WEBVTT - Former Maryland Governor  Martin O'Malley Talks Democracy, DNC Pitch

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<v Speaker 1>Martin O'Malley, the former administrator of the Social Security Administration,

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<v Speaker 1>former Maryland governor, is making a run for share of

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<v Speaker 1>the DNC and it's.

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<v Speaker 2>Great to see you. Thanks great to be to break

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<v Speaker 2>your message to us here.

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<v Speaker 1>You're trying to strike a tone of optimism and what

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<v Speaker 1>a lot of Democrats see is a dark time.

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<v Speaker 2>How do you do it well?

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<v Speaker 3>I have been talking to so many people all across

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<v Speaker 3>the country, and everyone's trying to figure out what can

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<v Speaker 3>we learn from this, Where are the places where we

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<v Speaker 3>actually got it right, and how can we change so

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<v Speaker 3>that we can win elections, because when we lose, everybody loses.

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<v Speaker 3>So these are the conversations I've been having. And we

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<v Speaker 3>have to do two things at the same time. We

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<v Speaker 3>have to rebuild our party and we have to reconnect

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<v Speaker 3>with the working people across America who are experiencing a

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<v Speaker 3>higher cost of living. That's what we need to do.

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<v Speaker 3>That's always been the core of our party since FDR.

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<v Speaker 3>It's really acknowledging that the most important place in America

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<v Speaker 3>is a family's kitchen table, and became a little bit

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<v Speaker 3>untethered from that at the national level. But our politics

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<v Speaker 3>is not the politics of fear. Our politics is the

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<v Speaker 3>politics of hope, of making sure that working people can

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<v Speaker 3>can feed their kids, can send them to good schools,

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<v Speaker 3>can retire with dignity and grace. So those are the

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<v Speaker 3>issues that we have to get back to when we

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<v Speaker 3>do we win. Let me give you a few examples.

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<v Speaker 3>Since we're doing and thank you for calling it. What

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<v Speaker 3>did you call it? The This is not a post mortem.

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<v Speaker 3>We are not dead.

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<v Speaker 4>We are going to call estion analysis post election analysis,

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<v Speaker 4>the after action.

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<v Speaker 3>Our candidates left it all out on the field, and

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<v Speaker 3>in some places we were successful. You know, I was

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<v Speaker 3>talking to Sharif Street in Pennsylvania. I know they just

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<v Speaker 3>called Senator Casey's election or he conceded. And at the

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<v Speaker 3>federal level Pennsylvania, we were you know, we were disappointed.

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<v Speaker 3>We lost that state by two points. But at the

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<v Speaker 3>state level, they kept all of their gains from these

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<v Speaker 3>years past, so they didn't suffer any reversal in their

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<v Speaker 3>state house. I was talking in the chair of Alaska.

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<v Speaker 3>They flipped both of their legislative chambers in Alaska, and

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<v Speaker 3>if the Hakim Jeffreys and his caucus were able to

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<v Speaker 3>gain six seats in the House. So when we talk

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<v Speaker 3>about jobs and opportunity and connect the dots in clear

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<v Speaker 3>ways so that people can see we are making choices

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<v Speaker 3>that make their families future a thing to prefer rather

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<v Speaker 3>than a thing to dread. Then we win elections, and

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<v Speaker 3>that's what we need to do.

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<v Speaker 4>So it sounds like what you're talking about might just

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<v Speaker 4>be populism, if I could generalize. It's something that Donald

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<v Speaker 4>Trump has really tried to seize on it, and I

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<v Speaker 4>wonder if that means populism is really the only thing

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<v Speaker 4>that is going to win elections in this modern era.

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<v Speaker 3>You know what I would call it. I would call

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<v Speaker 3>it an economy that works for all of us.

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<v Speaker 4>And what's the difference between those descriptions?

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<v Speaker 3>And when we have an economy that works for all

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<v Speaker 3>of us, the democracy supports it. It's very popular, So

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<v Speaker 3>I guess the difference is this. As a Democrat and

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<v Speaker 3>a lifelong democrat, I believe that our economy is not money,

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<v Speaker 3>it's people. It's all of our people, And the greatness

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<v Speaker 3>of our country comes from investing in our people and

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<v Speaker 3>the hope that we see in the eyes of our children,

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<v Speaker 3>and making college more affordable instead of making income more inequitable.

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<v Speaker 3>When our country worked very very well and was the

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<v Speaker 3>envy of the globe. It was because we were investing

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<v Speaker 3>in a stronger and growing middle class.

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<v Speaker 2>But we came away from that over.

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<v Speaker 3>The last forty years, and now I hear the incoming

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<v Speaker 3>president talking about money and bitcoin when instead what the

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<v Speaker 3>American people want us to talk about is them the

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<v Speaker 3>reality around their kitchen table. I am a kitchen table progressive.

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<v Speaker 3>If we don't deliver the goods of the republic that

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<v Speaker 3>make a republic worth having, then our party has lost

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<v Speaker 3>its way.

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<v Speaker 1>We heard from so many voters during the campaign who

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<v Speaker 1>told us that it was the kitchen table they wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about them.

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<v Speaker 2>So Democrats had veered.

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<v Speaker 1>Into identity politics and at least they knew Donald Trump

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<v Speaker 1>had a good economy in No New Wars. Those are

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<v Speaker 1>the two lines that we kept hearing.

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<v Speaker 2>How do you respond to that?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I think the I think people across our country

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<v Speaker 3>actually have a lot more curiosity and interest in talking

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<v Speaker 3>about our economy and how it works and how it

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<v Speaker 3>can be made to work better for their home and

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<v Speaker 3>their kitchen table than a lot of the pundits or

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<v Speaker 3>the media consultants give them credit for. For example, when

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<v Speaker 3>I was running for reelection in Maryland as governor. My

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<v Speaker 3>own consultants told us, people don't want it. They're still

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<v Speaker 3>feeling bad. We're not all the way out of the recession.

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<v Speaker 3>Don't talk about the economy because they're not feeling great.

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<v Speaker 3>Just run scary negative ads about.

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<v Speaker 2>The other guy. And I said, hell, no, we're not

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<v Speaker 2>going to do that.

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<v Speaker 3>We're going to talk about the things that people care about.

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<v Speaker 3>And I made the We made the economic argument about

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<v Speaker 3>the things we're doing to make our schools number one

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<v Speaker 3>in America, about making college more affordable, all the kitchen

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<v Speaker 3>table issues, stopping foreclosures, and so you know, when we

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<v Speaker 3>engage in an economic debate, people are actually with us.

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<v Speaker 3>And interestingly, you know, in a state like Missouri, get

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<v Speaker 3>this Missouri up and down their ticket. They have elected

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<v Speaker 3>officials who are Republicans, and we're elected. And yet at

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<v Speaker 3>the referenda on election day, their people march the polls

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<v Speaker 3>and they voted for reproductive freedom, they voted for an

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<v Speaker 3>increase in the minimum wage, and they.

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<v Speaker 2>Voted for paid family leave.

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<v Speaker 3>So we have to be the party that makes life

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<v Speaker 3>more affordable for hard working people who have been worked

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<v Speaker 3>over for these last forty years by this false economics

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<v Speaker 3>of concentrating power, concentrated monopolies, concentrating money in the hands

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<v Speaker 3>of the few. Our economy is not money, it is people.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's what we need to speak to.

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<v Speaker 4>A party well, and the party is comprised of all

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<v Speaker 4>sorts of people. We've obviously spent so much time in

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<v Speaker 4>the last decade talking about the way in which the

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<v Speaker 4>Republican Party has morphed in the Donald Trump era, and

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<v Speaker 4>how there are divisions within that party of those who

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<v Speaker 4>do follow him, and maybe more defined is on the

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<v Speaker 4>hard right. But we're seeing some of that in the

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<v Speaker 4>Democratic Party as well, especially as everybody does this post

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<v Speaker 4>election analysis, if you will, and so I wonder, as

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<v Speaker 4>you're making a bid here to lead the party forward,

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<v Speaker 4>how you fit those pieces back together again so that

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<v Speaker 4>there's enough cohesion to be able to stick together as

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<v Speaker 4>a unit.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, our party is a party that has an enormous

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<v Speaker 3>amount of diversity, and in fact, our diversity is our strength.

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<v Speaker 3>But our strength when it comes to winning elections again

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<v Speaker 3>is to speak to the national interests that we share.

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<v Speaker 3>And there's nothing more important to the national interest than

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<v Speaker 3>allowing families to be able to make a better tomorrow

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<v Speaker 3>for their kids. So that's the thing that unites all

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<v Speaker 3>of us. You know, all of us have to all

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<v Speaker 3>of us, all of us have to eat, all of

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<v Speaker 3>us have to work, all of us want to give

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<v Speaker 3>our children a better future than the one that we've had.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, how sad is it? And what does it

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<v Speaker 3>say about our country that, you know, when unemployments at

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<v Speaker 3>an all time low, that white male suicides are at

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<v Speaker 3>an all time high. There's an enormous fear of change

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<v Speaker 3>and fear of the future that's gripping our country. And

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<v Speaker 3>in moments of fear, you know, as Donald Trump said

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<v Speaker 3>in the past, they once asked after the last selection,

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<v Speaker 3>how did you win? He said, I looked into the

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<v Speaker 3>eyes of those blue collar people and all across you know,

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<v Speaker 3>Pennsylvania and Michigan. I saw their fear and I tapped

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<v Speaker 3>into it. So we should not be the party of fear?

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<v Speaker 3>Are the leader of our party in modern times said,

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<v Speaker 3>we have nothing to fear but fear itself. This is

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<v Speaker 3>a time of enormous economic opportunity in the world, the

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<v Speaker 3>beginnings of a third Industrial Revolution, the dawn of a

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<v Speaker 3>third American century. We need to stop fearing the future,

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<v Speaker 3>race it. But we need a strong government that actually works,

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<v Speaker 3>that delivers, and that has our back. What you're going

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<v Speaker 3>to see, mark my words, is this administration is going

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<v Speaker 3>to break a lot of things that Americans that Americans.

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<v Speaker 4>Thought, arguably what people voted for is.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we will see. I don't believe that's true. I

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<v Speaker 3>believe that Americans when they heard the message defend democracy,

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<v Speaker 3>that they heard status quo. And I believe that when

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<v Speaker 3>they see I mean, if this administration starts breaking institutions

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<v Speaker 3>that they had come to rely on and thought could

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<v Speaker 3>never be broken, whether it's Medicare, whether it's social security,

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<v Speaker 3>whether it's the infrastructure of our nation, they are going

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<v Speaker 3>to cry out for a government that actually works and

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<v Speaker 3>has their back. And the Democratic Party is going to

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<v Speaker 3>have the backs of the working people of this country

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<v Speaker 3>when they come out of when we come out and

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<v Speaker 3>emerge out of these next two years. But in the meantime,

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<v Speaker 3>as a party, look, we need collaborative leadership. We need

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<v Speaker 3>leadership that has experience in bringing people together, but also

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<v Speaker 3>in orchestrating change, managing our way out of this as

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<v Speaker 3>a better and more professional party, but also also focusing

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<v Speaker 3>on the next battle front. Jakim Jeffries is the general

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<v Speaker 3>in that battle of the midterms, but in state offices,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, state legislators all across America, county offices. We

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<v Speaker 3>have to reconnect our national party with those men and

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<v Speaker 3>women who are experiencing tremendous success in a lot of

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<v Speaker 3>state houses all across America.

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<v Speaker 1>Voters who are not experiencing tremendous success. You talk about

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<v Speaker 1>those scary ads, A lot of them works, especially those

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<v Speaker 1>that highlighted transphobia. And there's a Democrat from Massachusett's who

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<v Speaker 1>we talked to you pretty often here named Seth Multen.

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<v Speaker 1>He made big headlines saying that Democrats went wrong by

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<v Speaker 1>leaning too far into identity politics. You may agree with

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<v Speaker 1>him or not, but what does your DNC, if you

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<v Speaker 1>get this job, look like when it comes to protecting

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<v Speaker 1>or looking out for marginalized communities like trans.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, we will make no compromise when it comes

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<v Speaker 3>to our principles, and those core principles are our belief

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<v Speaker 3>in the dignity of every person and our belief in

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<v Speaker 3>the common good that we share as Americans. As I

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<v Speaker 3>looked at the ads that were being run, it seemed

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<v Speaker 3>that it was actually the other party that was obsessed

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<v Speaker 3>with trying to divide us and trying to belittle transgendered people.

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<v Speaker 3>It's the other party who came back to Congress and

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<v Speaker 3>their very first act was about bathroom bills and an

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<v Speaker 3>arrow when most when so many places have unisex you know, restrooms.

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<v Speaker 3>What are unisex restrooms or not have to do with

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<v Speaker 3>putting food on your table, or educating your kids or

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<v Speaker 3>keeping a roof.

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<v Speaker 2>Over their head.

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<v Speaker 3>We have to not allow ourselves to become juked, distracted

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<v Speaker 3>by the politics of division and fear. Our politics is

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<v Speaker 3>the part as the politics that says we are one,

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<v Speaker 3>our cause is one. We have to help each other

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<v Speaker 3>if we are to succeed, and we need to build

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<v Speaker 3>an economy and a country that works for all of us,

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<v Speaker 3>not just for some of us.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, obviously, right now the US economy and everything that

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<v Speaker 4>has been built in large part has been underpinned by

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<v Speaker 4>a growing deficit and debt problem, which it felt like

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<v Speaker 4>in a lot of ways neither candidate was really willing

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<v Speaker 4>to outwardly talk about on the campaign trail, and part

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<v Speaker 4>because there's just things you can't touch politically, like Social Security,

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<v Speaker 4>which obviously are intimately familiar with, and Medicare, defense is

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<v Speaker 4>hard to touch as well. And I just wonder, no

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<v Speaker 4>matter what party is in charge in the years to come,

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<v Speaker 4>if you see a way in which the country can

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<v Speaker 4>find itself on a more sustainable path.

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<v Speaker 2>Sure.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, one of the things that's happened in our

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<v Speaker 3>country for the last I mean thirty years or more,

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<v Speaker 3>has been a great reduction in the amount of income

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<v Speaker 3>tax that our highest earners pay, or to merely return.

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<v Speaker 2>To a level that was.

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<v Speaker 3>What we had as a nation during the first term

0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:12.959
<v Speaker 3>of Ronald Reagan. I mean, a lot of those things

0:12:13.000 --> 0:12:15.800
<v Speaker 3>would start to be addressed, and would be addressed over time.

0:12:16.240 --> 0:12:19.600
<v Speaker 3>Let me say, as before I talk about Social Security,

0:12:19.679 --> 0:12:22.800
<v Speaker 3>that I am here in my personal capacity. I am

0:12:22.840 --> 0:12:26.480
<v Speaker 3>not here in my capacity as Commissioner of Social Security. However,

0:12:27.160 --> 0:12:30.160
<v Speaker 3>I do know enough about that math to be able

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<v Speaker 3>to tell you social Security does not contribute to the

0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:36.480
<v Speaker 3>national debt. It is a pay as you go system,

0:12:36.960 --> 0:12:41.120
<v Speaker 3>which means that as Americans pay into Social Security, those

0:12:41.160 --> 0:12:44.120
<v Speaker 3>of us that are still working age, we pay out

0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:46.160
<v Speaker 3>the benefits like an insurance company.

0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:48.319
<v Speaker 2>So last year one point.

0:12:48.040 --> 0:12:50.840
<v Speaker 3>Three to five trillion came in from people working one

0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:53.600
<v Speaker 3>point three to seven trillion went out to people who

0:12:53.640 --> 0:12:57.120
<v Speaker 3>were retired and beneficiaries, and the difference came from the

0:12:57.160 --> 0:13:01.200
<v Speaker 3>surplus reserve that was built up to cover this era

0:13:01.240 --> 0:13:05.280
<v Speaker 3>of the baby boomers. That reserve is running out sooner.

0:13:05.559 --> 0:13:09.240
<v Speaker 3>That surplus reserve is running out sooner than anticipated. And

0:13:09.280 --> 0:13:13.199
<v Speaker 3>the reason is of income inequality. In other words, in

0:13:13.280 --> 0:13:16.520
<v Speaker 3>nineteen eighty two, they thought they were setting a level

0:13:16.559 --> 0:13:19.600
<v Speaker 3>of Social Security cap that would pat capture ninety percent

0:13:19.640 --> 0:13:22.600
<v Speaker 3>of earnings in America. Instead with all of the things

0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:27.520
<v Speaker 3>that drove income out of most American homes and into

0:13:27.559 --> 0:13:29.000
<v Speaker 3>the hands of the top six percent.

0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:32.200
<v Speaker 2>That also reduced the bracket, if you will.

0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:35.199
<v Speaker 3>So they on it only applied to eighty percent of

0:13:35.280 --> 0:13:39.480
<v Speaker 3>income in America. So a simple solution to that is

0:13:39.520 --> 0:13:44.199
<v Speaker 3>to ask people who make more to start contributing. Again,

0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:47.319
<v Speaker 3>there's no cap on what people contribute to Medicare, and

0:13:48.640 --> 0:13:51.720
<v Speaker 3>social Security is off. I mean, it doesn't contribute a

0:13:51.800 --> 0:13:54.680
<v Speaker 3>dime to the national debt. It is a self sustaining program.

0:13:54.880 --> 0:13:57.640
<v Speaker 3>That doesn't mean that this new crab can't break it.

0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:01.280
<v Speaker 3>If they want to break it, they can break. But

0:14:01.520 --> 0:14:04.880
<v Speaker 3>that's not what eighty percent of Americans want. They want

0:14:04.920 --> 0:14:08.520
<v Speaker 3>social Security expanded and strengthened so that it's there not

0:14:08.559 --> 0:14:11.080
<v Speaker 3>only in their lifetimes, for their kids and their grandkids,

0:14:11.559 --> 0:14:14.320
<v Speaker 3>which is also the same hopes and dreams they have

0:14:14.360 --> 0:14:14.880
<v Speaker 3>for their nation.

0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:17.400
<v Speaker 4>All right, sir, thank you so much for joining us.

0:14:17.400 --> 0:14:20.040
<v Speaker 4>Martin Andmalley of course no Social Security very well, but

0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:22.120
<v Speaker 4>he is also running to be the next chair of

0:14:22.200 --> 0:14:24.560
<v Speaker 4>the DNC. Appreciate you joining us here in our Washington,

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<v Speaker 4>d C studio