After yesterday’s Democratic presidential debate, Andrew Yang and his campaign manager, Zach Graumann, were captured in a moment that appears to have hit home with supporters of the outsider campaign. The video was posted to Twitter by Yang’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Carly Reilly, and shows the pair’s close relationship.
“This friendship is my fav ever,” one supporter wrote.
“The bromance is real,” wrote another.
“The pride you feel when your dad does something awesome in front of your whole school,” another joked.
Yang used his debate time to push his signature proposal of a universal basic income (UBI) of $1,000 per month, highlight the threat of automation to American jobs, and express his belief that the decriminalization of opioids is the right path to combat the current addiction epidemic.
Although Yang’s UBI is praised by some as a necessary move as the United States economy transforms and criticized by others as too costly, one thing that people on both sides of the argument appear to generally agree on is that Yang has succeeded in bringing UBI and automation to the forefront of the political conversation.
In a recent op-ed, The Hill ‘s Rising host Saagar Enjeti touched on his belief that Yang won the debate due to the focus on his signature proposals. He compared his statement to his belief that Bernie Sanders has already won the Democratic nomination because of the fact that he pushed Medicare for All into the political conversation and highlights that where the current Democratic candidates stand on healthcare ultimately comes down to how they compare to Sanders.
Positive post-debate vibes ?? @Zach_Graumann @AndrewYang #DemDebates4 pic.twitter.com/NXX8G9YFcV
— Carly Reilly ? (@carlypreilly) October 16, 2019
Although Enjeti admits he doesn’t completely agree with Yang’s views on UBI and automation, he suggests that his campaign has nevertheless been a success by — like Sanders — shifting the focus onto his campaign’s signature issues.
“Last night to me, it seems like Andrew Yang was the major winner of the debate. He has moved the Overton window more than any other candidate in this race, taking an issue which nobody was talking about to the forefront of that stage,” he wrote, adding that sparking the debate of UBI versus a federal job guarantee is not something that could have been predicted.
“It is an extraordinary remarkable achievement,” he wrote.
Graumann, who quit his job on Wall Street and left his non-profit in the hands of someone else to head Yang’s campaign, has previously spoken out about the constant stream of doubt the campaign has faced during its run.
“People keep telling me we have no shot. Sounds great. We will keep proving you wrong,” he tweeted.
