# 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:** 4
### Author:  [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/61 "2019-02-18T15:41:59Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> It doesn’t matter if he aces the interview; he just doesn’t have the resume for the job.
In your opinion. Others may draw a different conclusion based on the same information.
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### Author:  [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/62 "2019-02-18T15:59:34Z")
> [@aesop](#):
>
> In your opinion. Others may draw a different conclusion based on the same information.
Exactly. Trump has proven that you don’t need any experience to be an awesome President.
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### Author:  [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/63 "2019-02-18T16:03:44Z")
> [@aesop](#):
>
> In your opinion. Others may draw a different conclusion based on the same information.
Yes, and my opinion is that the Presidency is not about policies but politics.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/64 "2019-02-18T16:15:00Z")
And again, if he were a serious candidate, he’d be running for some other position before the Presidency.
He might be a serious spokesman, or a serious political theorist, or any number of other roles. Which still doesn’t make him a serious candidate.
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### Author:  [@aesop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aesop)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/65 "2019-02-18T17:33:48Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Exactly. Trump has proven that you don’t need any experience to be an awesome President.
I think opinions may vary on that point as well, but you’re quite right there is a precedent for electing someone from outside the political establishment.
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#):
>
> Yes, and my opinion is that the Presidency is not about policies but politics.
Up till now, yes. Who’s to say that is how it must be going forward? The world is getting ready to change in profound ways. Surely we can imagine a future different from the politics-as-usual of the past. It may not be easy to get there, but there is definitely a path.
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> And again, if he were a serious candidate, he’d be running for some other position before the Presidency.
>
> He might be a serious spokesman, or a serious political theorist, or any number of other roles. Which still doesn’t make him a serious candidate.
He meets the constitutional requirements to run. Nowhere does it stipulate you need to work your way up inside the system. In fact, he’s trying to upgrade the old system in a lot of ways that are long overdue. We shall see soon enough if he can muster enough support to carry the conversation into the primaries. I for one am hopeful he does.
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### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/66 "2019-02-18T21:02:07Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Exactly. Trump has proven that you don’t need any experience to be an awesome President.
Yeah, because Andrew Yang, a guy who has a BA in economics and who earned a Juris Doctor in Law (You know, being knowledgeable of the law usually being fundamental in running for office) Is comparable to Trump :rolleyes:
> [@](#):
>
> **Czarcasm**
> You were saying?
Kamala Harris is an establishment candidate. Same with Corey Booker. Yang is immediately shot down despite being well qualified and having actual policy proposals.
> [@](#):
>
> **Chronos**
> And again, if he were a serious candidate, he’d be running for some other position before the Presidency.
>
> He might be a serious spokesman, or a serious political theorist, or any number of other roles. Which still doesn’t make him a serious candidate.
There’s no prerequisite for that, and there shouldn’t be either.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/67 "2019-02-18T22:24:16Z")
He is not shot down despite being well qualified. He is shot down for the precise reason that he is _not_ qualified. And yes, I know that Trump isn’t qualified, either. That doesn’t help your argument.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/68 "2019-02-18T22:28:36Z")
I agree he’s not really trying to win.
As I said above I would take him over someone like Biden who has spent vast majority of his adult life sucking on the government tit with nothing to show for it.
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### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/69 "2019-02-18T22:33:22Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> He is not shot down despite being well qualified. He is shot down for the precise reason that he is _not_ qualified. And yes, I know that Trump isn’t qualified, either. That doesn’t help your argument.
That’s a ridiculous premise.Your premise is that we shouldn’t elect people despite being well qualified because they have no experience of running government institutions, sounds like gatekeeping to me, even if it’s with the best of intentions.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/70 "2019-02-18T22:40:06Z")
Voters decide who is qualified and who is not for any office. It doesn’t make sense to say a guy is not qualified when the voters will determine that.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/71 "2019-02-18T22:48:29Z")
No, my premise, to state it again, is that he is not well qualified. You can’t have “despite being well qualified” without being well qualified.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/72 "2019-02-18T22:52:48Z")
some guys start at level like city council, then state house, then US house , then US senate.
But some people start at a high level and skip those lower level jobs. Is there any level that’s it’s OK to start at in politics?
We had John Edwards here in NC who was a US senator without any other political job before that. And on the other end of the spectrum Jesse Helms went straight to US Senator too.
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### Author:  [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/73 "2019-02-18T23:16:26Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> Voters decide who is qualified and who is not for any office. It doesn’t make sense to say a guy is not qualified when the voters will determine that.
And this thread is literally full of voters who have determined that he is not qualified.
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### Author:  [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/74 "2019-02-18T23:32:18Z")
but people are not just saying he’s not qualified they are saying he should not run which I think is bad because they don’t think others should be able to judge his qualifications.
I know many people are consumed with hatred for Trump so that clouds things but people can come from outside politics and do well in political job at a high level such as Senator or governor without a lower level political job. (and of course they can do badly too at those levels)
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### Author:  [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)
#### Post date: [February 18, 2019, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/75 "2019-02-18T23:37:49Z")
> [@](#):
>
> **Alessan**
> And this thread is literally full of voters who have determined that he is not qualified.
Ah that settles it then, he cannot possibly run :dubious:
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### Author:  [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/76 "2019-02-19T00:03:50Z")
> [@Alessan](#):
>
> And this thread is literally full of voters who have determined that he is not qualified.
Speak for yourself, Gabbie. While I have not thrown entirely in with Yang’s camp, I’m willing to listen to the man and hear him speak before blithely pronouncing a death sentence on his qualifications.
It’s fair to say “Opinions are divided in this thread.” “Full…”? No.
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/77 "2019-02-19T01:00:20Z")
> [@CarnalK](#):
>
> Exactly. Trump has proven that you don’t need any experience to be an awesome President.
Let’s not pretend for a moment that Andrew Yang and Donald Trump are remotely the same.
Dwight Eisenhower never held public office outside being a military commander and was arguably an effective president.
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/78 "2019-02-19T01:02:45Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#):
>
> but people are not just saying he’s not qualified they are saying he should not run which I think is bad because they don’t think others should be able to judge his qualifications.
>
> I know many people are consumed with hatred for Trump so that clouds things but people can come from outside politics and do well in political job at a high level such as Senator or governor without a lower level political job. (and of course they can do badly too at those levels)
Moreover, the so-called front-runners, except for Biden, are not particularly impressive. So someone’s a senator for 5-8 years - so fucking what? How is that any more remarkable than being a serial entrepreneur?
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### Author:  [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/79 "2019-02-19T01:04:10Z")
> [@Chronos](#):
>
> No, my premise, to state it again, is that he is not well qualified. You can’t have “despite being well qualified” without being well qualified.
Is Kamala Harris well qualified?
Is Gillibrand well qualified?
Klobuchar?
Warren?
At least Booker was mayor of Newark, I guess.
There’s something to be said for developing and managing a campaign and coalitions, but what if Yang has a much better grasp of the issues facing us going forward than the mainstream candidates?
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [February 19, 2019, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-andrew-yang-presidential-campaign-thread/829555/80 "2019-02-19T01:16:42Z")
Yes, all of those people are better qualified than Yang.
Put it this way: What is it, in your view, that a President does? What experience does Yang have in doing those things?
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