Andrew Yang won last night's primary debate without attending it
The top four winners of last night’s debate, according to Google searches and the number of tweets about each candidate, were Bernie Sanders, followed by Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and then Andrew Yang. Ironically, Yang wasn’t even on the debate stage.
Bernie Sanders was the most tweeted-about candidate during tonight's #DemDebate, per @Twitter.
Andrew Yang came in fourth despite not qualifying for the debate.
https://t.co/V63kUnpANP pic.twitter.com/3Hu1cYFLA6
— ABC News (@ABC) January 15, 2020
Yang failed to qualify for Tuesday’s seventh Democratic primary debate, but his campaign still holds an appeal that few candidates have managed to replicate. It’s relatable, yet intriguing. It seems most voters are still trying to figure out who Yang is and whether he’s serious when he vows to give every person in the country $1,000 per month. (Hint: He is.)
Yang sympathizes with blue-collar workers by addressing what might be the most potent crisis they face: automation and the effect it’s had on the cost of labor. Few politicians are willing to address automation because few people outside the working class are willing to admit that technology has a price tag, one that isn’t always monetary.
Yang also does well among young voters, and it’s easy to see why. He’s unscripted, casual, and, as the kids say, chill. He is not an ideologue. He rarely wears a tie, and his performances during the first few primary debates didn’t feel rehearsed. Yang pays little attention to the political drama that’s consumed the other Democratic candidates (looking at you, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren), and instead of lamenting his lack of political experience, he’s embraced it.
Just yesterday, for instance, Yang weighed into the liberal split between Warren and Sanders and said, “Watching this Elizabeth-Bernie dynamic is upsetting. We have big problems to solve and both want to solve them. I’m sure that’s where they would want our attention focused too.”
Regardless of whether Yang makes it to the next debate stage, it’s clear his campaign isn’t going anywhere any time soon. There’s still a demand for the down-to-earth expertise Yang offers, and his core issues are just niche enough to generate attention. After all, who else in the field is talking about a universal basic income?
But the secret to Yang’s success thus far hasn’t been his policies; it’s been him, Andrew Yang, the personable entrepreneur who treats people like human beings rather than votes to win. His campaign is driven by his personality, and clearly, it’s working. His absence on last night’s debate stage was noticeable, so he must be doing something right.
- I want my money!!!
