Andrew Yang: No Need to Throw Rocks, Hail Mary Because Campaign ‘Not in Desperation Mode’

CNN political director Mark Preston said on Wednesday afternoon that presidential candidate Andrew Yang has a “built-in political base” that will allow him to grow his campaign if he gets momentum coming out of Wednesday’s debate.

And that is why Yang has been saying this week that he does not have to try to force soundbites and confrontations during the debate. Because of his “Yang Gang” following, the entrepreneur has already met the donor threshold for the next round of debates and is one qualifying poll away from making the fall debates.

Yang told CNN’s Erin Burnett this week that he has a “real great opportunity not just this week, but throughout the coming weeks to make this case to the American people.”

“We are in a fortunate position where we are not in desperation mode where many campaigns are in a bit of a Hail Mary situation,” he said.

Yang said the debate can create “unfortunate dynamics” that “degenerate into rehearsed attack lines because” candidates feel like their backs are “against the wall.”

“That’s not where our campaign is, which makes very, very happy and glad,” Yang said.

Yang recently met with the Des Moines Register’s editorial board in the first-in-the-nation caucus state, and one editorial board member said that Yang “belongs among the front ranks of candidates” because he “has obviously thought deeply about the fourth industrial revolution, has fresh ideas and a refreshing non-ideological approach to governing. Meeting with him is like sitting in on a graduate seminar, with ideas sparking but a relaxed, not-too-nerdy atmosphere.”

The editorial board concluded: “Bottom line: Even if we don’t agree with all of his ideas, Yang deserves more attention than he’s getting in this crowded presidential field. If voters are serious about actually solving problems, as opposed to just winning the next election, Yang’s website www.yang2020.com should be on their reading list.”

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