11 ms·

Andrew Yang's Presidential Bid Is So 21st Century

60 points by systematical 8y ago

PakG1 8y ago
Last month, I met various American MBA students from top US universities. Top of the top. As we rode in cars and ate lunches, they chatted about Democratic presidential candidates. They all didn't like Trump. This was about the time that a number of candidates had announced, and they were discussing who they liked or didn't like. I asked them what they thought of Andrew Yang, and they had no idea who he even was. It showed me how much of an uphill climb Yang has to even get name recognition. I'd like to see any American to walk into any coffee shop and ask, "Hey, so what do you think of Andrew Yang?" and see what kind of name recognition he really has. If these top MBA candidates from top schools who were so enthusiastic for discussing Democratic candidates did not recognize him, who would? As much as we might make fun of MBAs, I imagine them to still be more plugged in than average as to what's happening in the world, especially if they're Ivy Leaguers? Or does Andrew Yang really have good name recognition, and I just got unlucky in running into posers who have no idea about anything? Or are people really just not that plugged in after all?
- beat 8y ago
  If you'd come in at the same point in the cycle in 2015, you'd have gotten the same blank stares for Bernie Sanders. Or in 2003, none would have known who Howard Dean was. Of course, six months later, Dean completely dominated the Democratic nomination process, largely for standing up and plainly stating beliefs that most Democrats shared, which were being rejected by most Democratic politicians. UBI is widely popular among liberals (and libertarians), and the other candidates aren't even mentioning it. That's how Yang is getting a lot of interest and traction in Iowa and NH. And it helps that he has some characteristics that sell well in the retail-politics, highly personal world of IA/NH primary politics. He comes across as a pretty ordinary and totally sincere person, and those things always sell well. (Source: I lived in Iowa through four presidential campaigns.)
- ncphillips 8y ago
  > As much as we might make fun of MBAs, I imagine them to still be more plugged in than average as to what's happening in the world, especially if they're Ivy Leaguers? I'm not really convinced this is a solid assumption.
Syzygies 8y ago
"a dizzying list of 80 policy positions" If I could relive my narrow miss for student council president (long before the Chicxulub crater), spraying positions everywhere like that would be the first thing I'd avoid repeating.
- Alex3917 8y ago
  He has three main policy positions he's running on that he talks about in his campaign speeches. The other 77 are just there for folks who want to know where he stands on his other positions.
- zzzzzzzza 8y ago
  better than having literally no even semi-concrete policy positions. (see beto or buttigieg's websites)
  - rosstex 8y ago
    Better than the candidate who says "I don't have all the answers, but as President I will weigh the opinions of both sides carefully and make an informed decision with the best interests of the American people in mind."
    - PKop 8y ago
      The problem is that candidate is undistinguishable from a chameleon who will be pushed around either by popular sentiment, special interests, eventually adopt policies you disagree with etc. Taking some kind of concrete stand at least lays a base of where they're coming from and provides metrics of success or failure once in office. The blank slate is more high risk high reward I guess.
  - dqv 8y ago
    Yeah. It's a red flag when someone campaigns without a clear indication of what they actually stand for.
- mac01021 8y ago
largespoon 8y ago
As far as I can tell, Andrew Yang is the only canidate to extensively outline his positions. https://www.yang2020.com/policies/ https://www.yang2020.com/policies/
- dfxm12 8y ago
  You'll see other candidates outline their positions as time moves forward. Just check Sanders' website leading up to the last election: https://web.archive.org/web/20160714080659/https://berniesanders.com/issues/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160714080659/https://berniesan...
- elicash 8y ago
  He has taken a lot of positions, but these are hardly detailed proposals. Check out his early childcare education plan and then compare that to, say, Warren's childcare proposal (who has the most detailed policy agenda by FAR even if it's more difficult to find on the website). https://www.yang2020.com/policies/early-childhood-education/ https://www.yang2020.com/policies/early-childhood-education/ https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-universal-child-care-762535e6c20a https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-universal-child-c...
  - beat 8y ago
    Detailed policy positions won't survive the hard reality of the legislative process anyway. That's why in software, we think agile is better than waterfall.
- dqv 8y ago
  This is rather common for all candidates. For example, Bernie Sanders outlines[0] all his positions in a similar fashion. I'd actually be more surprised if a candidate did not outline their positions this way. [0]: https://feelthebern.org/all-issues/ https://feelthebern.org/all-issues/
  - knolax 8y ago
    Not saying your wrong, but there's a disclaimer at the bottom of that website: "This website was built & is maintained by volunteers with no official relation to Bernie Sanders. We’re regular people, unassociated with any Super PACs or billionaires. "
madmulligan 8y ago
How feasible would getting a federal UBI bill being passed even be? He can want it and push it all day long but if the support from congress isn't there (which it frankly isn't currently), what are the chances it will become reality? Executive orders exist but they have their limits.
- Circuits 8y ago
  Is anyone really under the assumption that AY would even bother pursuing a UBI if he's elected? I am not, I am under the assumption that this is a campaign strategy meant to get him more votes.
  - bbg215 8y ago
    The whole platform is around the major threat and consequences of automation and how UBI can help. He's far too smart to think he's going to pull of a Trump type miracle. The message is the goal. My assumption 1. Yang knows that he little chance to win the nom 2. Yang is running so that his ideas enter mainstream convo (successful already due to JRE's massive influence) and the eventual nominee may incorporate them in their platform in some manner 3. He possibly gains enough early steam that he could be a VP candidate or in the administration which helps accomplish goal #2
- systematical 8y ago
  Four years ago no one was talking about universal healthcare. You could say the same thing about plenty of other pieces of controversial legislation that ended up passing eventually.
  - NoPiece 8y ago
    It was as seriously discussed and considered 40 years ago as today. Maybe more seriously as Medicare and Medicaid had recently been enacted, so there was momentum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_health_care_reform_in_the_United_States#1970s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_health_care_reform_...
- 8y ago
Reedx 8y ago
I've been encouraged by his campaign thus far. Which seems to be much more focused on problems and solutions than engaging in the fruitless wrestling match that is our current political reality.
doctorpangloss 8y ago
> It’s an indication that Yang is running a rather methodical, data-driven, science-happy campaign. Being a (1) "good grades" person trying to (2) solve "bad grades" problems (like things the govt. does) and (3) having essentially no personal experience in "bad grades" problems is a recipe for disaster. To keep this on topic to the forum, this cultural disconnect between good grades and bad grades society makes it really hard for giant tech companies to enter new markets. In my personal experience, a clear example of this is Google Stadia, which is all good grades people who don't really play games trying to make a product for bad grades people who play games all the time; or bad grades people who couldn't work at Google but are talented in some other way so they work for a game studio. It's also why so many investors get sucked in by "fraudsters." They have the intuitive notion that being in bad grades society makes you more effective at understanding the average person's problems. But the interface between good and bad grades involves a lot of lying! Andrew Yang is kind of a distilled example of this, talking about stuff that only people who lived in exclusively good grades society would believe is effective on the face of it. It's not quite the same as being super rich versus super poor (the typical dichotomy), because many people are super rich and got bad grades and just don't believe in the supremacy of technocracy as dearly as people who are its biggest beneficiaries. The real problem is that when you're so deep in the thick of good grades, it's so extremely hard to open up your perspective. You think you're entitled to make all the decisions, and you think wielding power safely is to do so while expressing photographed emotions between dispassionate and smiling. Meet the Zuckerberg Robot Meme the Presidential Candidate. At least Mark Zuckerberg had the good sense to look at the Facebook data and his New Jersey ed-tech experiment realize how deeply unelectable (and unqualified) he is.
- stcredzero 8y ago
  Being a (1) "good grades" person trying to (2) solve "bad grades" problems (like things the govt. does) and (3) having essentially no personal experience in "bad grades" problems is a recipe for disaster. I keep talking to my wife about this in her work. She can't properly manage anyone but the "A and B+ students." She tells people exactly what they should be doing, largely leaves it up to them as to how it fits in with the bigger picture, then expects them to do it. The problem comes in with her reports who are the "B-, C, and D" students. They don't follow her instructions, they're oblivious as to how what they're doing might affect the rest of the company, and she doesn't know how to change their behavior. (She doesn't have full power over hiring. I keep telling her she should work for a startup.) The real problem is that when you're so deep in the thick of good grades, it's so extremely hard to open up your perspective. You think you're entitled to make all the decisions, and you think wielding power safely is to do so while expressing photographed emotions between dispassionate and smiling. I wonder if this is what high level Chinese officialdom is like? I've often heard the quip that in the US, politicians are mostly lawyers, while in China, they're mostly engineers.

60 points by systematical 8y ago

Last month, I met various American MBA students from top US universities. Top of the top. As we rode in cars and ate lunches, they chatted about Democratic presidential candidates. They all didn't like Trump. This was about the time that a number of candidates had announced, and they were discussing who they liked or didn't like. I asked them what they thought of Andrew Yang, and they had no idea who he even was. It showed me how much of an uphill climb Yang has to even get name recognition. I'd like to see any American to walk into any coffee shop and ask, "Hey, so what do you think of Andrew Yang?" and see what kind of name recognition he really has. If these top MBA candidates from top schools who were so enthusiastic for discussing Democratic candidates did not recognize him, who would? As much as we might make fun of MBAs, I imagine them to still be more plugged in than average as to what's happening in the world, especially if they're Ivy Leaguers? Or does Andrew Yang really have good name recognition, and I just got unlucky in running into posers who have no idea about anything? Or are people really just not that plugged in after all?

beat 8y ago
If you'd come in at the same point in the cycle in 2015, you'd have gotten the same blank stares for Bernie Sanders. Or in 2003, none would have known who Howard Dean was. Of course, six months later, Dean completely dominated the Democratic nomination process, largely for standing up and plainly stating beliefs that most Democrats shared, which were being rejected by most Democratic politicians. UBI is widely popular among liberals (and libertarians), and the other candidates aren't even mentioning it. That's how Yang is getting a lot of interest and traction in Iowa and NH. And it helps that he has some characteristics that sell well in the retail-politics, highly personal world of IA/NH primary politics. He comes across as a pretty ordinary and totally sincere person, and those things always sell well. (Source: I lived in Iowa through four presidential campaigns.)
ncphillips 8y ago
> As much as we might make fun of MBAs, I imagine them to still be more plugged in than average as to what's happening in the world, especially if they're Ivy Leaguers? I'm not really convinced this is a solid assumption.

Syzygies 8y ago

"a dizzying list of 80 policy positions" If I could relive my narrow miss for student council president (long before the Chicxulub crater), spraying positions everywhere like that would be the first thing I'd avoid repeating.

Alex3917 8y ago
He has three main policy positions he's running on that he talks about in his campaign speeches. The other 77 are just there for folks who want to know where he stands on his other positions.
zzzzzzzza 8y ago
better than having literally no even semi-concrete policy positions. (see beto or buttigieg's websites)
- rosstex 8y ago
  Better than the candidate who says "I don't have all the answers, but as President I will weigh the opinions of both sides carefully and make an informed decision with the best interests of the American people in mind."
  - PKop 8y ago
    The problem is that candidate is undistinguishable from a chameleon who will be pushed around either by popular sentiment, special interests, eventually adopt policies you disagree with etc. Taking some kind of concrete stand at least lays a base of where they're coming from and provides metrics of success or failure once in office. The blank slate is more high risk high reward I guess.
- dqv 8y ago
  Yeah. It's a red flag when someone campaigns without a clear indication of what they actually stand for.
mac01021 8y ago

largespoon 8y ago

As far as I can tell, Andrew Yang is the only canidate to extensively outline his positions. https://www.yang2020.com/policies/ https://www.yang2020.com/policies/

dfxm12 8y ago
You'll see other candidates outline their positions as time moves forward. Just check Sanders' website leading up to the last election: https://web.archive.org/web/20160714080659/https://berniesanders.com/issues/ https://web.archive.org/web/20160714080659/https://berniesan...
elicash 8y ago
He has taken a lot of positions, but these are hardly detailed proposals. Check out his early childcare education plan and then compare that to, say, Warren's childcare proposal (who has the most detailed policy agenda by FAR even if it's more difficult to find on the website). https://www.yang2020.com/policies/early-childhood-education/ https://www.yang2020.com/policies/early-childhood-education/ https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-universal-child-care-762535e6c20a https://medium.com/@teamwarren/my-plan-for-universal-child-c...
- beat 8y ago
  Detailed policy positions won't survive the hard reality of the legislative process anyway. That's why in software, we think agile is better than waterfall.
dqv 8y ago
This is rather common for all candidates. For example, Bernie Sanders outlines[0] all his positions in a similar fashion. I'd actually be more surprised if a candidate did not outline their positions this way. [0]: https://feelthebern.org/all-issues/ https://feelthebern.org/all-issues/
- knolax 8y ago
  Not saying your wrong, but there's a disclaimer at the bottom of that website: "This website was built & is maintained by volunteers with no official relation to Bernie Sanders. We’re regular people, unassociated with any Super PACs or billionaires. "

madmulligan 8y ago

How feasible would getting a federal UBI bill being passed even be? He can want it and push it all day long but if the support from congress isn't there (which it frankly isn't currently), what are the chances it will become reality? Executive orders exist but they have their limits.

Circuits 8y ago
Is anyone really under the assumption that AY would even bother pursuing a UBI if he's elected? I am not, I am under the assumption that this is a campaign strategy meant to get him more votes.
- bbg215 8y ago
  The whole platform is around the major threat and consequences of automation and how UBI can help. He's far too smart to think he's going to pull of a Trump type miracle. The message is the goal. My assumption 1. Yang knows that he little chance to win the nom 2. Yang is running so that his ideas enter mainstream convo (successful already due to JRE's massive influence) and the eventual nominee may incorporate them in their platform in some manner 3. He possibly gains enough early steam that he could be a VP candidate or in the administration which helps accomplish goal #2
systematical 8y ago
Four years ago no one was talking about universal healthcare. You could say the same thing about plenty of other pieces of controversial legislation that ended up passing eventually.
- NoPiece 8y ago
  It was as seriously discussed and considered 40 years ago as today. Maybe more seriously as Medicare and Medicaid had recently been enacted, so there was momentum. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_health_care_reform_in_the_United_States#1970s https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_health_care_reform_...
8y ago

Reedx 8y ago

I've been encouraged by his campaign thus far. Which seems to be much more focused on problems and solutions than engaging in the fruitless wrestling match that is our current political reality.

doctorpangloss 8y ago

> It’s an indication that Yang is running a rather methodical, data-driven, science-happy campaign. Being a (1) "good grades" person trying to (2) solve "bad grades" problems (like things the govt. does) and (3) having essentially no personal experience in "bad grades" problems is a recipe for disaster. To keep this on topic to the forum, this cultural disconnect between good grades and bad grades society makes it really hard for giant tech companies to enter new markets. In my personal experience, a clear example of this is Google Stadia, which is all good grades people who don't really play games trying to make a product for bad grades people who play games all the time; or bad grades people who couldn't work at Google but are talented in some other way so they work for a game studio. It's also why so many investors get sucked in by "fraudsters." They have the intuitive notion that being in bad grades society makes you more effective at understanding the average person's problems. But the interface between good and bad grades involves a lot of lying! Andrew Yang is kind of a distilled example of this, talking about stuff that only people who lived in exclusively good grades society would believe is effective on the face of it. It's not quite the same as being super rich versus super poor (the typical dichotomy), because many people are super rich and got bad grades and just don't believe in the supremacy of technocracy as dearly as people who are its biggest beneficiaries. The real problem is that when you're so deep in the thick of good grades, it's so extremely hard to open up your perspective. You think you're entitled to make all the decisions, and you think wielding power safely is to do so while expressing photographed emotions between dispassionate and smiling. Meet the Zuckerberg Robot Meme the Presidential Candidate. At least Mark Zuckerberg had the good sense to look at the Facebook data and his New Jersey ed-tech experiment realize how deeply unelectable (and unqualified) he is.

stcredzero 8y ago
Being a (1) "good grades" person trying to (2) solve "bad grades" problems (like things the govt. does) and (3) having essentially no personal experience in "bad grades" problems is a recipe for disaster. I keep talking to my wife about this in her work. She can't properly manage anyone but the "A and B+ students." She tells people exactly what they should be doing, largely leaves it up to them as to how it fits in with the bigger picture, then expects them to do it. The problem comes in with her reports who are the "B-, C, and D" students. They don't follow her instructions, they're oblivious as to how what they're doing might affect the rest of the company, and she doesn't know how to change their behavior. (She doesn't have full power over hiring. I keep telling her she should work for a startup.) The real problem is that when you're so deep in the thick of good grades, it's so extremely hard to open up your perspective. You think you're entitled to make all the decisions, and you think wielding power safely is to do so while expressing photographed emotions between dispassionate and smiling. I wonder if this is what high level Chinese officialdom is like? I've often heard the quip that in the US, politicians are mostly lawyers, while in China, they're mostly engineers.