# 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:** 21
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/401 "2019-05-02T03:13:34Z")
Why can i not shake the feeling that something is not right about having billionaires receive an additional $1000/month with the implementation of Yang’s UBI proposal but a low-income disabled person whose income prior to UBI is funded primarily by a $700/month stipend in disability benefits, that person will only see an additional $300/month with the implementation of Yang’s proposal? Are there elements that i am missing? It seems like those that need the most are getting the least.
---
### Author:  [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/402 "2019-05-02T03:46:21Z")
I think it’s a good idea for this kind of thing not to involve a whole bureaucracy deciding on a case-by-case basis who is eligible.
Keep in mind that the billionaire will be paying much more than $1,000 extra per month to pay for the UBI.
---
### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/403 "2019-05-02T03:55:13Z")
No **Ambi** you’ve got it. It’s a regressive redistribution funded by a tax that disproportionately impacts the poorest the most. (The regressivity of VAT as a funding source has been covered ad nauseum by now.)
Meanwhile [Rasmussen/HarrisX poll](https://scottrasmussen.com/crosstabs-april-27-28/) with Yang polling at 0% (3/741). He _is_ becoming a more _well known_ entity: the “never heard of” is down to 39%. Unfortunately for him as people form opinions “unfavorable” is catching up on “no opinion”, now 21% unfavorable with 8% “very unfavorable” and 13% “somewhat”, compared to 28% no opinion, and the quite lagging only 13% "favorable’ (10% “somewhat” and 3% very).
[Quinnipiac](https://poll.qu.edu/national/release-detail?ReleaseID=2617) has him overall at 1% - statistically pretty much all men and mostly conservative men.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 5:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/404 "2019-05-02T05:23:40Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#):
>
> I think it’s a good idea for this kind of thing not to involve a whole bureaucracy deciding on a case-by-case basis who is eligible.
That idea is a lot more powerful if it removes some of that bureaucracy, rather than run in parallel with it which is Yang’s proposal.
> [@](#):
>
> Keep in mind that the billionaire will be paying much more than $1,000 extra per month to pay for the UBI.
Some billionaires might but it’s a reach for most millionaires. To break even on the VAT, the government needs you to purchase $120,000 in goods and services per year (@$1000/month,10%VAT).
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/405 "2019-05-02T06:19:20Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#):
>
> I think it’s a good idea for this kind of thing not to involve a whole bureaucracy deciding on a case-by-case basis who is eligible.
>
> Keep in mind that the billionaire will be paying much more than $1,000 extra per month to pay for the UBI.
You’ve surprised me (in a good way) several times recently.
You may be right about the ‘like’ button. I’m not a fan of that for a lot of reasons, but if this place had one, I’d add one to your post.
This thread is also selling me on the idea of upvotes.
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/406 "2019-05-02T06:27:57Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#):
>
> I think it’s a good idea for this kind of thing not to involve a whole bureaucracy deciding on a case-by-case basis who is eligible.
>
> Keep in mind that the billionaire will be paying much more than $1,000 extra per month to pay for the UBI.
Why can’t that $1,000/month be regardless of income or source of income? Would it be unsustainable in that scenario? Why can Joe Smith pulling in $500 a month in disability receive a free and clear $1000 on top of that paltry disability-related assistance? It seems like they are being hammered for being unable to work. Why should an assistance program based on disability eligibility eat in to a proposed UBI that makes no income restrictions for literally ANYONE else, including some of the richest people in the world?
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/407 "2019-05-02T07:45:41Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> Why can’t that $1,000/month be regardless of income or source of income? Would it be unsustainable in that scenario? Why can Joe Smith pulling in $500 a month in disability receive a free and clear $1000 on top of that paltry disability-related assistance? It seems like they are being hammered for being unable to work. Why should an assistance program based on disability eligibility eat in to a proposed UBI that makes no income restrictions for literally ANYONE else, including some of the richest people in the world?
Here’s some calculations [someone did](https://www.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/biem0k/for_everyone_questioning_the_math_of_the_freedom/) about the Freedom Dividend on Reddit:
> [@](#):
>
> Freedom Dividend Costs:
>
> ```
> U.S Population - 327.2 million
>
> Over 18 percent (77.4%) - 253.2 million
>
> Citizen percent (93%) - 235.5 million
>
> ```
>
> Headline Cost (235.5 million \* $12,000/year)- 2.82 trillion
>
> Freedom Dividend funding
>
> ```
> 10% VAT- 800 billion
>
> Welfare overlap (Social Security disability + other welfare) - 534 billion
>
> Rest of social security overlap - 897.8 billion
>
> Economic growth - 600 billion
>
> Reduced poverty expenses - 200 billion
>
> Carbon fee - 100 billion
>
> Financial Transaction Tax - 50 billion
>
> Carried interest loophole - 18 billion
>
> ```
>
> Total 3.2 Trillion
>
> Funding picture (funding - cost) - 3.2T - 2.82 T = 380 billion surplus
Without the reduction for benefits that are already being paid, there would need to be an additional roughly $1.4T that would need to be accounted for.
But let’s say that were possible. The bank bailout was supposed to have been $4T and that somehow got funded. Maybe funds could be moved from something else.
Let’s say that money wasn’t an issue. I don’t think it would bother me, but wouldn’t some people be concerned that there would be a bunch of people who would apply for more benefits so they could get both? ISTM that there are already a lot of people who are upset that some people are getting benefits at all. Wouldn’t there be even more upset people if some people got two servings of government benefits?
That said, Yang has [said](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1117570493207465985) that he would help people who might be affected by the [regressive nature of the VAT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q68LIJh4MQ), like those people who opted out of the UBI but are on a fixed income. If they can structure the VAT correctly, taxing the luxury goods over the necessities, that might also help to correct for some of the issues. If they can structure the VAT correctly and help people who might be adversely affected by it, that might alleviate the issue of people on benefits getting less.
---
### Author:  [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/408 "2019-05-02T08:34:05Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> Let’s say that money wasn’t an issue. I don’t think it would bother me, but wouldn’t some people be concerned that there would be a bunch of people who would apply for more benefits so they could get both? ISTM that there are already a lot of people who are upset that some people are getting benefits at all. Wouldn’t there be even more upset people if some people got two servings of government benefits
Thank you for your detailed response. This gives me a clearer picture of the proposal. I just wanted to comment on this. Are you suggesting that it is _politically_ untenable because if the perception arose that he was helping out those ‘freeloaders’ ‘living high off the hog on the government’s dime’ he would lose critical votes? Its not “two servings” tho. These people include those who literally depend on that disability assistance for subsistence. A program that promises a benefit of $1000/month should not be affected by anything. Ideally, at least. If they weren’t disabled, already at a societal disadvantage, they wouldn’t need that pittance from the government meant to offset that disadvantage (however slight that offset is). The money meant to offset those disadvantages should reset the meter to 0.00 for these folks. After all, by offsetting a disadvantage, you shore up need. And those disabled folk who are currently getting disability benefits and not much else are some of the most in need of that $1000/month. I understand the realities of the matter and why it is designed the way it is. But consider me a definite non-Yang supporter.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/409 "2019-05-02T08:54:44Z")
> [@Ambivalid](#):
>
> But consider me a definite non-Yang supporter.
I’m not surprised.
But would you be a Yang supporter if the plan was the $1,000/mo above the other government benefits programs?
---
### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/410 "2019-05-02T14:54:20Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> Here’s some calculations [someone did](https://www.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/biem0k/for_everyone_questioning_the_math_of_the_freedom/) about the Freedom Dividend on Reddit:
>
> Without the reduction for benefits that are already being paid, there would need to be an additional roughly $1.4T that would need to be accounted for.
>
> But let’s say that were possible. The bank bailout was supposed to have been $4T and that somehow got funded. Maybe funds could be moved from something else.
>
> Let’s say that money wasn’t an issue. I don’t think it would bother me, but wouldn’t some people be concerned that there would be a bunch of people who would apply for more benefits so they could get both? ISTM that there are already a lot of people who are upset that some people are getting benefits at all. Wouldn’t there be even more upset people if some people got two servings of government benefits?
>
> That said, Yang has [said](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1117570493207465985) that he would help people who might be affected by the [regressive nature of the VAT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q68LIJh4MQ), like those people who opted out of the UBI but are on a fixed income. If they can structure the VAT correctly, taxing the luxury goods over the necessities, that might also help to correct for some of the issues. If they can structure the VAT correctly and help people who might be adversely affected by it, that might alleviate the issue of people on benefits getting less.
The cited numbers there are a bit off. Remember we ran them [here](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=21521676&postcount=235), with believable sources.
Cost is estimated by most to be $3T at the lowest with most estimating $3.8T, not $2.8T
A broad-based 10% VAT (which would be very regressive in its impact) would raise not $800B but maybe $500B.
Predictions of economic growth and reductions of poverty savings are a bit of handwaving trickledown style magical thinking. Leave it as quite debatable.
The shortfall is much worse than that “someone did” some calculations would suggest. Even with the elimination major benefit programs (such as disability, retirement & social security, welfare, and unemployment benefits) it’s a $1T/yr shortfall.
Narrow the VAT so it is of less severe regressivity and of course the funding side drops down dramatically. Reduce the regressivity of the benefit side, same.
Yang’s proposal includes imposing regressive new consumer taxes on the poorest while keeping their benefits static and giving new benefits, as big as the poorest get for need, to the wealthiest. He presents it as things it clearly is not and that he surely knows is what it is not and he claims the numbers add to what simple math shows they do not.
Look I’d love it if he got up to a few percent of support as I personally would prefer many other choices to Sanders and Yang is more likely to draw from that pool than anywhere else. He won’t. Still the ideas he proposes are bad ideas that are more trickledown repackaged than anything else, trying to sell everyone that there is free money for everyone, or implying incorrectly that Amazon and such will pay for it.
Some of his supporters are just repeating false information that he is selling. When he says those things, knowing better, he is lying. That has to be called out.
---
### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [May 2, 2019, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/411 "2019-05-02T15:54:57Z")
> [@DSeid](#):
>
> Some of his supporters are just repeating false information that he is selling. When he says those things, knowing better, he is lying. That has to be called out.
Yes. The budgeting shortfall is what I would normally consider standard political bullshittng but pretending his VAT is a tax on big tech companies is over the line.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 4, 2019, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/412 "2019-05-04T21:19:18Z")
Last night’s (5/3/19) Seattle [rally](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRGftIedNLg) was amazing. The RSVP on Facebook wasn’t that high the day before, so I wasn’t expecting to see a [big](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1124481525888606208) [crowd](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1124673930835271680). But the [reporter](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1124562590380617728) who covered it said it was [estimated](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-3FD5X7fSQ) to be 3,000. I’m not good at estimating those things, but it was a crowd that looked almost as large as LA’s rally. The crowd was pumped up more than the LA crowd. I watched (on livestream) as Yang was going through the crowd at the entrance. He didn’t realize how large the crowd was until he got to the stage, so you could tell he wasn’t prepared to see that many people.
The guy who introduced Yang at the rally was Dan Price, the CEO of Gravity Payments, who gave his employees a minimum wage of $70K/yr while cutting his own salary from $1M to $70K to fund it. He got [backlash](https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/gravity-payments-minimum-salary.html) for it. That was back in 2015. He says his company is doing well now. It’s truly amazing how mad some people get when other people get more even if they’re unaffected.
I just looked up the story. At the rally, Price mostly talked about the babies that were being born to employees and how an employee was able to buy a new house in Washington state. His business increased as well, according to [wiki](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Price).
> [@](#):
>
> The company processed $3.4 billion in payments in 2014 and $10.2 billion in 2018
From reading the articles on what happened, some companies started to change their policies toward more income inequality, but some people were really upset that it was upsetting the status quo.
I can see why Price is supporting Yang and how their efforts have a common bond.
The Boston Globe has an [update](https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/new-hampshire/2019/05/03/updated-our-primary-rankings-and-there-new-frontrunner/cTA3STmZQoApt4jUbtpJdI/story.html)d New Hampshire front runner list. It’s behind a paywall but the [comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bkcgwr/weve_updated_our_nh_primary_rankings_and_theres_a/) on the subreddit says that Yang is 8th on the list.
On the policy side, there’s a recent study that shows that economic policies can reduce the number of suicide deaths. While this isn’t exactly the same as the Freedom Dividend, it might apply equally since people getting more money seems to help.
[Can Economic Policies Reduce Deaths of Despair?](https://www.nber.org/papers/w25787)
> [@](#):
>
> Our estimates suggest that increasing both the minimum wage and the EITC by 10 percent would likely prevent a combined total of around 1230 suicides each year.
On the fun side, yesterday, Yang was setting up the #maythe4th. . . be with you and Star Wars stuff. The [icon](https://www.yang2020.com/) on his website brandished a laser saber. The guy who created it told me that something even more cool was coming today. He didn’t tell me what it was, so maybe it was this [video](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1124730378252582913) of Yang with a Star Wars theme.
I really enjoyed Yang’s recent [newsletter](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bjxmld/trust_the_process_recent_newsletter_from_yang/) where he writes a bit about the behind the scenes things that go on in a campaign and his feelings about them. He starts out by talking about the behaviors that are required to create a campaign, like going to TV studios, putting on make-up and saying positive things about the campaign. While those are necessary, there are other parts too.
> [@](#):
>
> I’ve said in various forums that I don’t much care for the actual job of being a politician. It’s true. I think one of the reasons we despair for our future is that politicians traffic in certain behaviors and get rewarded for them. There is little need for deep thought or consideration. We lurch from press release to press release, from cable news appearance to cable news appearance, from speech to speech, with the constant buzz of our approval and popularity in the background. And money is tied to that approval. At first, I was horrified that how many social media follows I got was now a key deliverable. I was like, “I’m a grown man now evaluating myself like an eighth-grader.” (Eighth Grade was a good movie.)
>
> But I adapted. Because I have a job to do.
>
> We all do.
>
> I will do what it takes to get this job done. We are off to a tremendous start thanks to all of you. We have the capacity to change the course of our country for the better. But I need your help.
He talked about how he’s an introvert and how that makes it surprising that someone like him could be running for President.
Yang is in Detroit today doing another rally. He’s [joking](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1124670711077920768) about doing an 8-mile re-eanactment there.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2019, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/413 "2019-05-09T03:08:28Z")
Whoa. I tuned into a livestream rally several days ago on 5/5. I’m getting addicted to watching these [rallies](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5gUes-m8pc)online live. I looked at the crowd and thought they were replaying an old video from LA or Seattle. It was a rally in Minneapolis, MN. I was expecting some people in a mall or something. The crowd size rivaled Seattle’s crowd. The crowd enthusiasm matched or beat Seattle’s enthusiasm. It wasn’t until Yang mentioned Minneapolis that I realized I was watching the right crowd. Only 600 people RSVPed for this event. If Seattle’s crowd was in the thousands, this must have been at least as big.
Where are these people coming from? The subReddit has 17K subscribers, twitter has 260K followers. I don’t have Facebook, so maybe they’re from there. But even his online presence wouldn’t make me think that this amount of people would show up for his rallies.
When I see the numbers of people at these rallies, I’m reminded of how the campaign is growing all the time. [Here’s](https://reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bky6sa/humanity_tour_recap_so_far/) a collage of his rallies to date.
I’m also seeing some fun stories from people who have been to these rallies. It’s really heartwarming to see people happy about something. Here’s a guy from the Detroit rally taking a selfie with Yang. [Met Yang at the Detroit Rally yesterday. Got to go on stage and everything!](https://reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bkyao0/met_yang_at_the_detroit_rally_yesterday_got_to_go/)
Here’s another story that goes with a picture. [Thank you, Andrew, for giving me the opportunity to make the world a better place.](https://reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bkxahj/thank_you_andrew_for_giving_me_the_opportunity_to/)
> [@](#):
>
> At the end of our fundraising event, I walked Andrew to his car. I wanted to thank him for coming. Before I could, he put his arm around me and said, “Thanks, Bill, for hosting such a great event!”
>
> I put my arm around him as well. I knew it was my opportunity to tell Andrew how much I appreciated him. These are the words that came out of my mouth, “Thank you for giving me an opportunity to make the world a better place. As a kindergarten teacher, I get to wear a cape to work. I know that I am making a difference in my school and my community. Now, I get to make an impact on our country and possibly the world.”
>
> It was one of those moments when your words give you goosebumps as you talk; a moment when your voice starts to crackle a little as your heart expands into your throat. I was able to compose myself.
>
> I finished with, “We are all behind you 100%!”
>
> I got a “Thanks, Bill!” One of those sincere thank you‘s that only Andrew and authentic people can offer.
>
> This past Thursday was a very important moment in my life. Thank you, Andrew. Thank you.
And[another one](https://twitter.com/Pulaski_Fizz/status/1124498153007304704) with a guy wearing a t-shirt that says, “Born before the internet” with a picture of a dinosaur on it.
> [@](#):
>
> Just met @AndrewYang here in Seattle. He was spectacular. I even got my hat signed.
Nice article in the Washington Post. [The Technology 202: Andrew Yang says Uber, Lyft protests show why it’s urgent Democrats debate future of work](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-technology-202/2019/05/08/the-technology-202-andrew-yang-says-uber-lyft-protests-show-why-it-s-urgent-democrats-debate-future-of-work/5cd1c3c61ad2e506550b2f98/?utm_term=.5e15cd8c6d62&noredirect=on). It’s in response to the Uber/Lyft protests.
> [@](#):
>
> “We need to stop living in a fantasy land where we think these companies are supposed to treat us like family members and employ us for years,” Yang said in an interview. “Their incentives are in the opposite direction.”
> . . .
> Sarah Ford, a spokeswoman for his campaign, told me in a statement. “Bernie understands when the United States has strong protections for unions, we have a strong middle class.”
>
> But Yang warned that giving drivers collective bargaining rights would only be “one piece of the puzzle.” He said unions have weakened over the past 50 years, and that alone would not solve the drivers’ problems.
> . . .
> “It’s very hard to turn back the clock,” Yang told me in an interview. “We have to stop pretending it’s the 1960s.”
Considering that Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post and runs Amazon, the company Yang continually talks about in his stump speech, the idea that The Washington Post would write a positive piece on Yang might be considered strange. But the rally in Seattle showed that a lot of people from Amazon back Yang. It’s been written that Amazon employees know they’re working to find ways to work themselves out of a job. Maybe the people at The Washington Post are in the same camp.
An entire piece of Stephen Colbert mocking Yang’s campaign. [Doin’ It Donkey Style: Andrew Yang](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkxk8Omlz3c)
Another trucker for Yang. [“I’m a Staunch Republican… I’m Willing to Give Him a Shot” | Andrew Yang for President](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=UFZBPf3RkvE)
Brett Baier on Fox News did an interview with Yang. It was a nice [interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlCLuI-RmUo). It gave a chance to answer to the Colbert piece about the Powerpoint! chant. Yang’s rallies have turned into interactive participation. When Yang talks about changing the measurements on which success will be built and measured, the crowd chants Powerpoint. It gives a sense that people who show up to those rallies know what the campaign is about before they show up.
Another Yang [newsletter](https://www.yang2020.com/blog/the-campaign-as-family/). This one’s cute. It has a picture of Yang and his campaign manager sharing a meal out of a styrofoam container in the front seat of a car. He analogizes his campaign team to a family. His campaign manager is the dad. Even though Yang is a dad, CEO and head of the campaign, within that structure, he considers himself to be playing the role of the baby.
> [@](#):
>
> So then I said, “Wait a minute. If Zach is the Dad of this family, what am I?”
>
> And then it dawned on me—I’m the baby.
>
> I realized a bunch of things very quickly:
>
> ```
> People are taking care of me all of the time.
> Staffers have my favorite foods around.
> If I get in a bad mood, everyone around me suffers.
> My schedule determines everyone else’s.
> Others are grooming me, sometimes several times a day.
>
> ```
>
> The parallels were eerie. Zach is the patient Dad. Carly, the energetic sister. Luke is the quiet son. And I am the kid around which the world revolves.
Yang will be in New Hampshire through the weekend with multiple events there. Then they’re hoping for a large rally in New York next week.
---
### Author:  [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)
#### Post date: [May 9, 2019, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/414 "2019-05-09T03:28:33Z")
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> … When I see the numbers of people at these rallies, I’m reminded of how the campaign is growing all the time. …
Yeah! The latest polling has him _surging_ to 1%!!!
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2019, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/415 "2019-05-10T22:23:54Z")
Yang has been in New Hampshire, doing a lot of smaller venues.
He’s had some good press in the last couple days.
This Washington Post article is a nice (and positive) summary of his campaign. [Who is that guy? Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign draws crowds, money and an expected spot on the Democratic debate stage.](https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/who-is-that-guy-andrew-yangs-presidential-campaign-draws-crowds-money-and-an-expected-spot-on-the-democratic-debate-stage/2019/05/09/c1bf788c-6c5e-11e9-8f44-e8d8bb1df986_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.dd69e5f1fcd2)
> [@](#):
>
> Yang is barely a blip in most national polls, where his support ranks between 1 and 3 percent.
>
> But Yang has become something of a below-the-radar phenomenon in the crowded field of candidates vying for the Democratic presidential nomination. Some candidates far better known than him have been struggling to catch fire on social media and are playing to smaller audiences; Yang has been packing in some of the largest crowds in the race — an estimated 3,000 in San Francisco; 2,000 in Los Angeles; and 2,500 in Seattle, where he paused the rally to point out a pair of bald eagles soaring overhead.
> . . .
> Yang hasn’t yet assembled a traditional political infrastructure. His staff, mostly people in their 20s and early 30s who are new to politics, numbers fewer than a dozen. But his online army of support has elevated his profile immeasurably.
> . . .
> Indeed, Yang’s crowds are notable for their diversity. Darrin Lowery, a 51-year-old social worker from Chicago, turned out after hearing Yang make his pitch to black voters on “The Breakfast Club” radio show.
> . . .
> Andy Stern, a former president of the Service Employees International Union who is friendly with Yang, cautioned that Yang needs “a breakout moment.”
>
> “I don’t think people are looking at Andrew yet and say he’s someone who can win,” said Stern, who, like Yang, is an evangelist for a universal basic income.
This article is really positive. Yang’s crowds are diverse in a lot of ways, but not so much in others. The political diversity seems high. Just judging by how people look, the income levels look represented. But race and gender diversity aren’t ideal. . . yet. But it’s nice to see a positive article. And importantly, the article is from Iowa. Hopefully, that helps in Iowa.
The actual [rally numbers](https://twitter.com/Zach_Graumann/status/1125470570412486657) from Yang’s campaign manager:
> [@](#):
>
> Official Humanity First Tour crowd counts:
>
> Austin: 700
> San Francisco: 3,000
> Chicago: 1,000
> Boston: 800
> Atlanta: 1,500
> Los Angeles: 3,000
> Las Vegas: 500
> Des Moines: 300
> Seattle: 4,000
> Detroit: 650
> Minneapolis: 1,000
Some [comments](https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/silver-bulletpoints-the-4-meta-messages-of-the-2020-campaign/) from Nate Silver:
> [@](#):
>
> Andrew Yang: A blend of Liberal Policy Wonk — although not all his policies are super liberal — and Outsider.
> . . .
> And maybe Yang is sui generis enough to belong in his own category.
The news in New Hampshire is reporting that his events in NH are moving the needle some. [Yang presidential campaign starts to register in NH polls](https://www.wmur.com/article/yang-presidential-campaign-starts-to-register-in-nh-polls/27425149)
Another great interview with Tucker Carlson. [Yang: Amazon needs to pay their fair share](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lF17Wy3keRo) Tucker was positive and promoted Yang’s ideas. The comment section of the video was mostly positive.
I have to admit that I was dismayed by how dismissive Colbert was toward Yang in the monologue a couple nights ago. People are saying that all publicity is good, so it’s all good. But it wasn’t just that he was joking, it was that his jokes missed the point. Happily, Yang’s PR mgr. just [announced](https://twitter.com/kimra/status/1126914784333406209) Yang is now booked on Colbert right before the debates. At least he’ll have a quick chance to make his case.
The YangGang is trying very hard to get Andrew on The Hot Ones. They were trying to get the producers’ attention when they were doing a live AMA on reddit the other day.
I was listening to [this interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=3493&v=DbhwtgP4xF4) on New Hampshire Public Radio and thinking about how people calling in seem to think they’re the first person to think of a question that’s been asked dozens, maybe hundreds of times before. It’s sort of like watching a long-running TV show and someone asking a question about it you’re heard so many times before like they’re the first to think of it. I admire Yang’s ability to patiently explain the same thing for the umpteenth time with enough respect for the person like it was the first.
[Street art](https://twitter.com/MarkRJB/status/1126859385706360832)of Yang in Washington, DC.
Just randomly, I was looking at the funding of the 2020 candidates on [opensecrets](https://www.opensecrets.org/2020-presidential-race). Just noticed that the candidates who don’t have outside money are also not getting much media. Could be a cause or an effect. The correlation isn’t 100%.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 14, 2019, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/416 "2019-05-14T05:30:27Z")
There was some good press from this weekend’s New Hampshire meetings. Yang was joined by Steve Marchand, who is an ex-mayor of a city in New Hampshire and Yang’s senior advisor. From Steve Marchand’s [twitter](https://twitter.com/marchandsteve/status/1127124411495124992):
> [@](#):
>
> .@AndrewYang is “starting to catch lightning in a bottle”, according to the Concord Monitor - everywhere we went, I heard the same thing: “Now I get why you like him so much.” The #YangGang is growing quickly across N.H.! #nhpolitics
From the [article](https://www.concordmonitor.com/John-Delaney-Andrew-Yang-Beto-O-Rourke-Kirsten-Gillibrand-Cory-Booker-Michael-Bennet-Joe-Biden-Kamala-Harris-campaign-in-NH-25467440) he’s referencing:
> [@](#):
>
> Yang, once the longest of long-shots for the nomination, has been generating some buzz over the past month.
> . . .
> While Yang is just starting to capture some lightning in a bottle,
Another nice article from New Hampshire: [Decoding the Vibe: Make America What Again, Andrew Yang?](http://indepthnh.org/2019/05/11/decoding-the-vibe-make-america-what-again-andrew-yang/)
> [@](#):
>
> Make America Think Again. His vibe is hopeful, prepared and potentially amazing. I may have to get that hat and join the Yang Gang.
In the meantime, there are some interesting one-off positive comments. Adam Corolla talked about Yang in his [podcast](https://adamcarolla.com/blogs/podcast-archive/todd-garner) very favorably. It starts at 10:41 on part 2 of the 5/13/19 podcast. Corolla liked the VAT idea that he saw on Tucker Carlson.
On Bill Maher, Matt Lewis [mentioned](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bn9f59/matt_lewis_mentioned_andrew_on_real_time_with/) Yang. Maher was asking Lewis who he planned to vote for. Lewis said that he wouldn’t vote for Trump or Biden. He mentioned Yang but then noted he could decide not to vote and still complain about the outcome. Maher mentioned that Yang was on the schedule in June for his show.
The Washington Post also had a [podcast](https://www.washingtonpost.com/podcasts/post-reports/the-state-legislatures-trying-to-overturn-roe-v-wade/?utm_term=.49f6891526c9) about Yang’s campaign from a reporter who has been following him. Starts on minute 8. She was talking about the Chicago rally, which was a couple months ago where there were a bunch of people jammed into a crowded space. She noted the diversity of the crowd and how enthused they were.
There’s a piece in Time magazine: [How Andrew Yang’s Online Following Has Turned Into a Real-Life Coalition](http://time.com/5587792/andrew-yang-presidential-candidate/)
> [@](#):
>
> The upstart campaign has won Yang a fervent following on Twitter and Reddit. But it’s also translating into real life. Yang is drawing some surprisingly large crowds. In polls, he often runs even with or ahead of other better-known and more experienced Democratic candidates. He’s managed to qualify for the first Democratic debate next month on the strength of that and his fundraising. Yang likes to tout political analyst Nate Silver’s proclamation that he’s no more “of a long shot than several other candidates.”
Then a quirky piece written by a college student. It was still interesting, I thought. [The Catholic Case for Andrew Yang](https://www.mironline.ca/the-catholic-case-for-andrew-yang/)
> [@](#):
>
> Andrew Yang’s seemingly outlandish ideas might strike observers as unattainable and material for memes. However, what matters more than their practicality, considering that Yang is polling at an average of 1.3%, is the fact that policies furthering Catholic values will get a mention in the Democratic primary.
> . . .
> What remains to be seen, however, is whether Democratic Catholics will listen, and whether Yang’s presence will force other candidates to consider their appeals to human dignity, the common good, solidarity, and subsidiarity.
The Yang Gang is planning a [service day](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bnc2ti/volunteering_info/) over Memorial day weekend.
Yang is speaking at the Blockchain Week NYC and CoinDesk’s Consensus 2019 [event](https://www.forbes.com/sites/billybambrough/2019/05/13/is-this-behind-the-latest-25-billion-bitcoin-and-crypto-price-rally/amp/)
> [@](#):
>
> Meanwhile, the bitcoin and cryptocurrency industry is gearing up for one of the biggest events in the cryptocurrency calendar starting today—Blockchain Week NYC and CoinDesk’s Consensus 2019 event, running all week out of the New York Hilton Midtown.
>
> This year headline speakers include FedEx’s Fred Smith, Fidelity’s Abigail Johnson, Twitter and Square’s Jack Dorsey, chairman of the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, Jay Clayton, and U.S. presidential hopeful, Andrew Yang.
The big event this week is a rally planned in NYC. Then he heads to South Carolina. From Yang’s [twitter](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1127992008319148032):
> [@](#):
>
> Heading to South Carolina for the first time this week and already in the polls!
Yang is polling at 2% in South Carolina.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 18, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/417 "2019-05-18T01:41:55Z")
**On the technology front.**
A company in Sweden just released a self-driving truck on a short stretch of public road. The company plans to apply for permits for larger stretches next year.
> [@](#):
>
> The self-driving truck uses a Nvidia Drive platform to process visual data, which allows it to function at level four autonomy — the second highest category — while an operator located miles away can control up to 10 vehicles at a time.
>
> Currently, the T-Pod can make short trips between a warehouse and a terminal on a public road in an industrial area in Jonkoping.
[InsideHook](https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/news-opinion/sweden-launches-worlds-first-driverless-truck-deliveries)
> [@](#):
>
> The route it takes from a warehouse to a freight terminal building is just 300 meters long, but it includes five right-angle turns and a 100-meter stretch of road used by other trucks and vehicles.
> . .
> The truck can reach speeds of up to 85 kilometers per hour (53 miles per hour), but is only allowed to drive at 5 kilometers per hour (3 miles per hour) during the trial. The speed limit was set by the Swedish Transport Agency.
[CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/15/tech/einride-self-driving-trucks/index.html)
A Joe Rogan [sound-alike](https://futurism.com/the-byte/ai-sounds-like-joe-rogan).
> [@](#):
>
> On Wednesday, Canada-based startup Dessa unveiled a new AI that replicates the voice of Joe Rogan, a podcaster known for his bold views
> . . .
> However, the company is well aware of the potential dangers of such a system. They even provide a bullet-pointed list of all the ways it could go wrong, noting that someone could impersonate a government official to enter a high-security facility or a politician to manipulate an election.
>
> These potentially nefarious uses are why Dessa says it won’t publicly release its research, model, or datasets for the project.
Yang’s [tweet](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1129477835704422400):
> [@](#):
>
> Deepfakes are coming
\*\*
On the social media front. \*\*
The Yang Gang have a new offfical tumblr for the more fun stuff of the campaign, as well as graphics heavy stuff. Sounds fun. 🙂 I’ve already seen a graphic of useful stats I like.
A Yang article made the front page of r/politics on Reddit. It got roughly 2K comments and over 9K upvotes. [Andrew Yang wants to tax Amazon and Google like oil so every American can get $1,000 a month — no questions asked](https://reddit.com/r/politics/comments/bp5siz/andrew_yang_wants_to_tax_amazon_and_google_like/)
**On the regular media front.**
Yang was on Fox News, [this time](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1129233878537953286) with Martha MacCallum. She gave Bernie a hard time in the town hall. But when she couldn’t get Yang riled, she asked if he was too nice to beat Trump.
Reuters had a pretty nice [article](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-yang/democrat-andrew-yang-wants-to-be-president-and-give-you-1000-a-month-idUSKCN1SL231) on Yang.
Yang did a presentation at a bitcoin event. [5 articles](https://reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bpru49/yang_is_getting_more_coverage_in_the_cryto_world/) on Yang from the crypto world.
CNN put up a [photo profile](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/13/politics/gallery/andrew-yang/index.html) of Yang. Baby Yang!
One of Yang’s policies is Democracy Dollars where each citizen would be given $100 to be used to support a candidate for that year only. Seattle is now using a similar method that is gaining some [interest](https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/in-seattle-the-socialists-are-giving-big-business-a-run-for-their-money-literally/?amp=1). One guy collecting those dollars from the people is overtaking corporate lobbyist money.
Amy Walter (NPR) [interviewed](https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/politics-amy-walter-political-power-teachers) Yang on a podcast.
With each passing week, it becomes more evident that the right-wing media is more civil to Yang than the left. Maybe it’s just my bias, but the left-wing media questions exasperate me more than the right. It’s not just the questions. Those are the same ones without fail. It’s the framing, the tone and the lack of imagination.
The most significant [media event](https://twitter.com/ec_schneider/status/1128129534929383425?s=09) of the week. He made it to the NYT crossword puzzle!
> [@](#):
>
> .@AndrewYang
> has not only qualified for the debate stage…
>
> …he’s also made it to the NYT mini crossword puzzle.
**On the campaign front.**
The [NYC rally](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bpeflz/we_have_a_new_goal_official_letter/) didn’t go as planned. It was planned for weeks, but the day of the rally, it was pouring freezing rain. Still ~2500-3000 people showed up in the freezing rain. It wasn’t the turnout they were hoping for, but considering the circumstances, still a pretty good showing. This is from Yang’s newsletter about the event. (He writes all his own newsletters.)
> [@](#):
>
> On Tuesday night, we held our long-anticipated outdoor rally in Washington Square Park in New York. Our team had been planning this event for weeks in advance. We were working around the clock to make it a success. Then, we woke up Tuesday morning to find it was going to rain.
>
> We became worried that nobody would show up—but instead, when I arrived at the rally site, there were nearly 3,000 supporters gathered in the pouring rain.
>
> At that moment, I realized we never should have doubted. The Yang Gang is energized and ready to win this election. A little rain won’t stop us.
>
> In fact, the rain had an upside: it shocked the reporters who were covering the rally in the media tent in the back.
>
> One reporter even told my staff that he could not believe our massive turnout. His exact words?
>
> “None of this makes any sense!”
I wrote to one guy who posted about the rally on the sub. I told him it was great that he showed up in the rain. He was so pumped up about the rally that he didn’t seem to care about the rain.
There’s a picture of a sea of umbrellas as the rain poured on the crowd.
I love [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_INQpoLocj8) of drone footage of the Seattle rally a few weeks ago. It’s really well done, shows the size of the crowd and just feels cinematic. The backdrop is beautiful.
Yang is in South Carolina this weekend. There are several hundred people signed up for his events this weekend.
---
### Author:  [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2019, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/418 "2019-05-24T00:17:19Z")
The headlines on a bunch of articles for the last several days seem to be tailor made for Yang’s campaign. Maybe people are looking for them more now, but these are very timely.
[In Middle of Trade War, America’s Busiest Port Gets Ready for Robots](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2019-05-20/in-middle-of-trade-war-america-s-busiest-port-gets-ready-for-robots)
A Los Angeles shipping terminal is planning to replace diesel trucks and human workers. May 20, 2019
[A.I. Took a Test to Detect Lung Cancer. It Got an A.](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/health/cancer-artificial-intelligence-ct-scans.html) May 20, 2019
[Self-driving trucks begin mail delivery test for U.S. Postal Service](https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tusimple-autonomous-usps/self-driving-trucks-begin-mail-delivery-test-for-u-s-postal-service-idUSKCN1SR0YB) May 21, 2019
Yang is moving up in the rankings on several lists.
Yang made it to the top 10 in [Business Insider](https://www.businessinsider.com/2020-democratic-presidential-primary-power-ranking-2019-4). He moved up from 15th in the last update.
Yang made it to the top 10 in the [CNN ranking](https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/23/politics/2020-rankings-biden-warren-harris-buttigieg-sanders/index.html).
He maintained his number 9 spot in [Rolling Stone](https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/2020-democrat-candidates-771735/). This is a live and rolling site, so this is #9 as I’m writing this, but may change.
People are talking about the Freedom Dividend more. Someone is trying to create a [UBI calculator](https://twitter.com/OneConradShaw/status/1129475273571917824) that would easily calculate the effects of UBI on the individual or on the society on the whole. He’s trying to crowdfund it. It’s not getting much traction in the sub, and I’m not bought into how it would help.
I recently saw a [debate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9PR7-u3Z0c) between Yang and a Harvard economics professor on UBI. It was from back in January 2019. It was a bit disappointing. It was a libertarian conference so that was the angle. It wasn’t that helpful for the rest of it. The professor seemed to feel that UBI was fine if it replaced all the entitlements and the VAT was fine if it replaces income taxes. But that was really tangential to Yang’s policy since those ideas aren’t part of Yang’s policy. For the rest, the arguments were the common ones given all the time.
There was a [nice article](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/17/business/value-added-tax-enforcement.html) on the VAT. She doesn’t mention Yang in the article, but she also doesn’t mention why she’s writing the article at this time.
> [@](#):
>
> The Value Added Tax is an unsung hero in reducing global poverty. A VAT is “self-enforcing”, so it enables countries where tax collection is challenging to raise money for roads, schools, health clinics, etc.
She does mention the regressive nature, but these [two](http://mattbruenig.com/2017/04/05/why-consumption-taxes-are-fine/) [notes](https://twitter.com/scottsantens/status/1108830884722032640) touch on that. And even those two make the assumption of a broad based VAT with 100% pass through which might not be the case in Yang’s proposal.
There’s some very preliminary feedback from the Stockton UBI trial. [Stockton woman says guaranteed income program has been life-changing](https://www.kcra.com/article/stockton-woman-guaranteed-income-program-life-changing/27564001)
> [@](#):
>
> “I used to stress. Even though I’d pay my bills and rent, I would have to think about the next month and stress if I had the money,” said Paradela.
>
> “I can breathe better. I can breathe,” Paradela added.
>
> The guaranteed income program was introduced to Stockton by Mayor Michael Tubbs. He says he was searching for ways to alleviate poverty and received $3 million of private donations for the program.
>
> “People are on edge, not because they are making bad economic choices, but because the current economic system is not working for the working poor,” said Tubbs.
She plans to save up for a car and go to college later.
A little better press coverage lately.
[What If Presidential Hopeful Andrew Yang Is Right?](https://www.forbes.com/sites/danpontefract/2019/05/22/what-if-presidential-hopeful-andrew-yang-is-right/) Op-ed in Forbes
[Is Andrew Yang for Real?](https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/05/20/andrew-yang-2020-226931) Politico The author [tweets](https://twitter.com/nancyscola/status/1130464082669260803)
> [@](#):
>
> Come for the dissection of Andrew Yang’s rise. Stay for the annecdote on how I, a legit germaphobe, borrowed his ear bulb in an Iowa BBQ restaurant. (He has a way of making off-the-wall solutions sound perfectly reasonable!)
Yang and staff helped her get her ear unplugged from the plane ride.
[Nerdiest Presidential Campaign in History](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1131541806376771586) NYT
WSJ The Future of Everything Festival [video](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1131653296077312000)
The South Carolina meeting looked like they went well. Yang met with the [mayor](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1129805682000236544) of Columbia, SC there and Congressman Jim Clyburn [stopped by](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1129915936503455744) one of his meetings.
Zach, his campaign manager posted [a picture](https://twitter.com/Zach_Graumann/status/1130267144342650880) of a packed small bar with the caption -
> [@](#):
>
> A local Dem party leader told me - “I came to this event expecting 7 people to show up.” Welcome to the most surprising story of the 2020 election. @AndrewYang coming out of nowhere to upend the field. Packed house in Charleston tonight
Some fun stuff. A Yang Ganger who is not in the US wanted to find a way to help publicize Yang, so he creatred a [video game](https://old.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/bs5z5v/international_yanggang_member_here_i_cant_donate/). The screen shots of the video game are interesting, but his story of how he became a Yang Ganger is more interesting to me.
Another Yang Ganger created an app. and has a huge ad on a building to advertise it.
Alexis Ohanian, a co-founder of Reddit, [retweeted](https://twitter.com/alexisohanian/status/1131615400377049088) a Yang article on vocational schools. I don’t know what it means but thought it was interesting that he’s reading an article on Yang.
TYT sent out someone from RebelHQ to ask Yang [31 questions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=79&v=zyftzN_scnQ) while he was on his way to the NYC rally.
Q: When do you laugh the most?
Yang: Unfortunately, watching mainstream news.
Who needs polls when you can [judge interest](https://twitter.com/AndrewYang/status/1130484937730207744) by the honking cars?
> [@](#):
>
> The #YangGang in Charleston is looking good! We are at 3% in South Carolina and based on cars honking at me on the street rising fast. 😀👍🇺🇸 Let’s spread the word and win SC!
Yang and the mayor of Columbia, SC [decide](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zi1coaloPoE) if they’re gong to run up the building steps Rocky-style. Nope. (Yang often jokes that there’s nothing to make someone feel young like running for President, considering the other contenders. But apparently in this case, not that young.)
---
### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2019, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/419 "2019-05-24T11:17:17Z")
The basic problem Yang’s campaign has now is that it’s becoming an historically over-crowded field of candidates. If the debate commission had anticipated this number of candidates, they might have raised the requirements to polling at 2-5%.
---
### Author:  [@septimus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/septimus)
#### Post date: [May 24, 2019, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/420 "2019-05-24T15:04:41Z")
I’d paid very little attention to any Yang details, so thank you, **Heffalump and Roo** for the summary.
No major new tax, except a regressive VAT tax?? He doesn’t even plan to restore income taxes on the rich to Clinton-era levels??? Cancel my subscription!
And yes, it’s hard to approve of a one-size-fits-all UBI where a disabled person gets no more than a healthy person. And a 17-year old handicapped person gets zero.
> [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](#):
>
> Here’s some calculations [someone did](https://www.reddit.com/r/YangForPresidentHQ/comments/biem0k/for_everyone_questioning_the_math_of_the_freedom/) about the Freedom Dividend on Reddit:
>
> Without the reduction for benefits that are already being paid, there would need to be an additional roughly $1.4T that would need to be accounted for.
>
> But let’s say that were possible. The bank bailout was supposed to have been $4T and that somehow got funded. Maybe funds could be moved from something else.
A big dent in the $1.4T could come from corporate tax, capital gains taxes, estate taxes, etc.
As for $4T — that ain’t chickenfeed. _Net_ spending by the Feds during the crisis was _much_ less than that; and much of the “spending” was tax cuts.
```auto
On a separate matter, sales and VAT taxes impact consumers *and* retailers *and* manufacturers. Because of demand elasticity, vendors will have to cut their profit margins and/or suffer reduced volumes.
```
[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555.md?page=20)
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555.md?page=22)