Andrew Yang Pets Cory Booker’s Arm In Funny Campaign Trail Moment
On Saturday, Democratic presidential candidates Andrew Yang and Cory Booker shared a funny moment at the 2019 Accessibility, Inclusion and Outreach Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Yang approached the United States Senator as he was speaking to an individual and began petting his arm. When Booker realizes it’s Yang, he greets him with a loud, “YANG!”
The moment was captured and posted to Twitter by Cedar Rapids journalist Brian Morelli, which was well-received by supporters on social media.
“Rush Hour 4?” one user joked.
“I see a bromance happening,” said another.
One user highlighted Yang’s ability to get people “comfortable” with him, and another echoed this sentiment, suggesting that he treats all of the candidates with “respect and courtesy.”
Outside of the pair’s “bromance,” Yang spoke at the conference along with Booker, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, and John Delaney. Per The Des Moines Register, each candidate was asked to address the same question: “How would you accelerate meeting the goals of full inclusion envisioned in the Americans with Disabilities Act? And please be specific.”
Yang used his time at the event — available on YouTube — to advocate for accessible jobs but also warned against equating economic value to human value, which is a warning he often makes on the campaign trail.
Funny moment – @AndrewYang pets the arm of a distracted @CoryBooker until he realizes and greets him with “YANG!” #IACaucus pic.twitter.com/wp0I89ENTu
— Brian Morelli (@bmorelli) November 2, 2019
During an interview with Wired, Yang spoke about the assumption that workers of certain trades — such as truck drivers, who he claims are threatened by automation — can be re-trained to be software engineers.
“The only reason we think that is we’ve been brainwashed to equate economic value and human value, where if workers have lost their value in the marketplace then we think, OK, we have to transform you into something that does have value even if that transformation is totally unrealistic.”
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur also spoke about the current state of the United States healthcare system, suggesting that there is wasteful spending that isn’t funneled into things that improve the quality of life for Americans but instead are designed to generate profit.
Yang has yet to release his healthcare plan, but attacked the “bizarre profit and revenue-driven healthcare and insurance system.” He suggested a public Medicare for All system that is not designed around profit or revenue, although his definition of Medicare for All appears to differ from Sanders’ Medicare for All bill.
Yang is currently sixth in the polls with 2.7 percent support. He is set to release his healthcare plan in the coming days and needs four percent or higher in three more DNC-approved polls to qualify for the December debate.
