“I guarantee if we had a Freedom Dividend of a thousand dollars a month, I would not be the only candidate of color on the stage tonight.” – Andrew Yang
LOS ANGELES — Tonight, on the Democratic debate stage, Andrew Yang proved that he’s the only presidential candidate focused on rewriting the rules of the 21st century economy for all Americans—middle-class workers, communities of color, immigrants, women, and Americans with disabilities.
While other candidates were fixated on the impeachment of Donald Trump, Andrew Yang was laser-focused on the problems that got Trump elected in the first place, one being the displacement of middle class workers across the United States due to automation.
As the only person of color on the debate stage, Andrew Yang emphasized how the Freedom Dividend would bolster the power of communities of color to elect representatives, noting the wealth disparities of Black and Latino households compared to white households.
“The question is, why am I the lone candidate of color on this stage? Fewer than five percent of Americans donate to political campaigns. You know what you need to donate to political campaigns? Disposable income. The way we fix this is we take Martin Luther King’s message of a guaranteed minimum income, a Freedom Dividend of a $1,000 a month for all Americans.”
When the conversation shifted to women in politics, Andrew Yang homed in on the value of publicly funded elections and his proposal to put Democracy Dollars in the hands of every American, which would increase the number of women in elected office.
Pledging to work with Congress to implement a permanent, legislative fix for DREAMers during his first 100 days in office, Andrew Yang said, “I would make it a top priority, I’m the son of immigrants myself. The fact is almost half of Fortune 500 companies were started by an immigrant or children of immigrants. Immigrants make our economy stronger and more dynamic.”
When the debate discussion shifted to social programs for individuals with disabilities, Andrew Yang spoke from his personal perspective as the parent of a special needs child. He underscored how the Freedom Dividend will empower individuals with disabilities to better participate in our economy and noted the intrinsic value of all Americans and human beings.
Andrew Yang’s honest moments and a perspective that reflects an understanding of the problems facing most Americans led to a break-out debate performance that was the strongest of all the candidates on stage.