Sunday School 2/9/20

Iowa is almost sorta kinda in the rear view mirror, and New Hampshire is the deer in the headlights of the campaign buses, or something like that - you get the drift.

So, let's check in with some of the candidates, starting with Mayor Pete and That Guy from Vermont and their separate discussions on Meet the Press. (Both also made other classroom visits today.)

Here's Buttigieg on how to beat Donald Trump, which requires neither a revolution nor maintaining the status quo.

The reason my campaign was so effective, especially in places that supported Barack Obama and then Donald Trump, in the caucuses, is that we are reaching out to everybody, putting together a majority that is prepared not only to stand up for replacing this president and unified in what we're against, but even more so unified in what we're for. The need for economic empowerment, the need for higher wages, the need to support workers, the need for healthcare, dealing with climate change and gun violence... there is a powerful American majority right now ready not only to win, but to govern. And my campaign is about how to galvanize and not polarize that majority. That's how we're going to beat Donald Trump.

He was also asked "how we ended up with Donald Trump" and whether or not the Obama-Biden administration could have prevented that from happening - whatever the heck that means.

...I don't think you can pin this on any one administration, but it's certainly the case that people are frustrated by a reality that they feel has left them out for 40 years. And we felt it in my community, you know, an industrial community in the heart of the so-called Rust Belt that didn't feel like Washington was hearing what we had to say. And I am seeing in so many communities... where people of different backgrounds are questioning whether the economic and political realities are responding to what we need in our lives. Now, in a very cynical and very divisive way, Donald Trump took advantage of that. Now is our chance to put together the majority that will win big enough against Donald Trump that Trumpism itself goes into the history books. 

And, asked about a caucus goer who looked to be on his side until she was told it was true that Buttigieg is gay, and then she asked for her caucus card back.

Well, the first is what I have to say to that voter, which is I'm saddened that she sees things that way, but I'm running to be her president, too. And no matter who she votes for, as president, I'm going to get up in the morning and try to do a good job for her and for every American... the reality is prejudice is still out there and you've got to deal with it... And every time somebody seeks to break a barrier, pundits try to make it about electability. 

That Guy from Vermont (TGFV) was asked a few questions about money, starting with Mike Bloomberg's promise to spend a boatload on himself, or in support of the nominee, and whether TGFV would refuse the help.

... Let's talk about money in politics. Right now, our campaign, as you know, at this moment, has received more campaign contributions from more Americans, averaging $18.50, than any candidate in the history of American politics. That's extraordinary. We are funded by the working families of America. Teachers are the profession that is contributing most. We get a lot of contributions from Amazon workers and so forth. We have, unlike my opponents -- you know, Pete Buttigieg who was just here, really nice guy. I like Pete. He has received I believe over -- contributions from over 40 billionaires. Joe Biden, the same.

And whether billionaires can't have issues that they want fix, even an issue like income inequality.  They're people, after all.

That's fine, but you should not be able to, you know, spend hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars. Now, by the way, to answer your question, because of the broad base of support that we have from working families, now, they may only contribute $25 or $50, we will be able to raise the money we need to defeat Trump. And I believe we are the strongest candidate --

So, you don't want his help, or the help of PACs and outside groups that are supporting you, Todd asked. And isn't that 'dark money' some folks would say?

I don't want them, that's right.... and yeah, I'm saying right now if my opponents say they don't want that third party help, I'm all for that right now. Let's end it. 

But, on the other hand,

It's legal. What can I do? You know, people have a right to participate in the political process. But again, getting back to the fundamental issue, the reason we have so much income inequality... is precisely because of a corrupt political system which allows billionaires to have inordinate influence of the economic and political life of the country.

Former VP Joe Biden was also out and about, talking with George on This Week about the history of people who finish worse than second in both Iowa and New Hampshire. They don't win the nomination, that's the history.

Well, no one has ever won the nomination without being able to get overwhelming support from the African-American community either. And so far, no one's been doing that but me. Look...everybody in the Democratic party is united on one thing: you have to beat Donald Trump. In order to do that you have got to bring out the black vote and the brown vote...I have been able to do that so far. So I don't think it's viewed the same way as it has been in the past.

And on whether he thinks Mayor Pete has a race problem?

No, no, no. I'm saying he hadn't been able to unify the black community, that's what I'm saying...look, in order to win, George, you're going to have to be able to win states like Pennsylvania, you're going to have to be able to win Florida. We're going to have to be able to win in a lot of places that in fact have very diverse populations, and so the assertion that he's ready across the board I don't see it. I haven't seen it yet. 

And on having a Democratic socialist on the ticket, and that only Sen. Amy Klobuchar seemed to share that concern in the debate.

No, I wasn't surprised. But I think that's just the reality.... Look, if I don't get the nomination and Bernie gets it, I'm going to work like hell for him. But I'll tell you what, it's a bigger uphill climb running as a senator or a congressperson or a governor on a ticket that calls itself a democratic socialist ticket.

And finally, on having his son Hunter become an issue in the election.

I can't let my anger overcome the desire and the need to unite and heal this country. And so I've got to move beyond me and beyond my family. And -- because it's about your family, it's about everybody else's family, not mine... I'll be damned if I'm going to walk away and let it - and not take this country back.

Buttigieg was also on with George, but I wanted to hear from Senator Elizabeth Warren, who also dropped in. Right off the bat, they talked about money. Her take on billionaires?

You know, the coalition of billionaires is not exactly what's going to carry us over the top. The way I see it right now is that we have a government that works great for a thinner and thinner slice at the top. And that's been true for decades, it's gotten worse and worse and worse. 

And, while billion-dollar-profit corporations don't pay any taxes,

...folks across this country - somebody has got to keep this government running, and so they pay their taxes so that the roads are paved and the bridges still work, and we provide for the defense. People, Democrats and Republicans get that they're getting the short end of the stick. And what's the reason for that, It's corruption.... it's a bunch of billionaires that make big campaign contributions or reach in their own pockets, like Michael Bloomberg does. 

On her pulling back advertising in Nevada and South Carolina due to money problems, she said

I believe in democracy, and that's why I decided I was going to build this as a grassroots movement and make this system better, because, right now, we have a Washington where, in theory, everybody has the same voice. But billionaires, they may own more shoes than the rest of us, they may own more cars, they may own more houses, but they shouldn't own a bigger piece of our democracy... This is corruption. And we've got a chance in 2020 to turn that around. 

On the Democratic socialist thing, even though she didn't agree with Biden during the debate, she's not one.

I am a capitalist. I'm a - I believe in markets... There are areas where markets don't work, like in health care and education. But there are lots of areas where markets do work, and that's what gives us innovation and that's what creates opportunity and that's what can grow wealth.

But markets need rules. Markets without rules are theft. So it's a big part of what I'm running on. I want to see an America of opportunity. And that means we need a market economy that it's got to be a market economy that's fair and that everybody gets to play. 

And finally, on beating Trump.

You know, I hear people talk about the race against Donald Trump may be unwinnable. I've been winning fights all of my life. I won the fight to get a consumer agency, the CFPB, passed into law when everybody said it couldn't be done. I won the fight to hold corporate executives accountable. Got the CEO of Wells Fargo fired not long ago. I won the fight to take back a Senate seat from a popular incumbent Republican.  

You know, in fact, I'm the only one in this race now who has beaten an incumbent Republican anytime in the past 30 years. 

The way I look at it is that people say, oh, these races are unwinnable or that person can't win, right up until you jump in the fight, you persist and you win. That's what I'm going to do. 

Have you found your candidate yet? Did this help?

See you around campus.