The 2024 Presidential Election: With Andrew Yang
I discuss the upcoming 2024 Presidential election, why Marianne Williamson should stand, and ask Andrew Yang whether he will run again.
The 2024 Presidential election is right around the corner. Come the summer, the campaigning machinery will be operating at full force. I feel as if there is no other way to begin a discussion about 2024 than by acknowledging that former President Trump is running again. In all honesty, I am unsure as to whether he wins the Republican Primary. This alone is significant, for when Trump announced, I was sure that he would ease to victory. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is seen as Trumps biggest, and most threatening opponent. Those close to DeSantis say that he is on the verge of announcing his candidacy.
I see DeSantis as some sort of ‘Trump-lite’ figure. He attempts to tap into some of the right-wing faux populism which Trump did so successfully. Even if he is noticeably less charismatic than Trump, he is seen as a more palatable alternative to the insurrection inciting former President. Although polls signify a domination of the field by Trump and DeSantis, this could change drastically depending on who else runs. If others such as Nikki Haley, Mike Pompeo, and Mike Pence run, which I think is likely, we would likely see a splitting of the ‘anti-Trump’ vote, in turn harming DeSantis. Polls suggest that a Haley campaign would essentially hand Trump the Republican nomination.
Even if DeSantis is to win the primary, I think it is very likely that Trump would continue campaigning, albeit as an independent. This would then doom whoever the Republican candidate is and then hand Democrats another spell in the White House. So, although Trump’s popularity among Republicans is at a low-point, if Republicans want to prevent Trump’s potential independent campaign giving victory to Democrats, the most prudent thing for the party to do may well be to support his campaign. Nonetheless, this is all predicated on a prediction that if Trump lost he would continue campaigning as an independent. I think his character and election denying streak would suggest it is likely, but this is certainly not set in stone. I hope Trump loses and is consigned to the history books. Regrettably, however, I fear things will not be that simple. Trump potentially losing the Republican Primary certainly does not spell his political end.
Having considered the potential Republican candidates, the next step is to consider who will run on the Democratic side. Although Biden is suggesting he is not ready to make a decision regarding 2024, I think the likelihood of him running again is high. I think Biden sees defeating Trump as his God-given responsibility, and this would only be bolstered by his doing so back in 2020. I think Biden sees himself as the only person who can defeat Trump. For one, I think he has a far greater chance at doing so than his Vice President Kamala Harris, who is a historically unpopular Vice President. I also quiver in fear at the thought of a Pete Buttigieg campaign. I think Pete stands for nothing, and has no real principles, except doing whatever is necessary to further his political career. I think his abandoning of policies such as Medicare For All signifies this. For why would someone just suddenly drop a belief in free healthcare for all? This is all a long way of saying that the Democratic establishment has no viable alternative to Biden. Consequentially, they may just end up pressuring Biden into running again.
Therefore, I think the only viable alternatives to Biden lie outside of the Democratic establishment. I think Marianne Williamson would be a fantastic candidate and President. In her 2020 campaign Williamson championed ‘a politics of love’, which entailed raising the minimum wage and Medicare for All. However, sadly the Democratic establishment forced her out of the contest, by constantly moving the goalposts to qualify for the debates. I would argue that they were scared of the challenge she presented to them, especially so after becoming the ‘most Googled candidate’ after the second debate. I think she is exactly the type of person to fill the void in the Democratic left. For Bernie won’t run again if Biden does, which I think is likely. Therefore, the left should turn to Williamson. Williamson is exactly the type of figure America needs at this crucial moment in its history. The country is more divided that ever. They need someone to truly unite the country, and begin to address many of the wounds that lead to this division. Williamson would do this. If not Williamson, then I’d like to see former Congressional candidate Nina Turner run. Similarly to Williamson, she is a fearless progressive and truth teller. She would be a force to be reckoned with.
However, I feel as if all of the above discussion about which Republicans or Democrats run could end up being somewhat meaningless. For I could see Trump clutching the nomination, and Biden running again. If Biden does run again, I am absolutely certain that there will be no Democratic Primary debates. There is no chance in hell that the Democratic establishment elite would let Biden debate someone like Williamson. This is a grave shame.
Note, I say all of this with no ill-will towards Biden. I think he has done some great things, such as eliminating some student loan debt. I also think he seems like a genuinely nice person, which should not be undervalued. Nonetheless, this does not mean that there shouldn’t be a discussion about other candidates for 2024. Especially so, considering his age. I think not holding any debates would be an insult to democracy. But you never know, maybe Biden doesn’t run again and Marianne Williamson ends up as President. A man can dream right?
Asides from the two main parties which dominate the dysfunctional duopoly, Andrew Yang’s Forward Party provides a much needed alternative. A political breath of fresh air if you will. I have written extensively about the Forward Party, and what they stand for before, so go and read those articles if you wish to learn more about the party. But to summarise, I feel as if the democratic reforms they are fighting for such as Ranked Choice Voting are crucial to strengthen and secure American democracy. The value and importance of what Yang is doing should not be underestimated in the slightest.
In this vein, I was honoured to be able to ask Andrew Yang some questions about the upcoming 2024 election. Building on from my Marianne Williamson discussion, I asked Andrew how he would feel about a Williamson Presidential bid in 2024, and whether he and the Forward Party would endorse her candidacy. I find this incredibly interesting, given the two agree on many things, as highlighted in their discussion on Yang’s podcast ‘Forward’. Andrew explained that:
Marianne Williamson is a genuine and moral person. I always enjoyed spending time with her on the trail and consider her a friend. I think that some form of choice and competition in the Democratic Party would be a positive thing. I personally would be supportive.
Of course, Andrew ran in 2020. He ran an inspirational campaign which defied all expectations and bought policies like UBI into the mainstream. Naturally, my next question to Andrew was whether he would ever consider running for President again, potentially in a future Forward Party Primary. Andrew replied, saying:
I’m always looking to have a positive impact and am in my 40s. Just about every day someone asks me to run again, which I appreciate. I certainly would be open to running again if I thought it would lead to good things for people and the circumstances were right. Right now I believe that structural reforms like Ranked Choice Voting are what the country needs in order for there to be the kind of choices that people want.
I sincerely hope Andrew runs again. He is my biggest inspiration, and think the policies he is fighting for, like UBI and Ranked Choice Voting are crucial. However, in the meantime, I hope Marianne Williamson and or Nina Turner run on the Democratic side. The 2024 election will be a critical turning point in the history of the US. The nation will have to stave off the threat of an extremist right wing Trump or DeSantis presidency. Although I have a great deal of respect and affection for President Biden, I think Williamson or Turner is better suited to the challenge and would get more done to prevent the threat of these extremist candidates. I also think they would work closely with Yang and the Forward Party, and champion these democratic reforms, like Ranked Choice Voting, which would to a large part quash the threat of extremist candidates like Trump and DeSantis.
Therefore, at this critical junction, it is incredibly important that we do all we can to support people like Williamson and Yang. They are two people who I genuinely believe would achieve so much good. I think their success is crucial for the stability of the nation. It remains to be seen who will run in 2024. But with Trump and DeSantis likely dominating the right, we need figures like Williamson and Yang to do well in order to restore some sanity. I greatly hope they do, and think we should do all we can to support them. The future of the nation could well depend on it.
Many thanks to Andrew for his time. His kindness, generosity, and support of independent student journalism is unwavering. He gives me hope.