I would like to introduce you to Andrew Yang

You have heard his name mentioned as a side note on news updates. You may have seen a tweet of his retweeted and I am sure you assume he is one of many other people running for president who has no chance of winning the nomination. But I would suggest giving this guy a look.

His name is Andrew Yang and he is running for the Democratic nomination in 2020. He does not have a political background, nor is he a billionaire- most presidential candidates these days meet at least one of these two qualifications, so to speak. He is the founder of Venture For America, a non-profit that focuses on creating jobs in struggling American cities. More importantly, though, he takes a pragmatic approach to some of America’s most serious and divisive issues.

Andrew Yang grew up in upstate New York and seems to have always considered himself a problem solver. I want to disclaim that I am not endorsing him, nor would I abandon any other Democratic candidate if he or she wins the nomination over him. The point of this article is simply to show you who he is, and why he should be considered.

I was first introduced to Andrew Yang in much the same way that many people first heard of him. He appeared as a guest on Joe Rogan’s podcast. If Joe Rogan is not your cup of tea, that should not be a reason to assume Yang is not either. I think we have reached a time in our politics in which who the person is, should not be an assumption of whether or not they can support us on issues that are deeply important to us. Andrew Yang is a man who is willing to listen and consider challenges and issues that are not necessarily close to him because of his race, religion or home town. He’s an Asian American man from upstate New York, but he has shown genuine concern for challenges facing white truckers in Iowa. That is the point of this guy. He may not look like you, work in your field, or live in a community similar to yours, but he is willing to listen to the challenges that you think about the most and consider pragmatic solutions. This is, more than anything, what makes him stand out.

Yang has developed a bit of a reputation for bringing attention to issues that are abnormal. He has called out predatory lending practices. He has suggested federal subsidies for gyms, yoga and other forms of active healthcare as a long term solution for reducing healthcare costs. He is always ready to discuss his signature issue, Universal Basic Income (UBI). Simply put, he wants to give each American $1,000 per month that they can use for expenses that are just out of reach. Despite the vagueness (not to mention practicality) of such a program, he has shown that he is willing to think creatively and not simply shout out the same rallying calls that we hear from every other politician running for office.

However, a weakness of this candidate is that he has not managed to get his message across to women very clearly. One of the reasons I have learned so much about him is because he has done an excellent job of communicating with people like me. And when I say me, I mean men. Many of the challenges he discusses on the campaign trail are those that men can identify with.

However, in case you are wondering where he stands on some issues that are important to many women, here are a few to consider. He supports universal healthcare and supports federal spending on climate research. He is pro-choice, supports high-quality access to contraceptives, and supports federal protections for the LGBTQ community. To be sure, he is a true blue democrat when it comes to the most well-known issues.

The most intriguing thing about him is that he has managed to gain support from a broad stretch of the American electorate. Well-educated coastal elites as well as American working-class voters in the midwest eagerly attend his rallies and listen to his interviews. In a society as broadly divided as America today, this could mean a winning ticket in November 2020.

According to Wired Magazine (“Andrew Yang is not Full of Shit”), many political analysts feel he would be a great match against Donald Trump. Yang does not come from the same political background that most of Trump’s likely opponents come from. If one of the traditional candidates ( ie. Biden, Warren, Bernie) wins the Democratic nomination, it will be nothing less than a shit show. Trump will do what he does best; hurl insults that his base will devour and use that as his strategy to a second term.

However, if he were to face Yang, Trump just may be caught without a game plan. His usual insults would not work because Yang has a different background and he has broad appeal. Trump would probably have to resort to attacking him because he is Asian. While this may work for a few Trump diehards, it would definitely fire up Yang’s supporters and those on the fence. Trump’s true bigotry will be fully apparent and undeniable.

Yang has made incremental gains in the polls of likely Democratic voters. As of the writing of this article, he is currently jockeying for 4th place with Pete Buttigieg. Most of the mainstream outlets are not giving him much coverage, so if you want to get more of a picture of who he really is, follow him on Twitter, and read a few articles. You will probably find yourself a bit more intrigued than you are today.