Looking forward to Andrew Yang’s new book. As an Independent, I couldn’t get excited about any of the Democrats running for President. I liked Yang but couldn’t see him running the country. An amalgamation of Democratic candidates might have produced a force like Bill Clinton, who I think truly galvanized the Democratic Party in the way Ronald Reagan inspired the GOP.

Both parties today have internal factions and discord, which gives hope for the “none of the above” candidate from the Nobody Party. Ross Perot came close in 1992. People are gravitating towards not self-identifying. The GOP is undoubtedly less divided. The diverse Democrats cater to the most educated as well as the poorest. Yet, they come across like crybabies in need of therapy and stimulus money. The tough guys known as the GOP suffer from the rubric of government brought forth by the Covid pandemic, evicting their normalcy of American life and business as we know it.

The stench of death and threat of economic free fall, especially for the small business owner, signals challenges which go beyond the ongoing government imposition that only seems to save lives but at the expense of joy and prosperity. Death by Covid while continuing the American way of life seems less frightening than accepting the long-drawn-out psychological trauma from a confined life —- akin to making our children social recluses like the Japanese hikikomori.

While I applaud Yang for his gutsy politics and bringing these ideas to the forefront, I wonder if another Bill Clinton (perhaps cloaked multiracially like sports star Patrick Mahomes for these modern times) has already begun an Independent’s journey in a small town in America like Hope, Arkansas —- paying his dues and warmly shaking hands with real people struggling with loss. I’m not suggesting another Barack Obama, just someone who’s more hands-on tactician and less philosopher-poet. A soaring intellect can stifle pragmatism in government. The smartest person in the room is usually not the most effective politician. Government is not like the Jeopardy game show.

Here’s a brief preview of Andrew Yang’s bold new book outlining six themes that might resonate for some: Link

• “Ranked-choice voting and open primaries.”
• “Fact-based governance.”
• “Human-centered capitalism.”
• “Effective and modern-day government.”
• “Universal Basic Income.”
• “Grace and Tolerance.”

The commercial ends here. You can buy the book, too. 🤓