The Plan for the Campaign

This project is a longshot. Elections are usually won by the people you expect to win them: party members with tons of financial backing and good connections. But right now, politics and government feel so broken, breaking all the rules actually feels viable.

In fact, it’s starting to seem like this is the only way we’re going to get anything other than more-of-the-same.

But how? I do intend to be successful in my candidacy for Congress, and I have a three-part plan:

1. Listen, Ask Good Questions, Tell the Truth

I wrote about this once already, but there is more to say. I don’t think most people in government are doing much listening. I say this because once in a while there will be a “town hall meeting” or a “listening tour” and that gets a ton of press, but generally what you hear from elected officials are the same talking points you hear from other officials in their same party.

Nor are the questions all that intelligent. They usually seem to be more of the gotcha variety than the tell-me-more variety.

And I don’t think I need to explain much the need for politicians to actually tell the truth.

2. Talk To Everyone—Especially People Who Are Usually Ignored

Almost everyone that a politician talks to is a person who can write them a check. But that’s not most people. Maybe 1 in 20 Americans have ever donated to a political campaign. [1]

I am most interested in talking to the other nineteen. People who are poor, or who are rich and don’t care about politics. People who have questions and needs and are frankly fed up with the process.

You know, normal people. Like me and you.

3. Seek Trust, Not Money

I have no problem with money. But I do have a problem with money in politics, because the people who are spending the money are the ones writing the laws. [2]

What I really need is a currency which is far more valuable: trust. I need you to trust me. Because if you trust me, you’ll tell your friends about me. And if you and you friends trust me, I have to do something which all the money in the world can’t do.

I have to keep your trust.

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That’s my plan. Questions?

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[1] https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/jan/24/andrew-yang/what-percent-americans-donate-political-candidates/

[2] https://www.usatoday.com/pages/interactives/asbestos-sharia-law-model-bills-lobbyists-special-interests-influence-state-laws/