Hello and thank you for your support!
Tuesday was Election Day, and it felt like the most important one in decades. Turnout was up by 31 million voters over the last midterm in 2014. Democrats won the House of Representatives, which is a vital step in the right direction. However, Democrats lost several red-state seats in the Senate and lost several close races in Florida and Ohio.
On a personal level, it was great to see Cindy Axne and Antonio Delgado win and tough to see Andrew Gillum, Fred Hubbell, and JD Scholten lose. Following politics has become more personal since meeting many of the candidates.
Supporters gather at HQ for a Midterms watch party
Today is the start of the 2020 race, which unfortunately will consume much of the next two years. This is the most open Democratic field in a generation. There is no front runner that will scare anyone off. Joe Biden was born in 1941 and ran for the Presidency unsuccessfully in 1988, 1992, and 2008. Elizabeth Warren is a polarizing figure. Bernie Sanders was also born in 1941, and enthusiasm for his comeback is muted. Each contender has concerns. The calculation for many Democrats is this: their upside from declaring is that their profile goes up, and the downside is limited. There is no one promising harsh political consequences for running unsuccessfully. A couple dozen Democrats are likely to declare, and many have been planning for months. The field will get crowded quickly.
On the other side is Donald Trump, who has amassed over $100 million and commands near-absolute loyalty and fervor among millions despite record-low approval ratings. He has built a massive re-election organization in the midst of the White House in an unprecedented manner – he has essentially never stopped running. His campaign’s directive now is to get millions of people’s cell phone numbers to enable direct communication with people via text so they can circumvent social media companies.
The saying goes that Republicans fall in line, and Democrats fall in love.
I decided to run for President because mainstream Democrats struck me as unwilling to acknowledge and address the core reasons that Donald Trump became President. The economy has changed in ways that are pushing millions of Americans into economic insecurity and misery – and economic distress makes people more conservative, both politically and socially. Technology eliminated 4 million manufacturing jobs in the swing states – Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa – and will do the same to millions of retail, customer service, food prep, and transportation jobs across the country. Already, several traditional swing states are turning red. Many Democrats have been overly focused on urbanization, globalization, value statements, identity politics, and institutional solutions as opposed to genuinely addressing the economic blight that got Trump elected. They often don’t understand technology or the economy. Unfortunately, the trends are going to get worse with the arrival of Artificial Intelligence and self-driving cars and trucks.
I declared my campaign for the Presidency earlier this year as a relative unknown, wanting to get the word out and test the message in Iowa and New Hampshire. I’ve now raised hundreds of thousands of dollars from people just like you – my average contribution is only $11. This message – the need for a new economy – works. Here’s a sampling of what I heard in the early states:
“You don’t sound like any politician I’ve heard. I like that.”
“You sound like you actually want to solve the problems.”
“I voted for Trump. I’m going to vote for you.”
“I’m going to organize for you.”
We have discovered our core following and it grows every day. Someone called me the “shuffler” because my platform will reshuffle traditional political alignments. In New Hampshire, in particular, it is an open primary so Independents and Libertarians can participate. We can compete and win in this election.
Right now is a crucial time for the campaign. With other candidates declaring, there will be a flurry of stories about the Democratic field. We want to make sure that we are right there in the midst of every write-up. This is one reason why I am embarking on our “Humanity First” tour that launches in Detroit this Thursday night and heads to Chicago, Cleveland, New Hampshire, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Iowa City. You can find details here on our Facebook page. Hundreds of people have indicated that they are coming out to support our vision for the country.
We need your help. A few things you can do right now:
- Tell your friends in Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland, New Hampshire, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Iowa City that Andrew Yang is coming to town, and they should meet me and hear me speak to see what they think. Invite them via Facebook!
- Make a contribution. We need to show continuing growth and momentum. Your money will go to hiring boots on the ground in Iowa and New Hampshire to enable us to get the word out with the first voters. One staffer is about to drop out of Harvard to move to Iowa. We are a lean and scrappy campaign but we need your support RIGHT NOW. One fun way to contribute is to buy swag – it also starts conversations.
- Share with others. Please do share one message or video that got you excited about the campaign. Send an email that says, “Hey, have you seen this candidate? Here’s a video.” Follow us on Twitter or Facebook or Instagram and send out any messages that you think would appeal to your friends. Your friends care more about what you think than they do any other source of info.
Thank you for being the early adopters of this campaign. It’s invigorating and inspiring to meet and correspond with each of you. In order to achieve our goals, we must grow the tribe very quickly. Let’s do it – let’s fight for a better way of life.
The real campaign begins right now. I can’t wait. Let’s change the course of history together and show our fellow Americans what’s possible.
Your fired up candidate,
Andrew Yang