that the U.S. was losing jobs because of unfair trade practices and won the support of steel and auto industry workers in the Midwest's Rust Belt. The Midwest is also home to the farming regions known as the Corn Belt. The president obviously hates to have farmers, traditionally Republican supporters, vote for Democrat candidates.
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