Jacobin gives their take on Andrew Yang
The important part:
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However, the central proposal of Yang’s presidential campaign was actually a surprisingly right-wing variant of a Universal Basic Income. A 2019 Hill article noted that many longtime UBI advocates were actually against Yang’s “Freedom Dividend” plan, arguing that “Yang’s version could do more harm than good because some Americans would need to choose between accepting $1,000 a month and receiving certain public assistance benefits.” In other words, the “Freedom Dividend” plan was far from a redistribution of wealth. It was just a reshuffling of social programs — undermining existing entitlements like Medicare in order to provide $1,000 a month instead.
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Yang has done nothing to prove that he’s actually different than Bloomberg. In fact, he’s done quite the opposite: according to Politico, Yang is “in talks with Tusk Strategies, the consulting firm that worked on Mike Bloomberg’s 2009 mayoral campaign.” CEO Bradley Tusk was Bloomberg’s campaign manager, has been a political adviser for Uber, and is a former consultant for the Police Benevolent Association, the largest NYPD union. In a mayoral race where the debate about policing will undoubtedly loom large, it’s alarming that even before announcing, Yang is unabashedly teasing an association with a pro-cop power player...
I suppose this article makes him lose soft DSA-type support, leaving Yang with just the portfolio managers as a last possible option and the rich and “Dividend Receiving-aspiring” weed bro’s along with the Tech Bro’s as his base.
The question now would be if Yang manages to garner both soft left and conservative support to push him across the finish line over more established progressives. Any thoughts?
This is a good read on the situation. Yang's appeal in the prez primary was pretty niche, and this election will be a good test of it's broader applicability. It seems to me his initial coalition isn't the strongest, but it *could* grow in surprising ways.
For example, Yang is popular among republicans like me. So would someone like Max Roses supporters list Yang as a second choice? Further, would berniecrats spot Yang as a decent 2nd choice who's on the progressive side of the issues?
Yang's politics place him in an odd spot where he's both a progressive but also liked by more conservative elements of the electorate. In a RCV election that could pay dividends (ha).
I don't expect him to win, but if he does, I suspect it's with a patchwork coalition of voters.
