Andrew Yang Says He Would Rather See UBI Passed Than Get Elected
Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang, who runs on a platform that centers around a universal basic income (UBI), recently spoke with Fox News associate producer Alexandra Rego during his “New Way Forward” bus tour and played a game of “would you rather.” At one point, Yang was asked if he would rather not get elected president but see UBI passed or take office without it getting passed.
“Not get elected and UBI passes,” the Democratic hopeful said.
Elsewhere during the game, Yang’s answers revealed his preference for Star Wars over Star Trek, Harry Potter House Gryffindor over Ravenclaw, and his desire to see Trump get defeated in 2020 over getting impeached and removed from office.
As for the candidates who could get elected in place of Yang and pass UBI, Tulsi Gabbard and Marianne Williamson are the only ones that have supported the plan to varying degrees, per Ozy. Bernie Sanders previously supported UBI but now rejects it in favor of his federal jobs guarantee.
The 44-year-old serial entrepreneur has previously spoken about his plan to get UBI passed through Congress.
“Occasionally people ask me how I can pass Universal Basic Income. Just requires a Congressional majority. Nothing more. It passed the House in 1971. This time it will go all the way,” Yang tweeted in November 2018.
Would @AndrewYang rather get elected and not pass a Universal Basic Income or not get elected but get UBI passed? Would he rather live in outer space or under the ocean? Would he rather see @realDonaldTrump removed from office or lose in 2020? Watch to find out! #2020Election pic.twitter.com/NsvROckpHj
— Alexandra Rego (@alexrego_tweets) December 13, 2019
During an interview with New York Magazine, Benjamin Hart noted how difficult it has been to get social programs through Congress, pointing in particular to Obamacare. Yang pointed to Alaska — a deep red state — and its yearly dividend to residents of the region that was passed by a Republican governor. The candidate also banked on Republicans and conservatives wanting to work with him.
“Many Republicans and conservatives will look up and say, ‘Wait a minute. This dividend would help rejuvenate rural areas. It would help revitalize many states in the interior that are being depleted in various ways,'” Yang said, adding that he believes there will be “bipartisan support” for UBI in a way that is difficult to achieve with other proposals.
Yang’s campaign has certainly attracted people from all across the political spectrum. As The Inquisitr reported, the entrepreneur’s supporters previously played a game of “pass it on” on Twitter to show the diversity of his base. One user revealed they were a Republican that voted for Trump, and another said they formerly supported Sanders and Ron Paul.
“I’m a gun hating socialist. I campaign for Andrew Yang,” another revealed.
Whether Yang can get elected and pass UBI or not, he has helped push the concept into the mainstream. The Hill‘s Rising host Saagar Enjeti previously said that he won the October Democratic presidential debate simply for shifting the Overton window and bringing his signature proposal onto the debate stage, much like Sanders did with Medicare for All.
