# The Andrew Yang Presidential Campaign thread
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555
**Category:** Politics & Elections
**Created:** [February 14, 2019, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555 "2019-02-14T21:16:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/21 "2019-02-15T16:33:30Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> Just give him a try, I’ll provide some clips so you don’t have to watch the entire interview if you don’t have time.
>
> Here;
>
> [Why Life Expectancy for Americans is Declining](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKpf3p1Dldg)
>
> [The Problem with “Free” College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMCsXq_mYw)
>
> [The Problem with “Free” College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-vSB6gQszY)
>
> [Bernie Sanders and the DNC | Joe Rogan & Andrew Yang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDJV0emoz5k)
>
> Exactly, he’s also written a book, [The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future](https://www.amazon.com/War-Normal-People-Disappearing-Universal/dp/0316414247)
In that six minute clip with Rogan, he’s already dead-on accurate about one thing: the collapse of mall-based and retail service-based employment. It’s already happening, and it will continue to happen. That, in turn, could also lead to some temporary disruption in commercial real estate, but that’s not really what he’s getting at. He’s talking about the ability of your average worker - many young, in school, trying to figure out their next step in life - to get a foothold in the job market. We can’t all become Uber or Lyft drivers and expect real wages, particularly when the goal is to automate cars, too.
---
### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/22 "2019-02-15T16:37:28Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> [The Bleak Impact of Automation |](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-vSB6gQszY) Should be the second link which says ‘Problem with free college’
He also made a good point in the disconnect between the government’s willingness to throw $50,000 -100,000 to support higher education when in reality many people will struggle to pay the loans back. If this week’s debt data is any indication, this is also becoming a reality for many 20- and 30-somethings.
> **[A record number of Americans are 90 days behind on their car payments](https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/12/a-record-number-of-americans-are-90-days-behind-on-their-car-payments.html)**
>
> As auto loan debt has soared, so has the number of people who can't pay, with the level of serious delinquencies rising to its highest level since just after the financial crisis.
Older and middle-age Americans will depend on younger labor for their retirement, their healthcare, and their public services. And these younger Americans are increasingly becoming debt-slaves.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/23 "2019-02-15T17:40:23Z")
**Ryan\_Liam** , he’s a crackpot. If he weren’t, he’d be running for the House instead of for the Presidency. The Presidency isn’t an entry-level position.
---
### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/24 "2019-02-15T19:54:56Z")
> [@](#):
>
> **Chronos**
> Ryan\_Liam, he’s a crackpot. If he weren’t, he’d be running for the House instead of for the Presidency. The Presidency isn’t an entry-level position.
He’s been to law school and worked in the Obama administration and has run a successful business. If we use the current POTUS as a benchmark, he’s got experience in spades.
Did you even watch any of the links? Back up your position.
---
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/25 "2019-02-15T20:13:52Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> He’s been to law school and worked in the Obama administration and has run a successful business. If we use the current POTUS as a benchmark, he’s got experience in spades.
>
> Did you even watch any of the links? Back up your position.
If we use the current POTUS as an example, you’ve lost your case.
---
### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/26 "2019-02-15T20:28:41Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> If we use the current POTUS as an example, you’ve lost your case.
No I haven’t.
If an incompetent buffoon can be President, or a mediocre Harvard graduate (Bush II) I think Andrew Yang is more than capable of being POTUS, considering that he’s a guy who graduated from Colombia Law school and got a Juris Doctor degree and a BA in economics from Brown university.
---
### Author:  [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/27 "2019-02-15T22:22:40Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> No I haven’t.
>
> If an incompetent buffoon can be President, or a mediocre Harvard graduate (Bush II) I think Andrew Yang is more than capable of being POTUS, considering that he’s a guy who graduated from Colombia Law school and got a Juris Doctor degree and a BA in economics from Brown university.
Bush II was governor of Texas. And he was still a monumental fuckup as president.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/28 "2019-02-15T22:47:06Z")
Yes, he would be a better President than Trump. That’s still not enough to take him seriously.
---
### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 15, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/29 "2019-02-15T23:57:18Z")
> [@Akaj](#):
>
> Bush II was governor of Texas. And he was still a monumental fuckup as president.
Yes exactly.
> [@](#):
>
> **Chronos**
> Yes, he would be a better President than Trump. That’s still not enough to take him seriously.
But Kamala Harris is a serious candidate? Where’s her policy platform other than being Hillary mark II? He’s not just an anti-Trump candidate. He’s actually got a well thought out, written up policy he wants to propose, which he has researched on. Did you even watch any of the links? Back up your position.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/30 "2019-02-16T03:07:46Z")
I didn’t critique his platform. It takes more than a platform to run for President.
---
### Author:  [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/31 "2019-02-16T04:15:41Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#):
>
> Just give him a try, I’ll provide some clips so you don’t have to watch the entire interview if you don’t have time.
>
> Here;
>
> [Why Life Expectancy for Americans is Declining](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKpf3p1Dldg)
>
> [The Problem with “Free” College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DMCsXq_mYw)
>
> [The Problem with “Free” College](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-vSB6gQszY)
>
> [Bernie Sanders and the DNC | Joe Rogan & Andrew Yang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDJV0emoz5k)
>
> Exactly, he’s also written a book, [The War on Normal People: The Truth About America’s Disappearing Jobs and Why Universal Basic Income Is Our Future](https://www.amazon.com/War-Normal-People-Disappearing-Universal/dp/0316414247)
Listened to the entire interview. He’s a sincere individual. I can best describe him as total catastrophe sprinkled with undeniable insights. His major policies are completely unworkable and he’s advocating for the single biggest tax increase in US history with his VAT.
That being said, he’s the only Dem running or near running that I could listen to for over an hour without cringing.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/32 "2019-02-16T05:03:06Z")
**Ryan\_Liam** , thanks for starting the thread. I’ve been watching Andrew Yang since he announced his candidacy. I’ve been watching all his interviews to get a better idea of what he’s trying to do.
He interviewed with Cenk at TYT.
[This 2020 Presidential Candidate Makes A TON Of Sense](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSS0J4GU9A0)
He debated with Ezra Klein, VOX.
[Is our economy totally screwed? Andrew Yang and I debate | The Ezra Klein Show](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfDpS5w3wUw)
He has a subreddit -
[YangForPresidentHQ](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/)
[Andrew Yang: Meet the 2020 Candidate I Fortune](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEH0aX4oiac) [youtube]
I like his idea on human-centered capitalism, along with the history of GDP and the problems of using GDP as a measure.
I like that he has a sense of humor and fun. He has a proposal to make tax day a fun day. [Making Taxes Fun](https://www.yang2020.com/policies/making-taxes-fun/) While that sounds silly and won’t likely be happening, it’s still a fun idea. Politics has become so hateful and deadly serious. It’s nice to see some light-heartedness from anyone.
I’m glad to see the interview with Joe Rogan because before that, his interviews were going nowhere. That interview seems to have given him some attention.
If nothing else, he’s putting in the legwork. He’s been in numerous interviews and sounds like he’s talking to a lot of people from all walks of life.
---
### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 6:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/33 "2019-02-16T06:04:51Z")
> [@Akaj](#):
>
> Bush II was governor of Texas. And he was still a monumental fuckup as president.
I’ve read that Governor of Texas is rather a _figurehead_ position. The one specific duty is to review clemency applications from death row — Bush used those reviews for his amusement.
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> **Ryan\_Liam** , he’s a crackpot. If he weren’t, he’d be running for the House instead of for the Presidency. The Presidency isn’t an entry-level position.
Crackpot? 😕 I know almost nothing about his candidacy, but assume he’s a highly intelligent man who knows his chance of winning the big job is zero _but wants to help his country by moving the “Overton window.”_ No?
---
### Author:  [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/34 "2019-02-16T10:39:51Z")
I think he’s on the leading edge of a curve that’s coming up fast, and he’s willing to put his bold ideas out there for review and even ridicule on the largest stage on the planet. I find that admirable. If you read up on him (I’ve been in the Yang camp for a few months) you’ll see he has created jobs all over the Rust Belt, and he’s seen up close how current retraining practices won’t be anywhere near enough to offset AI/automation-induced job losses. The economy is coming in for a seismic shift. Doing more of the same isn’t the answer.
---
### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/35 "2019-02-16T12:59:33Z")
I’m not normally one to advocate ‘disruptor’ candidates, but that ship has kinda already sailed. We live in a time of political disruption, and there’s probably no going back to the political ‘normalcy’ that existed for much of our lives. If we’re going to have a disruptor candidate, Andrew Yang seems like a force for good.
I don’t think he has a chance to win, but as many voters felt with Bernie Sanders in 2016, maybe he has a chance to get us thinking about politics and economics in new ways, and in ways that are constructive. So much of political news coverage these days is about the political horse race itself and the sausage making that goes into the legislative and executive process - news coverage needs to really get into the issues and I applaud Yang’s relentlessness in getting his candidacy going. And if Yang can’t get the mainstream media to take him seriously, then yeah, get on the Rogan podcast.
---
### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/36 "2019-02-16T13:07:30Z")
> [@septimus](#):
>
> I’ve read that Governor of Texas is rather a _figurehead_ position. The one specific duty is to review clemency applications from death row — Bush used those reviews for his amusement.
You could even say this about Barack Obama. Yes, he hadn’t even been a US Senator for 2 years before he started preparing for his presidential campaign. I think the important thing to assess is whether someone has the right ideas, the right character, and the right temperament for the job. And at least some understanding of how to build coalitions that can at least keep government functioning even at a time when there is crippling polarization.
It’s also important to note that unlike Howard Schultz, Andrew Yang takes himself seriously enough to run as a democrat and to compete with others in the Democratic party. He’s not some spoiled little punk who intends to disrupt the entire process if he can’t win the nomination of the main progressive party. He’s not some pseudo-democrat who merely caucuses with Democrats and then wants to hijack the party.
---
### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/37 "2019-02-16T15:13:51Z")
> [@](#):
>
> Quoth **septimus** :
>
> Crackpot? I know almost nothing about his candidacy, but assume he’s a highly intelligent man who knows his chance of winning the big job is zero but wants to help his country by moving the “Overton window.” No?
OK, “crackpot” maybe isn’t the right word. I’m not sure what the right word would be, but in any event, he can’t be serious about actually trying to become President (though you’re right that he might, in fact, be serious about getting discussion going on some issues and shifting the Overton window).
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/38 "2019-02-16T16:32:26Z")
> [@septimus](#):
>
> I’ve read that Governor of Texas is rather a _figurehead_ position. The one specific duty is to review clemency applications from death row — Bush used those reviews for his amusement.
I think that might be overstating it. It’s considered a weak governor but he still makes some meaningful appointments and due to curiosities of the Texas system, it’s very difficult to override a governor’s veto there. That being said, everyone knows the Lt Governor is the more powerful position…
---
### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/39 "2019-02-16T17:10:21Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> OK, “crackpot” maybe isn’t the right word. I’m not sure what the right word would be, but in any event, he can’t be serious about actually trying to become President (though you’re right that he might, in fact, be serious about getting discussion going on some issues and shifting the Overton window).
[It’s not like it hasn’t been seriously considered before](https://www.themonthly.com.au/blog/rutger-bregman/2017/27/2017/1493250489/bizarre-tale-president-nixon-s-basic-income-plan)
---
### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 16, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/40 "2019-02-16T17:33:38Z")
Here is his audiobook ‘the war on normal people’
[![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC25cPvp4zg)
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