Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumRandom Man Runs for President
The table was set for perhaps 15 people when Andrew Yang arrived at a Manhattan dinner party in the summer of 2017. The dinners sponsor was a club that describes its purpose as exploring the big, bold ideas of Americas leading problem solvers. The evenings designated topic of discussion was the future of work. Earlier that year, Yang had stepped down from his job as chief executive of Venture for America, a nonprofit organization he founded to send young entrepreneurs to cities in need of economic revitalization.
Yang came in and, being Andrew, kind of took over the room, recalls fellow dinner guest Zach Graumann. At the time, Graumann was a 31-year-old wealth manager who ran a nonprofit on the side that Yang sometimes advised. I think hes going to give the Venture for America spiel. And he doesnt, Graumann says. Instead, Yang talked about how automation has displaced millions of workers in Middle America, and will soon displace millions more, pushing the country into social crisis. He drops the bomb that most of Americas waking up to now, Graumann remembers. He drops what I call the automation bomb, and why Trump is our president today, and he starts rattling off his stats and his vision.
When Yang concluded by announcing that he was running for president, Graumann reacted in disbelief. I was like: Of America? President of America? Yang replied in the affirmative. I was like, all right, Graumann recalls. Cool, man, Ill help. Im in.
Graumann would later quit his job to work on Yangs White House bid full time as his campaign manager. Together, they and two staff members laid the groundwork for the campaign, working out of an ad hoc office in a Midtown Manhattan apartment that Yangs mother owned. None had ever worked in politics.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/magazine/wp/2019/06/10/feature/random-man-runs-for-president-the-odd-saga-of-andrew-yang-explained/?utm_term=.543b518e9659
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
murielm99
(30,657 posts)why not? We have Florida Man in the White House right now.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
uawchild
(2,208 posts)He really has a lot of forward looking ideas that will become policy in the future, the near future I hope.
I like that he is pushing for a form of guaranteed basic income.
As automation and artificial intelligence disrupt our current economy and workforce, that seems like the only equitable way to distribute wealth gains thru out society and not just concentrating them in the hands of the 1%.
The alternative will be the impoverishment of working Americans.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Celerity
(42,666 posts)social safety net and gut the basic welfare state.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Sherman A1
(38,958 posts)Yes, things will change and change is an inevitable in all things. I don't see it as an excuse to cut the welfare state but an opportunity to either make it unnecessary in some cases and to streamline it in others. If an individual is receiving UBI, the welfare payments currently being received may in some cases be less and the UBI a better deal. As envisioned individuals will be able to take the better of the two for themselves and families and will not be forced into one system or the other.
It will also benefit businesses as the consumers will have more purchasing power which as we know has been eroded over the decades. His plan is also to fundamentally change how we measure and value work in our society expanding the definition of work and creating more balance for all of us.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Karadeniz
(22,279 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden