The two-party system in the United States has not worked well for Americans in recent years and there is no doubt that expanding beyond those two parties is needed for real change to happen. Andrew Yang, however, the presidential candidate who ran as a Democrat two years ago and has spent his time bashing the party ever since while insisting that party unity is his goal, is not who CNN’s Jim Acosta, along with a lot of other people, the one to lead us there.
Yang, who decided to switch parties and start his own after getting too few votes to even last out the primaries, sat for an interview with Acosta on CNN while promoting his new book, Forward. Oddly enough, or maybe not, that’s also the name of his new political party.
Acosta got right to the point, asking Yang if his newfound political ideology was tied to the promotion of his book.
‘Let me ask you about your new forward party because you say it’s an attempt to appeal to what you say is the moderate common sense majority. It’s also the same name as your book. Is this an attempt to pump up book sales?’
Yang insisted that it wasn’t, but only for a moment before shifting off into something that had nothing to do with the question he was asked, just like a good politician.
‘I’d have to say this would be a pretty silly way to go about it given the party has tens of thousands of Americans signed up co-chaired by former governor of New Jersey Christine Todd Whitman. And the fact 62% of Americans…’
Of course, that didn’t really answer the question, and Yang spun off on rants while Acosta asked repeatedly, “are you just promoting yourself with this?
Jim Acosta to Andrew Yang:"you were just a Democrat 10 minutes ago."
Should Roe v Wade have been overturned?
Yang: Uhhhhh
Acosta to Yang: "You sound like a Fill-in-the-Party, Andrew"
— Receipt Maven (@receiptmaven) August 14, 2022
Yang was caught in a trap as Acosta asked him the most basic of questions that he will have to address to run for office. His play-both-side-of-the-fence rhetoric doesn’t work when real and divisive policies are at stake.
Acosta asked him:
‘You were just a Democrat 10 minutes ago. Should Roe v Wade have been overturned?’
Yang failed to answer, saying only, “uhhh.” Acosta pounced.
‘You sound like a Fill-in-the-Party, Andrew.’
.@Acosta presses Andrew Yang on if he supports Trump taking classified documents to Mar-a-Lago, and asks him if he is engaging in promoting his book by giving his new political party the same name as his book. pic.twitter.com/qCMWFp91Gg
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) August 14, 2022
Acosta also called Yang to the mat over a recent interview with Fox News’ favorite white supremacist, Tucker Carlson, during which Carlson praised the ideology of Ted Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber. Acosta asked Yang why he didn’t respond when Carlson brought up that talking point, instead lightly stepping around the statement.
Acosta asked him why he would go on Carlson’s show, anyway.
‘He’s a bad person…he spouts of white nationalist talking points…’
Yang tried to play both sides of the fence even with white nationalism, a stance that is unlikely to help him should he decide to run again for office.
‘One of the things we have to do, Jim, is to try and take the temperature of the country down and the only way is to reach out to people where they are.’
Here's the clip @Acosta asks @AndrewYang why he didn't call out "bad person" White Nationalist Icon @tuckerCarlson for praising Unibomber Ted Kaczynski – @CNN – https://t.co/amCrKr2Unw pic.twitter.com/YtiIm87xe3
— Chris Sampson (@sampsonlive) October 9, 2021
