Why Andrew Yang Left the Democratic Party

NOW TURNING TO THE STATE OF POLITICS WITHIN THE UNITED STATES.

OUR NEXT GUEST RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020, AND FOR NEW YORK CITY MAYOR JUST THIS YEAR.

BOTH CAMPAIGNS WERE UNSUCCESSFUL, BUT NOW TECH ENTREPRENEUR ANDREW YANG HAS ANNOUNCED HE'S LEAVING THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY TO LAUNCH HIS OWN, THE FORWARD PARTY.

HERE HE IS SPEAKING WITH MICHELLE MARTIN ABOUT THE INSPIRATION BEHIND HIS BOOK, HIS NEW PARTY AND HIS VISION FOR AMERICAN POLITICS.

THANKS, BIANNA.

ANDREW YANG, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

THANKS FOR HAVING ME, MICHELLE.

SO BEFORE WE GO FORWARD WHICH IS THE NAME OF YOUR LATEST BOOK I'D LIKE TO GO BACKWARD FOR THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH YOUR CAREER AND OF COURSE, YOU RAN FOR PRESIDENT IN 2020, FIRST-TIME CANDIDATE AND NEVER RAN FOR ANYTHING BEFORE AND HAD NEVER BEEN INVOLVED IN POLITICS BEFORE SO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY WHY YOU RAN.

I RAN FOR PRESIDENT BECAUSE I WANT TODDLE STRAIGHT THE IDEA OF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME WHICH I BELIEVE IS NECESSARY PARTICULARLY AT A TIME WHEN OUR ECONOMY IS BEING TRANSFORMED BEFORE OUR EYES.

TECHNOLOGY IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER AT DOING WORK THAT MILLIONS OF AMERICANS DO, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO IT, TO US.

I BELIEVE THE ECONOMY WAS ONE OF THE DRIVING FORCES TO DONALD TRUMP BEING ELECTED IN 2016.

THE CONGRESS SUPPORTED THE FIRST ITERATION OF IT ANYWAY, AND IT IS UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME.

THE BEST THING COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON IS THE CHILD TAX CREDIT THAT LIFTED MILLIONS OF FAMILIES OUT OF POVERTY AND THAT MONEY IS GOING DIRECTLY TO MAKING KIDS AND PEOPLE, FAMILIES HEALTHIER, MENTALLY HEALTHIER AND MORE ABLE TO LEARN, SCHOOL SUPPLIES.

TO YOUR POINT, MICHELLE, THE CARES ACT DID SEND $1200 CHECKS TO TENS OF MILLIONS OF AMERICANS, BUT THAT WAS ONLY 17% OF THE TOTAL.

WE ACTUALLY COULD HAVE SENT EVERYONE $6,000 IF THE BULK OF THE 2.2 TRILLION CARES ACT ACTUALLY WENT TO PEOPLE AND FAMILIES AND INSTEAD IT WENT TO AIRLINES, BANKS AND INSTITUTIONS AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE WRONG BALANCE.

YOU RAN FOR MAYOR OF NEW YORK THIS YEAR.

YOU DIDN'T DO AS WELL AS YOU'D HOPE IN THAT SENSE.

YOU GOT A LOT OF ATTENTION FROM EARLY ON, BUT YOU WOUND UP.

THERE WAS A NEW SYSTEM FOR VOTING IN NEW YORK CITY, AND JUST SOMETHING YOU ALSO ADVOCATE.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU DIDN'T DO AS WELL THERE?

YOU CAME IN FOURTH.

I WAS SO PROUD OF OUR CAMPAIGN.

I GOT 115,000 FIRST-PLACE VOTES AND HAD MORE INDIVIDUAL DONORS THAN ANY CAMPAIGN IN THE HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY.

WE DIDN'T ACCOMPLISH OUR GOAL WHICH WAS TO BE IN POSITION TO DO A LOT OF GOOD FOR THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK, BUT AND WE CAN SEE AROUND US.

DID YOU THINK YOU CAN WIN?

I PLEDGED A BILLION DOLLARS TO TRY AND ALLEVIATE POVERTY WHICH I THOUGHT WAS A GREAT START.

THE CITY IS NOT IN PHENOMENAL SHAPE RIGHT NOW, AND I THOUGHT I COULD HELP.

THAT'S THE BASIC MOTIVATION, BUT I WOULDN'T HAVE RUN IT IF I WASN'T READY TO COMMIT YEARS OF MY LIFE TO TRY TO HELP THE PEOPLE OF NEW YORK AND I'M STILL TRYING TO HELP IN MY OWN WAY.

SO TALK ABOUT THE BOOK.

HOW DID THE BOOK COME ABOUT?

RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT I WAS GOING 100 MILES AN HOUR AND FIGURE OUT WHAT I'D LEARNED BECAUSE I'D LEARNED A LOT AND THE BOOK CAME OUT OF THOSE REFLECTIONS.

I SPENT ABOUT A THIRD OF THE BOOK AS YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN TALKING ABOUT THE ACTUAL ACT OF RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT AND WHAT THAT PROCESS LOOKED LIKE AND HOW WE DID GET TRACTION AND ATTENTION, BUT THEN I STARTED TO DIG INTO WHY IT IS THAT THINGS ARE NOT WORKING WELL ON A NATIONAL LEVEL AND I OPENED BY TALKING ABOUT HOW I THOUGHT PEOPLE WOULD LOVE BASIC INCOME AND THEN WE CAN HAVE IT AND IT TURNS OUT THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT AMERICANS WANT THAT WE DON'T HAVE.

THE VAST MAJORITY OF US WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, LOWER DRUG PRICES AND WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DELIVER ON THOSE THINGS, AND SO I STARTED DIGGING INTO THE DYSFUNCTION AND OUR SYSTEM IS DESIGNED NOT TO WORK AND IF UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME WAS THE WHAT?

THIS BOOK BECAME THE HOW AND HOW DO WE REALIGN INCENTIVES WITH THE PEOPLE BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THEIR INCENTIVES ARE ACTUALLY IN OTHER DIRECTIONS AND IT'S LEADING US TO POLARIZATION AND CIVIL UNREST AND POLITICAL VIOLENCE.

WHAT ARE THOSE REASONS WHY THE SYSTEM IS DYSFUNCTIONAL?

IT'S DYSFUNCTIONAL BECAUSE PEOPLE'S INCENTIVES ARE NOT TO ACTUALLY COMPROMISE AND SOLVE PROBLEMS.

RIGHT NOW CONGRESS HAS A NATIONAL APPROVAL RATING OF 28%. VERY LOW AND INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS HAVE A RE-ELECTION RATE OF 92% AND THEY'RE ALMOST ASSURED TO GET THEIR JOBS BACK REGARDLESS IF THEY DELIVER OR DON'T DELIVER FOR THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.

IT TURNS OUT THAT 83% OF THE DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE EITHER VERY BLUE OR VERY RED, AND SO KEEPING YOUR JOB IS NOT CONTINGENT UPON WHETHER YOU DO A GOOD JOB FOR 5 % OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

IT'S CONTINGENT UPON YOU PLEASING AND VACATING 10% TO 20% OF VOTERS IN YOUR DISTRICT.

WHICH IT YOU DO COMPROMISE, YOU ARE CAST OUT AND PRIMARIED AND POTENTIALLY LOSE YOUR JOB TO THE PARTY LINE WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY YOU SEE SO MANY REPUBLICANS REFUSING TO COLLABORATE ON ANYTHING BECAUSE IT WILL THREATEN THEIR JOB SECURITY.

SO IF THOSE ARE THE INCENTIVES THEN YOU WILL EXPECT IT TO GET WORSE AND NOT BETTER AND THAT'S BEING COMPOUNDED BY MEDIA OE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SEPARATE US INTO IDEA LOGICAL TRIBES AND IT WILL GET WORSE, NOT BETTER AND IT'S TO REALIGN THE SIN SENTIVES WITH NOT THE 20% OF EITHER IS THE ASK THE WAY TO DO THAT IS BY SHIFTING ON OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANKED CHOICE TREED UP.

FOR EXAMPLE REPUBLICAN CHANNEL VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP DESPITE THAT BEING UNPOPULAR TO PARTISANS, SHE NOW CAN APPEAL TOTE GENERAL PUBLIC.

GUESS THE QUESTION BECOMES WHY WOULD THEY DO THIS?

I MEAN, HOW DOES THIS ACTUALLY GET ACCOMPLISHED BECAUSE THERE ARE AREN'T MANY PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE ABOUT THE DISEASES AND THEY MAY DISAGREE ABOUT THE CAUSE OF IT.

FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE CAUSE OF IT IS REDISTRICTING AND GERRYMANDERING.

INSTEAD OF THE VOTERS CHOOSING THEIR LEADERS, THE LEADERS ARE CHOOSING THEIR VOTERS.

WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THAT.

IT'S ONE REASON WHY 83% OF THESE SEATS ARE VERY BLUE AND VERY RED BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DRAWN THAT WAY, BUT YOU CAN STILL IMPROVE THE INCENTIVES OF SOMEONE THAT IS REPRESENTING ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS BECAUSE AGAIN, 51% OF THE PEOPLE IN THAT DISTRICT HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS AND IT'S STILL A MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT.

IN TERMS OF THE GEOGRAPHIC DISPARITIES YOU CAN SEE OUR COUNTRY IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE POLARIZED BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL AND BETWEEN DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS AND LEVELS OF DIVERSITY BETWEEN DIFFERENT EDUCATION LEVELS AND THAT IS DRIVING US TOWARDS A PRECIPICE OF A NEW CIVIL WAR TYPE ENVIRONMENT.

RIGHT NOW POLITICAL STRESS IS AT KNOW ALL-TIME HIGH AND 42% OF PEOPLE REGARD THE OTHER SIDE AS MORTAL ENEMIES AND EVIL AND IT'S A TERRIBLE ENVIRONMENT AND EVEN WHEN OBAMA WAS RINUNNING FOR PRESIDENT, STATES LIKE IOWA AND OHIO WERE PURPLE STATES AND OBAMA WON.

SO THE QUESTION IS REALLY WHAT HAS GONE ON OVER THIS LAST PERIOD IN IT'S NOT THAT LONG A PERIOD OF EIGHT OR 12 YEARS WHERE YOU CAN MAKE A CASE IN A PLACE LIKE IOWA OR OHIO BASED UPON COMMON INTEREST AND COMMON GROWTH FUND ROOTED OFTEN IN ECONOMICS.

WHAT CHANGED IN THAT TIME PERIOD IN YOUR VIEW THAT MADE IT MORE TOXIC?

A LOT OF IT IS THAT WE'VE GUTTED LOCAL JOURNALISM AND ALL POLITICS HAS BECOME NATIONALIZED AND IT'S MORE INTO THE IDEOLOGICAL TRIBES AND I DO THINK THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HASN'T MADE AS A STRONG OR COMPELLING CASE FROM MY TIME IN THOSE STATES AND SAY I'M A DEMOCRAT, AND THEY WOULD REACT VERY NEGATIVELY AND I WOULD THINK TO MYSELF THEN YOU'RE A WAITRESS, RETAIL CLERK OR TRUCK DRIVER.

I WOULD THINK THAT MAYBE YOU WOULD LIKE DEMOCRATS AND MORE OFTEN THEY DID NOT.

I TRY AND PRESENT THIS IN MY BOOK WHICH IS THAT AT THIS POINT ALL POLITICS HAS BECOME TRIBAL, AND WE THINK WE'RE ARGUING ON POLICY, BUT IT TURNS OUT THAT MOST AMERICANS DON'T THINK IN POLICY, AND THE CORRELATION BETWEEN THE WAY THEY IDENTIFY POLITICALLY AND THEIR POLICY VIEWPOINTS ARE ACTUALLY QUITE LOW, AND I KNOW IF I TALKED TO THE CONSERVATIVES IN IOWA, DO YOU THINK THE DRUG COMPANIES ARE GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER AND WE SHOULD HOLD THEM TO TASK AND GET THE PRICE DOWN, THEY'LL ALL SAY YES, YES, YES.

WE SHOULD DO THAT.

IF YOU SAY HEY, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT SOCIALIZED MEDICINE THEN THEY'LL REACT NEGATIVELY BECAUSE THEY'VE ESSENTIALLY BEEN TRAINED IN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE VERY, VERY BAD.

IN MANY WAYS ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS ADOPT NEUTRAL LANGUAGE AROUND ALL OF THESE ISSUES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE ARGUING IN SYMBOLS AND LANGUAGE AT THIS POINT AND IF YOU GET DOWN TO THE BRASS TAX OF POLICY, 75% OF AMERICANS AGREE WITH THESE THINGS.

HOW MUCH OF THAT IS WHITE NATIONALISM STOKED BY THE FORMER PRESIDENT?

THERE'S CERTAINLY A VERY SIGNIFICANT ELEMENT OF THAT IN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, BUT ROAMING AROUND NOW, YOU CAN CHARACTERIZE THEM AS RED STATES MYSELF AS AN ASIAN MAN, I ENCOUNTERED NEXT TO NO DIRECT RACISM IN THAT LIGHT.

PEOPLE WERE COMPLETELY OPEN TO ME, MY MESSAGE, SUPPORTING ME.

42% OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE SUPPORTING ME WEREN'T SURE THEY WOULD SUPPORT THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

I WAS ABLE TO REACH INDEPENDENTS AND REPUBLICANS BY ADOPTING A DIFFERENT POLITICAL LANGUAGE WHICH WAS NOT EVEN DELIBERATE ON MY PART.

I'M JUST A GUY, AND I JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THE THINGS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT AND DIFFERENT PEOPLE GRAVITATED TOWARDS IT.

SO IN A WAY, TO ME, MICHELLE, THAT'S A RECIPE FOR US WHERE IF YOU HAVE A TWO-SIDED POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND THEY'RE GETTING MORE AND MORE INFLAMED AND BY THE WAY, THE INCENTIVES WILL MAKE THAT WORSE, NOT BETTER OVER TIME THEN YOU DO NEED TO TRY TO CHANGE UP THE DYNAMIC AND THE INCENTIVES WHICH IS WHY MY FORWARD PARTY IS SO LASER FOCUSED ON THE PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING WHICH YOU CAN IMPLEMENT IN 24 STATES IN THE COUNTRY VIA BALLOT INITIATIVE AND THAT'S THE WAY IT HAPPENED IN ALASKA, AND JUST A GROUP OF ALASKANS WHICH IS A RED STATE, THAT IT WOULD BE GENUINELY REPRESENTATIVES.

WHY OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING.

RIGHT NOW IT ENDS UP DEEPENING AND STRENGTHENING FOR SOMEONE TO ADHERE TO THE PARTY LINE WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY YOU SEE SO MANY REPUBLICANS IN TOTAL LOCKSTEP WITH TRUMP.

SO IF YOU HAVE OPEN PRIMARIES, THEN ANYONE CAN VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE AND THEN RANKED CHOICE VOTING THAT YOU CAN HAVE MULTIPLE REPUBLICANS IN THE SAME RACE AND PEOPLE WON'T FEAR THE SPOILER EFFECT.

RANKED CHOICE VOTING DISCOURAGES NEGATIVE CAMPAIGNING AND IT MAKES IT SO DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW CAN EMERGE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BUILD A COALITION OF 50.1%. SO IF YOU WOULD HAVE HAD RANKED CHOICE VOTING IN, FOR EXAMPLE, A REPUBLICAN NOMINATION PROCESS IN 2016, TRUMP NEVER WINS A NOMINATION AND DOESN'T BECOME PRESIDENT BECAUSE HE WAS RUNG AROUND WITH 30 TO 40% AND HE WAINT WASN'T GETTING 50% AND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY IN VIRGINIA JUST USED THIS PROCESS, AND GUESS WHAT?

IT ENDED UP REWARDING SOMEONE MORE MODERATE TOWARD THE MIDDLE.

IF YOU MAKE THIS HAPPEN IN STATES ACROSS THE COUNTRY, YOU'LL WIND UP PUSHING TO THE SIDE THE FOLKS WHO CAN REALLY GIN UP 25% OR 30% WHICH BY THE WAY, RIGHT NOW YOU CAN JUMP 25%, 30% YOU WIN IN THESE PARTY PRIMARIES AND IF YOU OPEN IT UP TO THE GENERAL PARTY, PEOPLE WILL OPEN IT UP AND SAYING I'M NOT SURE THIS IS WHO I WANT REPRESENTING OUR DISTRICT AND WE'LL END UP BRINGING ENERGY TOWARD FOLKS WHO ARE MORE REASONABLE AND ENDING UP WORKING TOGETHER.

WHAT'S THE WAY FORWARD?

THE WAY FORWARD IS WHAT?

YOU'RE ADVOCATING WHAT IN THE C CREATION OF THE FORWARD PARTY?

THE FORWARD PARTY CONSISTS OF SIX PRINCIPLES.

NUMBER ONE BEING OPEN PRIMARIES AND RANK CHOICE VOTING BECAUSE IT'S THE KEY MECHANISM CHANGE THAT WILL IMPROVE ALL OF OUR POLITICAL INCENTIVES AND THE BEHAVIOR OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

WHAT DOES THE THIRD PARTY ACCOMPLISH?

YOU ARE NOW CREATING A POLITICAL MEDIA INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX AROUND YOURSELF IN THE SAME WAY THAT YOU CRITICIZE OTHER PEOPLE FOR DOING WHERE THE ONLY PURPOSE IS TO SORT OF PERPETUATE YOUR BRAND, AS IT WERE.

SO WHAT'S THE -- WALK ME THROUGH IT.

WHY DO YOU THINK THIS IS AN ACTUAL PARTY AND YOU WANT TO REGISTER IT AS A PARTY?

WHAT'S THE PLAN HERE.

WELL, I CONCLUDED THAT POLARIZATION WAS GOING TO GET WORSE AND NOT BETTER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE FORCES WILL DRIVE US.

YOU HAVE TO TRY TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVES AND THE WAY TO CHANGE THOSE INCENTIVES ARE BALLOT INITIATIVES IN 24 STATES THAT ARE BLUE, RED, PURPLE AND SO THAT IS THE MOVEMENT.

THAT IS THE FORWARD PARTY YOU CAN JOIN AS A REGISTERED DEMOCRAT AND AS A REGISTERED REPUBLICAN AND JUST IF YOU WANT TO MAKE OUR COUNTRY MORE REASONABLE AND FUNCTIONAL AGAIN, YOU SHOULD JOIN THE FORWARD PARTY BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND YOU CANNOT DO THIS FROM THE CONTEXT OF ONE OF THE MAJOR PARTIES AND YOU'RE OPERATING IN BLUE STATES OR RED STATES.

SO THAT'S THE PLAN.

I DON'T KNOW IF PEOPLE GET THIS FROM ME, BUT I'M JUST SOMEONE WHO WANTS THINGS TO WORK BETTER AND I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF AMERICANS WHO CAN RELATE TO THAT.

WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ACTUALLY DO?

THIS IS ALL HAT AND NO CATTLE AT THIS POINT?

LET'S SAY, HYPOTHETICALLY.

EVEN LIKE THE DISTRICT OF COLOMBIA, YOU DON'T HAVE THE OPTION TO REGISTER AS AN INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE.

YOU'D HAVE TO BE A DECLINE.

I KNOW, MICHELLE, WHICH IS ONE REASON WHY I SAY VERY EXPLICITLY, WE DON'T NECESSARILY WANT YOU TO CHANGE YOUR PARTY REGISTRATION BECAUSE DOING SO WOULD DISENFRANCHISE YOU AND WHY WOULD I ADVOCATE THAT.

SAY 10 MILLION AMERICANS GET TOGETHER AND SAY THIS SYSTEM WILL END UP LEADING US TO RUIN AND WE'LL BE AT EACH OTHER'S THROATS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SOLVE ANY PROBLEMS AND LET'S TRY TO CHANGE THE INCENTIVES.

IF WE HAD 10 MILLION AMERICANS WHO WERE A PART OF THIS MOVEMENT, GUARANTEED WE WOULD PASS THESE BALLOT INITIATIVES AND HALF A DOZEN STATES FREE UP TO BE ABLE TO EXERCISE THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT WHICH MIGHT BE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DEMOCRACY STANDING THE AT THE TIME OF TIME AND FAILING AND I THINK THAT'S EYE WORTHY MOVEMENT.

WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?

WE'LL MAKE THESE INITIATIVES SUCCESSFUL AND WE'LL ELEVATE AND REWARD CANDIDATES WHO SUBSCRIBE TO OPEN PRIMARIES TO TERM LIMITS FOR THEMSELVES AS MEMBERS OF CONGRESS AND THESE ARE COMMON SENSE MEASURES WHICH WILL MAKE OUR CONGRESS MORE FUNCTIONAL.

AND THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE WERE SUNK, AND MOST OF US CAN FEEL BAD AND WE CAN CHANGE THE PAST.

AND PERMISSION IS TO CHANGE THESE POLITICAL INCENTIVES FOR REPRESENTATIVES AROUND THE COUNTRY AND IF I SHOWED UP IN A RED STATE AS A GRAD, I WOULD MISTRUST ANYTHING THAT I WAS DOING AS A PART OF A DEMOCRATIC INITIATIVE, AND THE GOAL HAS TO TRY AND WORK ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND BEING AN INDEPENDENT IS A MUCH MORE PRACTICAL WAY TO GO.

I WAS A DEMOCRAT FOR 26 YEARS AND MY GOAL WAS JUST TO HELP MY COUNTRY, AND IF I THOUGHT THAT BEING AFFILIATED WITH THE PARTY WAS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT I WOULD DO THAT, BUT I THINK THIS IS A BETTER APPROACH RIGHT NOW.

WELL, I DO HOPE WE'LL TALK AGAIN.

ANDREW YANG, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

THANK YOU, MICHELLE.

IT WAS A PLEASURE.

I'LL COME BACK ANY TIME.