Andrew Yang Supporters Play ‘Pass It On’ To Show Diversity Of Base
Supporters of Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang have been taking to Twitter to play “pass it on” to reveal their political orientation, occupation, and the many reasons they are voting for the serial entrepreneur. The responses reveal the varied base of support for Yang, who himself has touted his diverse coalition of Democrats, Republicans, and Libertarians.
“I’m a former Bernie supporter, former Ron Paul supporter, high school teacher who believes in working toward a culture of forgiveness, human value and practical alignment with the realities of 21st century technology and I support @AndrewYang,” one supporter wrote.
“Im a republican who voted for trump. Now I’m registered as a democrat and voting for Yang,” tweeted another.
“I’m a gun hating socialist. I campaign for Andrew Yang,” another chimed in.
Others wrote more unorthodox, nonpolitical responses. One user said they were voting for Yang because of his musical taste, including The Cure, Depeche Mode, and The Smiths. Another joked about their YouTube addiction — an apparent reference to the many Yang videos on the platform and his campaign’s initial boost from The Joe Rogan Experience.
As for the reason for Yang’s diverse base, Peter Beinart — writing for The Atlantic — suggests that it lies at least partly in Yang’s downplaying of social issues and focus on economic issues. Yang’s campaign centers around a universal basic income (UBI) he believes is necessary as automation continues to push more and more Americans to the sidelines of the economy and gut the middle class.
Thank you Chicago – you were #YangGang before anyone else and I love you for it. Lets change the future of this country together. ??? @ChicagoYangGang pic.twitter.com/0hQdt8nvr7
— Andrew Yang????? (@AndrewYang) December 6, 2019
According to Beinart, this approach is ideal for drawing some disaffected voters who feel alienated by elites because they believe such figures are using social issues to “distract from the economic dangers that matter most.”
“The more Trump cranks up America’s identity wars, the more some Americans yearn for a more technocratic, bloodless, ‘nonideological’ politics,” Beinart writes, claiming that Yang appeals to the “yearning for an objective politics” that is similar to the demand in the Progressive era the spanned the 1890s to the 1920s.
Per Business Insider, Yang’s unorthodox approach to politics may be paying off. The publication found that Yang is locking down more supporters than other mid-tier Democratic candidates. In particular, the report found that in over six polls, Yang supporters like an average of 5.5 candidates overall, which is lower than all other mid-tier candidates. The data also suggested that 7 percent of those polled who support Yang would be satisfied with just Yang.
