The Democratic Candidate That Has a little Something for Everyone
With the 2020 Presidential election well on its way, a topic of interest that has been relevant for years, has gained traction once again: Is Is there a candidate that is can make everyone happy? Party polarization, a term used to describe the alignments of people towards a specific party, is in full effect, perhaps more than ever. With Donald Trump, a Republican, as the sitting president, one could assume that Americans would want a change of pace, voting for a Democrat this election, at least according to our history. America’s historical record shows that after a president of one party, many would prefer a president of the opposite. However, the element of polarization comes in effect. Republicans, if they wish to stick with their views, would vote Trump once again. But others, if they choose to vote Democrat, face a much more difficult decision. A plethora of Democratic candidates have appeared, some with similar takes on policies, and others with stark contrasts. Bernie Sanders tries his luck once again, this time being a favorite to win nomination. Former Vice President Biden announced his choice to run quite late compared to other candidates, but gained immediate support due to his role in the Obama Administration. These candidates are strong Democrats, but are there any members of the Democratic party with more tame and central views? It would seem so. Enter Andrew Yang, a forty-four year old entrepreneur from New York with more moderate views while also keeping true to his more progressive ideals.
His idea is that most mainstream, polarized Democrats tend to deal with race too much and often categorize certain injustices or issues to be racial problems or a result of racism. He believes that while race may play a part in some issues, it should not be used as a reason for all instances of an injustice. He is running against Donald Trump, claiming that he is “the exact opposite of Trump”, while also believing that the party politics of contemporary America should be discarded. One of his slogans is “Not left, not right, forward”. The focus of his campaign is on Americans who do not have a set identification in a certain party, and he wishes to draw in support from Independents. While all of this sounds interesting, the party piece of his campaign is the “Freedom Dividend”. This is a set amount of 1,000 dollars given to any American adult in the country. Monthly. Many may ask questions regarding the tangibility of this dividend, and Yang explains it as such: some big companies and organizations such as Amazon paid exactly zero dollars in federal taxes last year. Zero. Loopholes and tax write-offs allow these companies to maintain profit and continue to expand, all while taking jobs by automating certain areas such as retail and more. He seeks to make companies like Amazon pay their fair share, and therefore providing funding for the Freedom Dividend.
Yang’s cult online following and claim to distribute free money have gotten him somewhere. As of early August, Andrew Yang has garnered enough support to be one of the nine democratic candidates who have qualified for the third Democratic Debate, which means he has gotten through the poll and donor threshold required to reach his current position. People are supporting and donating to his campaign, because they really want to see someone like him in the White House. A younger Asian entrepreneur is in the same bracket as heavyweights Biden and Sanders, all through a grassroots effort. At the rate at which Yang is gaining support, things could be looking up for the unlikely candidate.
