1 00:00:02,800 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: This is Alec Baldwin, and you're listening to here's the thing. 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:11,280 Speaker 1: In his first political race for US Senate in nineteen 3 00:00:11,400 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: seventy two, a horn rimmed, disheveled young socialist named Bernie 4 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: Sanders lost badly, getting only two percent of the vote. 5 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:25,520 Speaker 1: In one he had his first electoral victory by just 6 00:00:25,720 --> 00:00:30,400 Speaker 1: barely becoming mayor of Burlington, Vermont, by ten votes. By 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 1: two thousand six, he was a popular congressman and easily 8 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,800 Speaker 1: won the national Senate seat he had chased decades before. 9 00:00:38,960 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: And while he lost the Democratic Party nomination last year, 10 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: Bernie Sanders has become someone with real influence in the party. 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: His new book, Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution, gives 12 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: others the tools to make change as well. In her 13 00:00:55,120 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: new book, Hillary Clinton wrote that Sanders quote didn't get 14 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: into the race to make sure a Democrat won the 15 00:01:01,640 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: White House. He got in to disrupt the Democratic Party. 16 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: It's an assessment Bernie Sanders agrees with. I thought that 17 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,480 Speaker 1: it was absolutely imperative that the country needed to hear 18 00:01:13,520 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 1: from somebody who was more progressive than Hillary Clinton. Uh. 19 00:01:17,880 --> 00:01:23,320 Speaker 1: There are ideas that absolutely needed to get out there. Uh, 20 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: and that would not have gotten out there if a 21 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 1: progressive was not in the race. But I guess on 22 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: a more personal level, do you stare down at this 23 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:34,760 Speaker 1: black diamond ski run and say, I'm do I have 24 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: the emergy? Well? What fears did you have? You see, 25 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: we started in a different position. We started I think 26 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:42,559 Speaker 1: the first polls had us at three or four or five. 27 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: So it wasn't like we were in this race and 28 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 1: you know, we're forty percent and we were close to 29 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,520 Speaker 1: winning it. So for us, what the campaign was about 30 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:57,040 Speaker 1: was the first of all, formulate the positions that we 31 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,840 Speaker 1: believed in strongly. And many of those positions, by the way, 32 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: today are more or less mainstream, but they weren't when 33 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: we began a campaign for fifteen dollar and now, in 34 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:11,240 Speaker 1: minimum age, a trillion dollars to rebuild a crumbling infrastructure. 35 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,920 Speaker 1: I'm just a few years ago I proposed a trillion. 36 00:02:13,960 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: People said, oh my god, that's much too much. Four 37 00:02:16,360 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: hundred billion is about all that we could afoid. Now 38 00:02:19,160 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 1: even Trump talks about a trillion dollars to rebuild our infrastructure, 39 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,359 Speaker 1: and you do, no fears, no doubts. I mean, I'm 40 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: sure you must have had I believe what I believe 41 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: and I believe the country has got to move in 42 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,080 Speaker 1: a much more progressive agenda. I think we have to 43 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:37,120 Speaker 1: deal with the horrific levels of income and wealth inequality. 44 00:02:37,160 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: We have to deal with the corrupt political system in 45 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: which billionaires are able to buy elections. We have to 46 00:02:43,760 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: address the issue of climate change and transformer energy system. 47 00:02:47,960 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: These are issues that I've been talking about for a 48 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: very very long time. These are issues that I think 49 00:02:52,080 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: the majority of the American people believe in. And what 50 00:02:55,160 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: motivated me was simply to go out and say, look, 51 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: this is the reality facing America. We can't continue to 52 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,280 Speaker 1: have a situation with so few have so much and 53 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: so many have so little. We can't continue a political 54 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: system where the Cooch brothers alone are able to spend 55 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:12,640 Speaker 1: hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars to by elections. 56 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: That's not what this country it's supposed to be about. Well, 57 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:19,119 Speaker 1: those were my ideas, but what was interesting is how 58 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:23,160 Speaker 1: quickly it became apparent that millions and millions of people 59 00:03:23,280 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: shared those ideas, that people wanted to think outside of 60 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: the box, that they were prepared to look at more 61 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: progressive solutions than what Democrats and Republicans have been bringing 62 00:03:33,400 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: food and um, do you ever ask yourself if Hillary 63 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,360 Speaker 1: is likely the winner, do you think she's probably gonna win? So? 64 00:03:42,360 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 1: How do I influence her to express the opinions I want? 65 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: I don't need to run if I can get her 66 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,119 Speaker 1: to do some But the only way, the only way 67 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 1: you can do that is when people themselves respond to 68 00:03:57,400 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: specific ideas. All right, What we found during the campaign, 69 00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,800 Speaker 1: for example, just one example, is that the idea that 70 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: the United States of America remains the only major country 71 00:04:09,680 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: on Earth not to guarantee healthcare to all people. Okay, 72 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 1: I livety miles away from Canada, they do it. As 73 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:18,719 Speaker 1: you know, throughout Europe, healthcare is a right. And on 74 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: top of that, in this country we end up spending 75 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: almost twice as much per capital. It's not like we're 76 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:27,920 Speaker 1: saving money. We're spending a fortune on healthcare per person. 77 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 1: We pay by far the highest prices of the world 78 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:34,920 Speaker 1: for prescription drugs. Question, why aren't we doing what every 79 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:36,600 Speaker 1: other major country on Earth is noting? What do you 80 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:38,719 Speaker 1: think we're not? Well, Obviously it has to do with 81 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: the power of the insurance companies and the drug companies 82 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: and the whole medical industrial complex. They are enormously powerful. 83 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: Then the doctors themselves. Doctors are powerful too, but the 84 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,039 Speaker 1: insurance companies and the drug companies have far more powerful. 85 00:04:52,480 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: And what you find is that the drug companies have 86 00:04:54,760 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: spent hundreds of billions of dollars in lobbying in can 87 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:03,560 Speaker 1: paying contributions to make certain that there is no law 88 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 1: on the books to prevent the drug company for doubling 89 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: or tripling the price that you pay for medicine today. 90 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:11,720 Speaker 1: And the result of that is we pay far more 91 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:14,000 Speaker 1: than the people of any other country. So when you 92 00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:16,599 Speaker 1: raise these issues during your campaign, you know what people 93 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 1: saw nodding their heads and they say, yeah, that's ridiculous, 94 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:21,919 Speaker 1: that's absurd. We should not be paying the highest prices 95 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: of the world. Drug companies have got to be regulated 96 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: in one form or another. So the drug companies are saying, 97 00:05:26,880 --> 00:05:30,279 Speaker 1: no government regulation of the pricing of our of our products. 98 00:05:30,400 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: We were we were afraid that that would be and 99 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: likely would be a component of a universal healthcare Canadian 100 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:38,599 Speaker 1: style health care. Here. What about the insurance companies they want? 101 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: If what is the function of an insurance company, it's 102 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: not to provide quality care across the effect the ways 103 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:47,320 Speaker 1: to make as much money, as course they possibly can. 104 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: And UM, you know what I think makes sense to 105 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:56,159 Speaker 1: me is we have right now a fairly popular, successful 106 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 1: program called Medicare. It works pretty well for people sixty 107 00:05:59,240 --> 00:06:01,960 Speaker 1: five years of age rol why not expand it to everybody? 108 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: To Medicare will become a universal health exactly now, UM, 109 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: aside from the cries of the insurance and pharmaceutical industries, 110 00:06:11,480 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: what are things that that actually happened that transpired as 111 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,840 Speaker 1: a result of universal healthcare and Canada that the medical 112 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: profession warned about here, meaning, what's something you see happening 113 00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:27,520 Speaker 1: they that that didn't go well. No system on earth 114 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:29,840 Speaker 1: is a perfect and the Canadians will be the first 115 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: to tell you their system is not perfect. But pole 116 00:06:32,880 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: after poll shows that there is enormous pride in Canada 117 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:39,119 Speaker 1: with their system. Of course, very few of those people 118 00:06:39,320 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: and Canadians want to come to the American system. They 119 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: have problems for non emergency type services for certain types 120 00:06:48,520 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: of surgeries, knee replacements and so forth. They're waiting time 121 00:06:52,040 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: so longer than they are comfortable with. On the other hand, 122 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:56,880 Speaker 1: if you need to see a doctor, you can get 123 00:06:56,920 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: to a doctor pretty quickly. And sometimes when we talk 124 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,120 Speaker 1: about the Nadian system. We forget, you know, let me 125 00:07:02,160 --> 00:07:04,640 Speaker 1: tell you something. If you think that most Americans haven 126 00:07:04,720 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: call the doctor's office today and walk in in a 127 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,200 Speaker 1: few hours, you are mistaken. There are waiting lines in 128 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: this country as well. So the good news is we 129 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:14,120 Speaker 1: can learn a lot from the Canadians. We can learn 130 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: a lot from other countries around the world, all of 131 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,320 Speaker 1: them who have been doing universal healthcare for many decades. 132 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,600 Speaker 1: I want to ask you about growing up. You grew 133 00:07:24,680 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: up in Brooklyn and your father what did he do 134 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,320 Speaker 1: for a living? He was a pain salesman, he was. 135 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: Do you have any siblings. Ye? I got an older 136 00:07:32,880 --> 00:07:35,920 Speaker 1: brother who lives in Oxford, England. And what did he do? 137 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:38,680 Speaker 1: It's fair living. He was a social worker in England. 138 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: He was a social work in England and he left 139 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 1: to move to England many years ago. He's been over 140 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 1: there for many, many years ago. And just the two 141 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:47,360 Speaker 1: of you, Yes, And what did your mom do? She 142 00:07:47,640 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: was she was housewife. Right. Who do you think had 143 00:07:51,680 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: a greater influence on you or do they have an 144 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:56,560 Speaker 1: equivalent to influence on you in terms of your politics? 145 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:58,880 Speaker 1: Of your parents or your grandparents for that matter. Well, 146 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: Mike Paul politics. I think developed from the fact that 147 00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:06,400 Speaker 1: we lived in a rent control department in Brooklyn. It's 148 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: a small, three and a half room apartment. My father 149 00:08:09,800 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: worked very hard, and he had a steady job his 150 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 1: entire life. He worked for one company, Keystone Paint and 151 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:18,200 Speaker 1: Varnish Company. But you haven't made a lot of money. 152 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: And so the fact that we did not have the 153 00:08:22,320 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: money to do the things that my mother wanted us 154 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 1: to do, rather modest things, impacted my life. It's a 155 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: modest thing your mother wanted you to do. While she 156 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: always wanted to own her own home, small home never happened. 157 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: So her dream was someday she would own her own home, 158 00:08:37,960 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: and she didn't. So we lived in a rent control 159 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: department for our entire lives. Is growing up and when 160 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,680 Speaker 1: she died young, and she never ended up owning her 161 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:50,319 Speaker 1: own home. Uh, you know, vacations we didn't do much of. 162 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,120 Speaker 1: You know, it's not that we were poor, we were 163 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,439 Speaker 1: lower middle class. But money was always an obstacle in 164 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,599 Speaker 1: a problem. And what I learned at that age was 165 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: that that problem, that reality exists for people all across 166 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:09,959 Speaker 1: this country. And the idea of trying to figure out 167 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:13,040 Speaker 1: how we can improve lives working people is something that 168 00:09:13,120 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: I expect settled into my brain when I was a 169 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,040 Speaker 1: very young kid. So is it safe to say you 170 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,160 Speaker 1: don't want people to be given certain things in this world? 171 00:09:22,800 --> 00:09:24,520 Speaker 1: But what you want people to not have to spend 172 00:09:24,679 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: too much money on other necessities so they can have 173 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,200 Speaker 1: some money liberated to do other things. And I wouldn't 174 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:34,079 Speaker 1: tell me how you would phrase it. I would say, 175 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,439 Speaker 1: that's progressive ism to you? Is that? You know Franklin 176 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:41,559 Speaker 1: Dillon or Roosevelt, in a not widely remembered speech I 177 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:43,719 Speaker 1: think it was nineteen forty four, in his State of 178 00:09:43,760 --> 00:09:46,120 Speaker 1: the Union speech a year before he died, he said, 179 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 1: you know, in so many words on paraphrasing, you know, 180 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,480 Speaker 1: we have a constitution, which is great. We have a 181 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,000 Speaker 1: bill of rights, guarantees you the right freedom of speech, 182 00:09:53,400 --> 00:09:56,439 Speaker 1: freedom of assembly, freedom of religion, etcetera. At such all 183 00:09:56,520 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 1: those enormously important rights. Doesn't guarante you the right to 184 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:04,440 Speaker 1: help care, doesn't guarantee you the right to at least 185 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:08,760 Speaker 1: have a job that pays you a living wage. And 186 00:10:08,880 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: what he was talking about was the need to broaden 187 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: our understanding of what human rights are from beyond political rights. 188 00:10:16,480 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: A freedom of speech, freedom of religion, to economic rights. 189 00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 1: So when I talk about the right of all people 190 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,400 Speaker 1: that have healthcare, I believe that is a human right. 191 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: The right of people not to live in abysmal poverty, 192 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:33,559 Speaker 1: I think that's a human right when we live in 193 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,959 Speaker 1: the richest country in the history of the world. So 194 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:40,079 Speaker 1: the goal then is to create an economy that works 195 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:43,240 Speaker 1: for all of our people, not the kind of economy 196 00:10:43,320 --> 00:10:47,000 Speaker 1: we have today that works very very successfully for the 197 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:51,199 Speaker 1: one percent and creates enormous levels of income and wealth disparity. 198 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:55,199 Speaker 1: My father, who was a political science teacher were the 199 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:58,600 Speaker 1: end of the taught American government economics in the public 200 00:10:58,679 --> 00:11:00,199 Speaker 1: high school on Long Island. He would say to me 201 00:11:00,280 --> 00:11:03,120 Speaker 1: that that essentially his distillation of the Reagan years was 202 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:06,640 Speaker 1: Reagan would say, you know, your taxes are so high 203 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:08,280 Speaker 1: you might not be able to have a swimming pool 204 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:12,000 Speaker 1: at your house. And if you there's things you want 205 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:14,880 Speaker 1: to buy, and it's your business what you want to buy, 206 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: it's your business what you want to do with them. 207 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: And so we need to cut making sure of the 208 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: kids in the Inn city have clean needles and condoms. 209 00:11:22,480 --> 00:11:24,439 Speaker 1: He's saying, well, this euphemistically, I mean there's things that 210 00:11:24,520 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: the government is paying for that we shouldn't be paying 211 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:28,679 Speaker 1: for because that's preventing you from buying things you want 212 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 1: to buy. And what Reagan wanted to say to people 213 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,480 Speaker 1: was don't feel bad about that. You want to deliberate 214 00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:36,240 Speaker 1: them on on an emotional level, these people aren't gonna 215 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,079 Speaker 1: get taken care of and that's okay. We weren't meant 216 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:40,840 Speaker 1: to pay for that. Well that that ideology. I mean, 217 00:11:40,880 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 1: you thought Reagan was conservative. Where the Republican Party is 218 00:11:44,960 --> 00:11:46,760 Speaker 1: now the spot at the right of where Reagan was 219 00:11:46,840 --> 00:11:49,400 Speaker 1: incredibly enough. And as I said before, this is what 220 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 1: the Koch brothers believe, and this is the ideology that 221 00:11:52,160 --> 00:11:54,439 Speaker 1: people like Coaul Ryan and many others now Except what 222 00:11:54,559 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 1: they say is, look, every person is an island unto 223 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:03,439 Speaker 1: them selves, all right, And if you can go out 224 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: and make a whole lot of money, you're gonna have 225 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,120 Speaker 1: great health care, your kid's gonna have a great opportunity 226 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 1: to go to college. You know, live in an ice house. 227 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,079 Speaker 1: But if you are eighty years of age and you 228 00:12:13,120 --> 00:12:16,079 Speaker 1: don't have much money, I'm sorry. It is not the 229 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:18,720 Speaker 1: obligation of the government to have a program like Medicare 230 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: to take care of you if you're a worker. And 231 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: this is true, this is what some of these guys 232 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: actually believe. And unemployment is high in the region. And 233 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 1: I can hire you for three bucks an hour or 234 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,600 Speaker 1: four bucks an hour. We don't want the government mandating 235 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:35,439 Speaker 1: a minimum wage. You're gonna work for me. That's your choice. 236 00:12:35,920 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: And if you the choices between going hungary, you're working 237 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: for three or four bucks. Now I offer you as 238 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,839 Speaker 1: a wage of what I think is profitable for my 239 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: company to you take it or leave it. But you 240 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:48,280 Speaker 1: should not be guaranteed. We should the government should not 241 00:12:48,360 --> 00:12:51,320 Speaker 1: be in the business of retirement security, i e. Social security. 242 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,079 Speaker 1: So if you look at the if you look at 243 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:57,920 Speaker 1: the Koch Brothers agenda, their go long term not tomorrow, 244 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,400 Speaker 1: is to abolish social security, man a cam Medicaid, federal 245 00:13:01,440 --> 00:13:04,720 Speaker 1: laity to education, and you're seeing Trump moving in those directions. 246 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,280 Speaker 1: So you got Betsy Divoce who is now a Secretary 247 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: of Education does not believe in public education. In the 248 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,079 Speaker 1: House right now, there is legislation that came out of 249 00:13:13,120 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: the relevant Committee which would make move a social security 250 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: toward a private type system. So all of that ideology 251 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: is now what pervades the Republican Ombudian. That's where they 252 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:28,160 Speaker 1: want to go. Now, when you say that Divocet doesn't 253 00:13:28,200 --> 00:13:31,000 Speaker 1: believe in public education, you mean she doesn't believe in 254 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: it in the way you believe in it, or she 255 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: literally doesn't believe in public Generally speaking, I think it's 256 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,880 Speaker 1: fair to say that her belief is that we should 257 00:13:37,960 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: move towards abolishing public education, privatizing schooling, privatizing the school, 258 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:46,679 Speaker 1: that's the whole thing, Privatizing infrastructure, privatizing social security, privatizing 259 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 1: the via, privatizing the prisons, privatizing the postal service. Every 260 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:56,760 Speaker 1: one of these issues is being addressed and went forward 261 00:13:56,800 --> 00:14:02,240 Speaker 1: by the Republicans. Um in your progress of vision, at 262 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,040 Speaker 1: what point do we decide how much money people can make? 263 00:14:05,160 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: Many We're going to tax people to take their money 264 00:14:07,920 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 1: from them, to build housing for everybody, to provide medical 265 00:14:12,440 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: care for everybody, to provide free education for everybody, all 266 00:14:16,360 --> 00:14:17,840 Speaker 1: of which I'm in favor of. I mean, I would 267 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,120 Speaker 1: like to see the poor taken care of. I think 268 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:23,600 Speaker 1: we at what point do we do we worry about 269 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: its impact on the overall America. First of all, I 270 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: wouldn't use the word quote unquote taking care of the poor. 271 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,440 Speaker 1: I think what you want to do is create opportunities 272 00:14:32,480 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: for low income people. It means provide excellent childcare, public education, 273 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:40,880 Speaker 1: the opportunity to go to college, job training, so that 274 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: people are not poor. Now, there are some people who 275 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: are not going to work, people with severe disabilities, and 276 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,920 Speaker 1: we have a moral responsibility to take care of them, 277 00:14:47,960 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 1: to take care of senior citizens. But I would hope 278 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: that the goal is to move towards the ending of 279 00:14:52,800 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: poverty and getting lower income people into the economy so 280 00:14:57,480 --> 00:15:01,720 Speaker 1: they can earn their own way. UH. I happen to 281 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: believe that what we have right now UH is an 282 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:10,320 Speaker 1: obscenity in terms of distribution of wealth and income. We 283 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: now have the top one tenth of one percent owning 284 00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:17,600 Speaker 1: almost as much wealth as the bottom. In the last 285 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,760 Speaker 1: forty years, we have seen a massive transfer of wealth. 286 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: I'm talking about trillions of dollars going from the pockets 287 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: of the middle class into the top one percent and 288 00:15:26,760 --> 00:15:28,600 Speaker 1: in the top one tenth of one percent. And I 289 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:30,920 Speaker 1: think what we have got to say is, of course 290 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 1: they're going to be richer people, and of course they're 291 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,600 Speaker 1: going to be poorer people, but that level of wealth inequality, 292 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: and in terms of scare us, we should scare us, 293 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:42,760 Speaker 1: should scare us. In terms of income, you know, you 294 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:44,960 Speaker 1: go around the country, You've got mom work and dad working, 295 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:47,360 Speaker 1: the kids are working. But fifty two percent of all 296 00:15:47,440 --> 00:15:49,560 Speaker 1: new income in recent years is going to the top 297 00:15:49,640 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: one percent. So you've got a great economy for the 298 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 1: people on top, But the middle class for decades has 299 00:15:55,840 --> 00:15:59,040 Speaker 1: been shrinking. People are working long rous for low wages. Yeah, 300 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: we got to deal with that. And yes, I believe 301 00:16:00,960 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: in progressive taxation. Yeah, I believe that if you're making 302 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: millions of dollars a year, you're gonna have to pay 303 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: a higher percentage of your income in taxes than somebody 304 00:16:09,200 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 1: in the middle class. You know, that's what a nation 305 00:16:12,200 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: is about. And one of the things that I worry 306 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,360 Speaker 1: about very much is the level of greed. You know 307 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:21,120 Speaker 1: that we now see you see people making billions and 308 00:16:21,200 --> 00:16:23,560 Speaker 1: billions and billions of dollars, and they say that's not enough. 309 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:25,760 Speaker 1: I need more tax breaks, and I want you to 310 00:16:25,800 --> 00:16:28,240 Speaker 1: cut education, and I want you to cut Medicaid, and 311 00:16:28,320 --> 00:16:31,240 Speaker 1: I want you to cut programs for lower income people 312 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: because I need more tax breaks. Because you know, five 313 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: billion that I have is not enough. We've got to 314 00:16:35,880 --> 00:16:38,640 Speaker 1: deal with that whole issue of greed. What we do 315 00:16:38,800 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 1: want is an entrepreneurial society. We want people to be 316 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: able to invest in new products, new businesses. And that's great, 317 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: but at the end of the day, we cannot be 318 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:50,800 Speaker 1: a nation in which a tiny percentage of people has 319 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:54,160 Speaker 1: unbelievable wealth while so many other people are start gaining. 320 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 1: Let me tell you this, this is not just an 321 00:16:55,800 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: American issue. Right now. In this planet on Earth, the 322 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,159 Speaker 1: six wealthiest people on this planet have more wealth in 323 00:17:04,240 --> 00:17:07,840 Speaker 1: the bottom half of the world's population two point seven. 324 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:11,119 Speaker 1: It is crazy. It is crazy, and we got to 325 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: deal with that. What would be a tax policy you 326 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:17,239 Speaker 1: would have sought. You want to raise the highest rate 327 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:20,960 Speaker 1: to what during Eisenhower's period, I think the higher syncome 328 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:24,040 Speaker 1: taxes something like that for the very, very very wealthy. 329 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:27,280 Speaker 1: And these are marginal rates. I mean that means at 330 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: the very top, that's what you're gonna be paying. Uh. 331 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 1: But also you have a situation where there are a 332 00:17:35,000 --> 00:17:39,600 Speaker 1: lot of very profitable, large corporations. A general electric being 333 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: one who in a giving year could make billions of 334 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:44,560 Speaker 1: dollars is making billions of dollars not paying a nickel 335 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,119 Speaker 1: and federal income tax. How is that possible? Because you 336 00:17:47,280 --> 00:17:50,400 Speaker 1: stash your profits in the Cayman Islands and other tax savings. Whither, 337 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,399 Speaker 1: you're either you're an American company that benefits from being 338 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:56,240 Speaker 1: an American company or not. You want all that, you 339 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: want all the benefits and other responsibilities. Yeah, well you 340 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:01,919 Speaker 1: out of quoting from my speeches here. Yeah, I mean 341 00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:03,880 Speaker 1: that is I may do that from time to time. 342 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:05,960 Speaker 1: But you know, that is the issue. And it's certainly 343 00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: not just General Electric. Many of these companies. There's a 344 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: funny thing that was responsible for that. One administration was 345 00:18:11,560 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: responsible for that variety Republican and Democrat, but it is 346 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 1: um there's a building in the Cayman Islands. This is 347 00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 1: really funny, and we got a picture of it. One building. 348 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,760 Speaker 1: I think it's a fourth story building, the Nomity Corporate Corporations. 349 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:29,720 Speaker 1: It houses something like eighteen thousand. You know, it's sold 350 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:35,240 Speaker 1: just like postal address for a corporation, their headquarters. Yeah, 351 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: it's up above Duncan Donuts there. Now, I'm not that 352 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: interested in the race and the campaign and the and 353 00:18:45,119 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 1: the warfare analogies and so forth. But well, I'll just 354 00:18:50,040 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 1: open with this illustration, which is I lived in an 355 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: apartment building on Central Park West, and I was walking 356 00:18:55,320 --> 00:18:58,400 Speaker 1: out of my building and I was walking then Senator 357 00:18:58,520 --> 00:19:02,439 Speaker 1: Barack Obama, who was campaigning for the nomination, and Uh, 358 00:19:02,720 --> 00:19:04,479 Speaker 1: I said high to him as I was passing him, 359 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 1: and I walked out and thought, I think I met 360 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 1: it under my breath, good luck to you, pal. You 361 00:19:09,320 --> 00:19:12,960 Speaker 1: know she's gonna kick your ass. Her and the husband, 362 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:15,119 Speaker 1: in their whole network, which I've met these people over him, 363 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:16,920 Speaker 1: I've always felt, you know what I mean, It's always 364 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: like you always feel the weight and the heft of 365 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:22,640 Speaker 1: the Clinton machine when you're around them and their friends 366 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:26,200 Speaker 1: and associates. They're so networked. And then of course he 367 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:28,560 Speaker 1: makes history and he wins the nomination. Then he beats 368 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: the Vietnam War hero in the race. Unbelievable. What were 369 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 1: the early vulnerabilities of Hillary Clinton's that you said? What 370 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:37,920 Speaker 1: wasn't even a vulnerability? We were. This is who we 371 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,439 Speaker 1: ended up taking on. We ended up taking on virtually 372 00:19:40,520 --> 00:19:43,879 Speaker 1: all of the money class. Uh. We ended up taking 373 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: on every Democratic governor in America. We took on all 374 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,240 Speaker 1: the United States senators Democratic senators except for one, Jeff 375 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,960 Speaker 1: Merkley of Oregon ends make almost little Democratic members of 376 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:57,680 Speaker 1: the House, almost little Democratic mayors. So we took on 377 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:01,800 Speaker 1: the entire democratic establishment, all of virtually all of the 378 00:20:01,880 --> 00:20:05,840 Speaker 1: super delegates. That's what we were up against. But one 379 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:08,920 Speaker 1: of the things that we understood from day one is 380 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:13,960 Speaker 1: that it was important for us not to develop a 381 00:20:14,040 --> 00:20:17,880 Speaker 1: superpack that we were. We said to the people, look, um, 382 00:20:18,080 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: we're not going out the billionaires. We don't have a superpack. 383 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,560 Speaker 1: When people can contribute a hundred thousand bucks, no pack, right, 384 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:26,360 Speaker 1: no pack, and we end up is is now well known, 385 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 1: getting millions of contributors uh contributions averaging twenty seven dollars 386 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,919 Speaker 1: a piece, and that was historical. See and what it showed. 387 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:38,639 Speaker 1: It showed a couple of things. It showed that if 388 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,639 Speaker 1: you stood up and were prepared to fight for working people, 389 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,240 Speaker 1: working people would contribute to your campaigns. There was a 390 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,160 Speaker 1: study of the people who contributed to my campaign done 391 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: by I think was the l A Times, and it 392 00:20:51,400 --> 00:20:53,359 Speaker 1: kind of almost moved me. It was hard to read 393 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,120 Speaker 1: about the number of low income people, people who really 394 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 1: did not have a lot of money, who flipped in 395 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: ten bucks at went bucks. They gave what they can 396 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:07,400 Speaker 1: and during the cost of the campaign, with one vague exception, 397 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:09,920 Speaker 1: it really wasn't. In that case. I never did a 398 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: high dollar fundraise. I never went to a rich person's house. 399 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: And we had all these folks there, you know, the 400 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,600 Speaker 1: degree that we did fundraises, they were, you know, fifty 401 00:21:20,680 --> 00:21:22,200 Speaker 1: bucks and you're in a hundred bucks and you're in 402 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: who was the man or a woman or even just 403 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:27,000 Speaker 1: give us one name of someone. They might have been 404 00:21:27,080 --> 00:21:30,840 Speaker 1: part of a group who helped build out that financing 405 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: strategy for you, who was responsible? I'll tell you what happened. Uh, 406 00:21:34,119 --> 00:21:38,359 Speaker 1: And we stumbled on this and and um, we raised 407 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 1: the vast majority of our money online, and we used 408 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: the group called Revolution Messaging and a guy named they 409 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:49,919 Speaker 1: have a lot of good folks there and wells one 410 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,679 Speaker 1: guy named Tim T. Garris who worked very closely with us. 411 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:59,160 Speaker 1: And uh, Tim, you know, did it extraordinarily good job. 412 00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:02,360 Speaker 1: And it turned out what we learned and it blew 413 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 1: our minds. I think in the first couple of days, 414 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,840 Speaker 1: we're his six million dollars. You know, wow, who could 415 00:22:06,880 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: have believed that, you know? And we ended up raising 416 00:22:08,760 --> 00:22:14,440 Speaker 1: several hundred million dollars. Point is that people are disgusted 417 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,360 Speaker 1: with the status quo. They are disgusted with the establishment. 418 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: They want real and profound change. And it turns out 419 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:25,679 Speaker 1: to everybody's surprised. Yeah, they're willing to put or fifty 420 00:22:25,720 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: bucks into a campaign, uh that seeks to transform the 421 00:22:30,480 --> 00:22:33,119 Speaker 1: United States of America. The only reason I asked that 422 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: question about an individual name of a man or woman 423 00:22:35,680 --> 00:22:38,880 Speaker 1: is because in my mind, they obviously deserve to take 424 00:22:38,920 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: a huge bow that that that energy exists on the 425 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,000 Speaker 1: other side of the aisle as well for people who 426 00:22:44,040 --> 00:22:46,280 Speaker 1: sit there and say, God, how do we get here? 427 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: You know, well, let me let me back it up 428 00:22:48,080 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 1: a little bit to the democracy in America today is 429 00:22:53,640 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 1: under siege and we should be very clear about that. 430 00:22:56,080 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: As a result of this disastrous Supreme Court decision on citizens, 431 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 1: you know, you're life to Foard decision. Billionaires, large corporations 432 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,879 Speaker 1: are now able to spend as much money as they 433 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:09,480 Speaker 1: want on a political limitless, limitless, and they're doing it. 434 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,359 Speaker 1: You know, they are spending a handful of billionaires of 435 00:23:12,480 --> 00:23:15,560 Speaker 1: spending just unbelieva by the Cokes and the Mercer's exactly 436 00:23:15,680 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: are exactly so to my mind, and what it is, 437 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:22,159 Speaker 1: it's not only the thing are buying elections. Then the 438 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:24,560 Speaker 1: other side, the good guys, so to speak, have to 439 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,320 Speaker 1: spend an enormous amount of money. You have to play 440 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:30,360 Speaker 1: the same game raising money. You would not believe how 441 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:34,679 Speaker 1: much time. I'm well aware. Okay, you probably get hit 442 00:23:34,760 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: up every day. This is my major issue campaign financial Okay, 443 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,680 Speaker 1: all right? And it should be because it's on the 444 00:23:41,880 --> 00:23:45,119 Speaker 1: nin of everything exactly. It's the good lynchpin of everything. 445 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:48,200 Speaker 1: You're right. I worked for many many years up in Maine. 446 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,560 Speaker 1: I was involved in the main theme campaign thing twenty 447 00:23:50,640 --> 00:23:53,440 Speaker 1: years ago, got involved in the nine Sundays program, Marvin 448 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 1: cal But the Shorenstein Center, and and then the thing 449 00:23:56,280 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: that we all came to was was that we don't 450 00:23:58,680 --> 00:24:02,000 Speaker 1: need ceilings on spending. We need floors. We need to 451 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:04,720 Speaker 1: say that if there's media saturation for a statewide campaign, 452 00:24:04,880 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: is media saturation is let's say, thirty five million dollars. 453 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,360 Speaker 1: If you've got thirty five million dollars, you can reach 454 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: everybody with your message and people can spend more than you. 455 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: We've gotta make sure that you have at least thirty 456 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,040 Speaker 1: five million. We have to floors, not ceilings. What do 457 00:24:16,119 --> 00:24:17,600 Speaker 1: you think about that? I think there are a number 458 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,399 Speaker 1: of ways to skin the cut. The position that I 459 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: feel comfortable with this is to say, you want to 460 00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,400 Speaker 1: run against me, You go out, you show that there's 461 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:28,800 Speaker 1: a level of support for your candidacy. You've got you 462 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:33,520 Speaker 1: raise five but ten dollar contributions from X number of people. Uh, 463 00:24:33,640 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: and then for every dollar more you raise, uh, the 464 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:39,879 Speaker 1: government will put in five dollars. There was a matching 465 00:24:40,240 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: matching um because I would The other thing I learned 466 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,280 Speaker 1: at that time we should took about the corporate media 467 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,760 Speaker 1: and their role in this whole thing. Uh that you know, 468 00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: the number one or I shouldn't say the number one, 469 00:24:50,600 --> 00:24:54,359 Speaker 1: but among the top enemies and among the top obstacles 470 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:57,600 Speaker 1: to this campaign, findistery from is the National Association of Broadcasters. 471 00:24:58,040 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 1: They're shoving as much money in their pockets with these 472 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:02,199 Speaker 1: politic lands that they possibly can. During those cycles, Uh, 473 00:25:02,520 --> 00:25:05,119 Speaker 1: Citizens United was a real boom from them. Horrible. Ye, 474 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:08,320 Speaker 1: you're right. We're not going to move towards medicare for all. 475 00:25:08,359 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: We're not going to deal with education, we're not gonna 476 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: deal with infrastructure, and certainly not deal with climate change 477 00:25:15,000 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: unless we've got to handle foreign for foreign pit So 478 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,879 Speaker 1: what you got on that issue. It is clear that 479 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: Citizens United has to be overturned, and we need to 480 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: move towards public funding of elections so that billionaires cannot 481 00:25:29,320 --> 00:25:34,320 Speaker 1: dictate public policy. The Koch Brothers invite Republican candidates who 482 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:36,760 Speaker 1: will line up. They just line up, Sheldon Addle system 483 00:25:36,840 --> 00:25:38,960 Speaker 1: Nov They line up, what can I do for you? 484 00:25:39,160 --> 00:25:43,000 Speaker 1: Mr Coke? And that's why the Republican Party is to 485 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:47,159 Speaker 1: a large degree where it is today. So campaign finance reform, 486 00:25:47,640 --> 00:25:53,160 Speaker 1: moving to public funding of elections is to me enormously important. 487 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:59,120 Speaker 1: Some of the money spent on campaigns today is used 488 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:03,080 Speaker 1: for political sultan's like Ed Rollins. He's the person that 489 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:06,280 Speaker 1: gets the dirt on opponents as well as on the 490 00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:09,440 Speaker 1: candidate that hired him. The first thing I do is 491 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:11,280 Speaker 1: I sit down and I say pretend I'm your priest. 492 00:26:11,560 --> 00:26:13,640 Speaker 1: You confess all your confess all your sens. I've heard 493 00:26:13,640 --> 00:26:15,760 Speaker 1: it all. You know, I don't care. They always lie 494 00:26:16,000 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: and when then it does come out, they go, you know, 495 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: I never thought that was gonna happen. Take a listen 496 00:26:21,080 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: to Ed Rollins Life in the Muck of Politics on 497 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:38,480 Speaker 1: Here's the thing dot Org. I'm Alec Baldwin and you're 498 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:43,479 Speaker 1: listening to. Here's the thing. Bernie Sanders is a distant 499 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: cousin of comedian Larry David. Hello, I'm not the Hello. 500 00:26:49,320 --> 00:26:51,680 Speaker 1: Let's let's do that. They both grew up in Brooklyn, 501 00:26:52,040 --> 00:26:55,040 Speaker 1: and David said during the campaign he would watch Sanders 502 00:26:55,119 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: and repeat everything he said. What David recognized the dialect, 503 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,960 Speaker 1: and he knew he could quote talk like that, so 504 00:27:03,119 --> 00:27:07,040 Speaker 1: he did on Saturday Night Live. I'm the only candidate 505 00:27:07,160 --> 00:27:09,879 Speaker 1: up here was not a billionaire. I don't have a 506 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:14,320 Speaker 1: super pack. I don't even have a backpack. I carry 507 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: my stuff around loose in my arms like a you know, 508 00:27:18,440 --> 00:27:24,760 Speaker 1: between classes. This abrasive, rumpled outsider has become an unlikely 509 00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:29,640 Speaker 1: leader for the left, especially after Hillary Clinton's defeat last November. 510 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: You know it, um, the Democrats in Vermont have there. 511 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:37,920 Speaker 1: You know, they like every other state, people go to 512 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:39,920 Speaker 1: go to go to a hotel and I gather and 513 00:27:39,960 --> 00:27:43,640 Speaker 1: they celebrate their victories and and for the first time 514 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,359 Speaker 1: in many years, I didn't go, which I think people noticed, 515 00:27:46,440 --> 00:27:49,560 Speaker 1: but I just was not inclined. You know, we had 516 00:27:49,600 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 1: won some good victories and Vermont young Man one for 517 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,520 Speaker 1: Lieutenant governor was very progressive, but I was in no 518 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:58,960 Speaker 1: mood to celebrate. It was. It was quite a depressing night. 519 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: What do you think you did wrong? I don't want 520 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:04,240 Speaker 1: you know, I'm asked that question a million times, and 521 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:08,159 Speaker 1: I don't campaign. But I think here's what the facts are, 522 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:13,560 Speaker 1: all right. The Democratic Party in general is in trouble 523 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:17,280 Speaker 1: and has been in trouble for for a long time. Uh. 524 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,520 Speaker 1: In the last nine years or so, Democrats have lost 525 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:22,800 Speaker 1: not just the White House and the Senate, in the 526 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 1: House in Washington's right. In fact, that like twenty five 527 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 1: states in Americans with the Democratic Party is in some 528 00:28:31,359 --> 00:28:36,560 Speaker 1: cases non existent. And I visited those states were extremely weak. UM, 529 00:28:36,960 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 1: and these are some of the poorest states in the 530 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: United States. When I see what she did wrong, what 531 00:28:40,720 --> 00:28:43,120 Speaker 1: I'm trying to interject is that is it forget about 532 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:44,960 Speaker 1: what she did wrong? Was she handed the bill for 533 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,520 Speaker 1: that where she handed the bill for a week enervated, 534 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:53,520 Speaker 1: unimaginative Democratic Party. I think that the problem is over 535 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 1: the years, UM, money has played a you know, we 536 00:28:57,640 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: talked about campaign funding, and money has had a very 537 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: significant influence on the Democratic body. So I think, you know, 538 00:29:05,800 --> 00:29:08,040 Speaker 1: if you look back to the years of FDR or 539 00:29:08,080 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: even Harry Truman. And you go to a person on 540 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,040 Speaker 1: the street and you say, which is the party of 541 00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:14,760 Speaker 1: the working class in America? Everybody knew it, right, it 542 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:17,480 Speaker 1: was the Democratic Party. You go outside today and you say, 543 00:29:17,720 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: what is the party of the of the working class 544 00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:24,720 Speaker 1: of remic. Well, maybe, but no one believes that the Democrats. 545 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:29,400 Speaker 1: Maybe all right, but it's certainly you know, yeah, yeah so. Uh. 546 00:29:29,760 --> 00:29:33,200 Speaker 1: And what had happened is I think the Democrats became 547 00:29:33,240 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: a party of the upper middle class on the West coast, 548 00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,160 Speaker 1: on the East coast here in New York City. Uh, 549 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: And they forgot and they forgot that while the economy 550 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:47,080 Speaker 1: under Obama actually did improve certainly from where he took 551 00:29:47,120 --> 00:29:52,720 Speaker 1: over after the Wolf Street debacle, Um, the truth was 552 00:29:53,080 --> 00:29:57,640 Speaker 1: and is that millions and millions of people are struggling 553 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: today to put food on the table. That people have 554 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: seen the jobs they work in, two jobs, they're working 555 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:08,120 Speaker 1: three jobs. They're worried to death about their kids, who were, 556 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:10,880 Speaker 1: in all likelihood will have for the first time in 557 00:30:10,960 --> 00:30:13,760 Speaker 1: modern history, a lowest stand up living than their parents. 558 00:30:13,960 --> 00:30:16,520 Speaker 1: They can't afford healthcare where they can't afford college, they 559 00:30:16,520 --> 00:30:19,880 Speaker 1: can't afford childcare, they can't afford housing, that is the 560 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:23,360 Speaker 1: reality that the Democrats kind of forgot about, kind of 561 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: forgot about. And Trump comes there, who's a phony from 562 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 1: day one? And Trump comes there, he says, I'm hearing you. 563 00:30:29,800 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 1: I understand that your job went to Mexico, your job 564 00:30:32,080 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: went to China. I understand that Wall Street has enormous power. 565 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 1: I understand that the drug companies are charging you very 566 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,440 Speaker 1: very high prices. And the champion of the powerless, I 567 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:43,040 Speaker 1: am the champion, I mean, one of the great you know, 568 00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,120 Speaker 1: absurdities of all time. And of course he was lying 569 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: through his teeth. And we've seen that in the first 570 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:52,800 Speaker 1: seven months of his presidency that virtually all of his 571 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,160 Speaker 1: policies have geared toward the billionaire class, and he's turned 572 00:30:56,200 --> 00:31:00,120 Speaker 1: his back big time on working families, etcetera, etcetera. But 573 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:04,240 Speaker 1: he understood something that many Democrats did not, and that 574 00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:07,120 Speaker 1: is that the global economy has worked very well for 575 00:31:07,240 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 1: some people, but a whole lot of people have been 576 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:14,160 Speaker 1: displaced and hurt and ignored. No one even knew that 577 00:31:14,240 --> 00:31:17,080 Speaker 1: they are alive. Turn onto damn television. No one is 578 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 1: talking about that guy who's working two or three jobs, 579 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 1: media and family income. The average mail worker today is 580 00:31:23,200 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: earning less than real dollars than he did forty years. 581 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: Do you think they're not talking about that in mainstream 582 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:30,040 Speaker 1: media or even cable. Well, that's a whole other story. 583 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:33,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, media, what media you think treated 584 00:31:33,080 --> 00:31:36,560 Speaker 1: you fairly? We did not do well with the corporate media, 585 00:31:36,600 --> 00:31:38,120 Speaker 1: and I will say that in The New York Times 586 00:31:38,360 --> 00:31:42,640 Speaker 1: was terrible, Washington Post was bad, Wall Street Journal, ABC 587 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:45,800 Speaker 1: almost that were in the last chapter of a book. 588 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: Let me do an advertisement here. Okay, I wrote a book. 589 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,480 Speaker 1: You can do whatever you want. It's called Our Revolution. 590 00:31:51,560 --> 00:31:53,840 Speaker 1: That's what the book is. Last chapter deals with media 591 00:31:54,160 --> 00:31:56,680 Speaker 1: and the major critique. It's not me moaning and groaning. 592 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:58,360 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not Downdra. All of the media has 593 00:31:58,360 --> 00:31:59,960 Speaker 1: hates me and all that stuff. That's not the case. 594 00:32:00,760 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 1: What media largely does, uh is ignore the most important 595 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,479 Speaker 1: issues facing this country. They're not. Increasingly. What they are 596 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:15,840 Speaker 1: into is what I would call political gossip. There are 597 00:32:15,880 --> 00:32:19,000 Speaker 1: studies out there that will tell you that. On television, 598 00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 1: for example, an enormous amount of time talked about Donald 599 00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:25,200 Speaker 1: Trump's personal life, Hillary Clinton and our emails, Hillary Clinton 600 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: and the Clinton all of that crap. That doesn't mean 601 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:30,680 Speaker 1: anything to anybody in America? Well, what about that family 602 00:32:32,120 --> 00:32:34,000 Speaker 1: where they can't afford to send their kids to college? 603 00:32:34,000 --> 00:32:35,880 Speaker 1: How much time do you think you're spending on television? 604 00:32:36,480 --> 00:32:38,600 Speaker 1: What about healthcare? Have you I'm asking you a question. 605 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: You watch DV? Have you seen one program on the 606 00:32:42,160 --> 00:32:46,680 Speaker 1: major networks talking about the healthcare system that exists in 607 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:49,800 Speaker 1: countries around the world compared to the United States, only Canada. 608 00:32:49,840 --> 00:32:54,240 Speaker 1: They referenced Canada. But don't you think comprehensive. Don't you 609 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,680 Speaker 1: think it might be a good idea for the news 610 00:32:56,840 --> 00:32:59,480 Speaker 1: media to get around Go to the UK, look at 611 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: their system, Go to Denmark, look at their system, Go 612 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: to Canada. You don't see that? What about income in 613 00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,720 Speaker 1: wealth inequality? Do you see outrage in the media and say, 614 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:11,680 Speaker 1: what are we going to do about incoming wealth inequality? 615 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: I was amazed that there was a study done on 616 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:16,640 Speaker 1: media coverage of the campaign, and it turns out that 617 00:33:16,680 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: on the Sunday news shows it ended up that I 618 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: ended up talking about poverty, using the word poverty more 619 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:24,520 Speaker 1: I think almost than everybody else combined, and I didn't 620 00:33:24,600 --> 00:33:25,880 Speaker 1: use it a whole lot. How often do we talk 621 00:33:25,880 --> 00:33:29,040 Speaker 1: about poverty? Forty three million people are living in poverty 622 00:33:29,040 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 1: in this country. You hear a much of discussion, why 623 00:33:31,680 --> 00:33:33,200 Speaker 1: is that? What are we gonna do about that? Only 624 00:33:33,280 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 1: once the Bachelor goes off the air, you know, we 625 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:37,360 Speaker 1: have to watch the Bachelor. In fact, it's going all right. 626 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:40,320 Speaker 1: So the point is, you know, Medior is interested in 627 00:33:40,480 --> 00:33:43,280 Speaker 1: a lot of personal stuff, a lot of political gossip 628 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: in my view, and they are not talking about the 629 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,280 Speaker 1: real issues facing the emerkmen. So if you're out there 630 00:33:48,680 --> 00:33:51,000 Speaker 1: and you're in Kansas or in your West Virginia and 631 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 1: you're working two or three jobs and you're saying, who 632 00:33:53,280 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 1: the hell cares about me? Who really worries that my kid? 633 00:33:58,560 --> 00:34:01,240 Speaker 1: I'll have a guy. I will race this man who's 634 00:34:01,240 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: a billionaire, maybe not to the tune that he claims 635 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:06,120 Speaker 1: he is, but I'll embrace this guy that's this vulgar, 636 00:34:08,320 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: you know, uncurious, all these many un qualified in every sense, 637 00:34:15,760 --> 00:34:20,000 Speaker 1: I mean, unfit to serve on a mentally, I believe. 638 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:22,120 Speaker 1: But I'm going to embrace this guy because at least 639 00:34:22,120 --> 00:34:25,640 Speaker 1: he's pretending he wants to understand me. He's gonna pretend. 640 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:29,200 Speaker 1: Give me somebody who pretend over somebody who isn't even here, 641 00:34:29,680 --> 00:34:31,279 Speaker 1: because I think you made a good point at least. 642 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:33,719 Speaker 1: This is when I'm gleaning from what you said. Maybe 643 00:34:33,760 --> 00:34:35,480 Speaker 1: you didn't make this point, which is that Hillary Clinton 644 00:34:35,520 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 1: stood up there and she's the standard bear for a flabby, tired, unimaginative, 645 00:34:40,800 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 1: out of touch Democratic Party. Well, I'll get in trouble 646 00:34:43,440 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: if I say that, right A, right she Okay, she 647 00:34:46,840 --> 00:34:49,120 Speaker 1: she gets shot down, or she runs out of gas 648 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,200 Speaker 1: or whatever you went metaphor you want to use. Because 649 00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,840 Speaker 1: she represents this group that the people just don't have 650 00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: the same feelings about that they did thirty and forty 651 00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:00,400 Speaker 1: years ago. This is not complicated stuff. You got a dress. 652 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,640 Speaker 1: The people who are hurting right now, incredible pain in 653 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:08,080 Speaker 1: this country, incredible pain. You know, this opioid epidemic and 654 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:10,719 Speaker 1: the herowin epidemic that we're experienced is cold by the 655 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:14,800 Speaker 1: doctors and scientists who studied a disease of despair. You 656 00:35:14,880 --> 00:35:16,800 Speaker 1: know what that means, all right? It means you go 657 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 1: to West Virginia. You go to communities that I have 658 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:23,880 Speaker 1: in West Virginia, unemployment, sky high wages, Pathetic people have 659 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:26,279 Speaker 1: given up on life, and they're turning to drugs, are 660 00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:31,120 Speaker 1: turning to alcohol, are turning to suicide, soul sickness. Uh. 661 00:35:31,239 --> 00:35:33,960 Speaker 1: Two last quick things. One is, uh, when you were 662 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:38,800 Speaker 1: in college, you went to you started out at Brooklyn 663 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:41,400 Speaker 1: College and definish of the University of Chicago. What'd you 664 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:43,840 Speaker 1: get a degree in political science and political science? Did 665 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:45,360 Speaker 1: you go to law school? No law school for you. 666 00:35:45,880 --> 00:35:48,839 Speaker 1: And when you were there you I read this quote 667 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:53,600 Speaker 1: where you said that, uh, you told the l A 668 00:35:53,719 --> 00:35:58,279 Speaker 1: Times in Chicago, you began to understand the futility of liberalism. 669 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:05,120 Speaker 1: Liberalism as opposed we've been talking about today. I happen 670 00:36:05,160 --> 00:36:08,160 Speaker 1: to believe in the politics which is based on the 671 00:36:08,280 --> 00:36:11,520 Speaker 1: needs and the energy of working people and not just 672 00:36:12,239 --> 00:36:17,080 Speaker 1: a liberal elite. And um, I think the goal, and 673 00:36:17,280 --> 00:36:19,440 Speaker 1: you know, just written a book which has this mission 674 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:22,480 Speaker 1: in mind, and we have some success already, is to 675 00:36:22,600 --> 00:36:25,680 Speaker 1: involve more and more people in the political process. In 676 00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:27,320 Speaker 1: the UK, as you know, they had an election a 677 00:36:27,360 --> 00:36:30,040 Speaker 1: couple of months ago, seventy of the people voted. We 678 00:36:30,160 --> 00:36:35,360 Speaker 1: had a presidential election, seven voted. Off election midterm elections 679 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 1: thirties seven voted. That's terrible. Our job is to bring 680 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:43,239 Speaker 1: working people, young people into the political process. If we 681 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 1: can raise the voter turnout in the presidential election from 682 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: six the entire world changes, and it changes for Congress 683 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,879 Speaker 1: as well Europe for re election next year, and then 684 00:36:53,200 --> 00:36:57,239 Speaker 1: beyond that, do you see uh even a possibility that 685 00:36:57,280 --> 00:36:59,080 Speaker 1: you would want to seek not even the same officering? 686 00:36:59,080 --> 00:37:01,400 Speaker 1: And would you ever consider for vice president if you 687 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:03,520 Speaker 1: believe you could be in a team with you can 688 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 1: be on a ticket with somebody that was very likely 689 00:37:06,680 --> 00:37:09,279 Speaker 1: to win. A taste for it? Now much too early? 690 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:13,680 Speaker 1: Do you think you've got the energy for it? I 691 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,239 Speaker 1: feel fine, Thank god, I'm not blessed with good health. Right. 692 00:37:17,000 --> 00:37:20,719 Speaker 1: What did you think about Larry David's impersonation of you 693 00:37:20,760 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: when I was with him on SNL. You did it 694 00:37:23,560 --> 00:37:27,200 Speaker 1: better than me. That was probably the funniest line I 695 00:37:27,320 --> 00:37:29,120 Speaker 1: heard in all the ESNL we did. I did the 696 00:37:29,160 --> 00:37:31,560 Speaker 1: Trump thing and all the crazy stick that they've had 697 00:37:31,600 --> 00:37:33,160 Speaker 1: me do, which has been not a lot of fun, 698 00:37:33,239 --> 00:37:35,440 Speaker 1: I must say, having the Channel Trump. But my favorite 699 00:37:35,520 --> 00:37:38,080 Speaker 1: was with you and Larry said, my opponent has four 700 00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,080 Speaker 1: pairs of underwear. I have only two pairs of underwear. 701 00:37:41,120 --> 00:37:42,880 Speaker 1: I washed them out in my sink in my hotel 702 00:37:42,960 --> 00:37:45,640 Speaker 1: room and put them on the radio at night. You 703 00:37:45,760 --> 00:37:48,399 Speaker 1: know pretty well, I know him very well. Yeah, he's brilliant. Yeah, 704 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:50,600 Speaker 1: but you have you enjoyed all that or do you 705 00:37:50,680 --> 00:37:53,239 Speaker 1: think this kind of mockery because I'm very interested. It's 706 00:37:53,280 --> 00:37:56,279 Speaker 1: not helping, No, it's uh no, I thought Larry did 707 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,279 Speaker 1: a great job. But are we were in terms of Trump? 708 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,719 Speaker 1: You think that we're kind of making him a little 709 00:38:00,719 --> 00:38:03,239 Speaker 1: too cuddly and a little too funny, and we're taking 710 00:38:03,239 --> 00:38:05,320 Speaker 1: people's mind off something with that. But we have to 711 00:38:05,520 --> 00:38:09,640 Speaker 1: focus on on on Trump is what he is doing, 712 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:12,719 Speaker 1: you know, you know we every day he says something 713 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:15,279 Speaker 1: that it's absurd, But you know, think about this is 714 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:18,040 Speaker 1: a guy who told the American people he was going 715 00:38:18,080 --> 00:38:20,680 Speaker 1: to provide good health care for quote unquote everybody. Remember 716 00:38:20,719 --> 00:38:25,520 Speaker 1: that he supported throwing thirty two million people off health insurance. Uh. 717 00:38:25,600 --> 00:38:28,919 Speaker 1: You know this is a guy who you know, made 718 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:32,360 Speaker 1: all kinds of promises to working people. Uh, and he 719 00:38:32,440 --> 00:38:35,000 Speaker 1: has turned his back completely on that. It's the old 720 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 1: line that happened during Buckley Valleo when someone said they 721 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:41,399 Speaker 1: said cash is speech, and an opponent of that decision said, 722 00:38:41,640 --> 00:38:43,520 Speaker 1: will have cash his speech? The guy with the most 723 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:48,600 Speaker 1: cash speaks loudest, taking that idea that speech is money. 724 00:38:48,640 --> 00:38:50,560 Speaker 1: What hapmes if you don't have any money? I mean, 725 00:38:51,800 --> 00:38:54,839 Speaker 1: that's right. So I think what we you know, all 726 00:38:54,920 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 1: of us believe in free speech. It's one of the 727 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:01,360 Speaker 1: important elements of our constitution. But I believe in democracy, 728 00:39:01,480 --> 00:39:03,400 Speaker 1: and I believe in the right of all people that 729 00:39:03,520 --> 00:39:06,000 Speaker 1: have the ability to influence the political process, not just 730 00:39:06,120 --> 00:39:08,760 Speaker 1: a billionaires. Well, I really have not been much involved 731 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,920 Speaker 1: in the political process terms of fundraising these for the 732 00:39:12,040 --> 00:39:14,279 Speaker 1: last eight years. I did full victim to that thing 733 00:39:14,320 --> 00:39:17,080 Speaker 1: where when Obama won his second term, like I said, like, 734 00:39:17,120 --> 00:39:19,600 Speaker 1: we're good, this is my guy in there for a 735 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:21,479 Speaker 1: second term, and you can really get some things done. 736 00:39:21,880 --> 00:39:23,400 Speaker 1: But I must say, I hope you're proud of what 737 00:39:23,520 --> 00:39:26,319 Speaker 1: you did. What you have accomplished is an amazing thing. 738 00:39:26,440 --> 00:39:28,759 Speaker 1: You know, accomplished an amazing thing. I mean, if it 739 00:39:28,960 --> 00:39:31,920 Speaker 1: was so close, you really had a shot, it was 740 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:35,000 Speaker 1: almost there. Well, what I am most proud of is 741 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: that we have brought millions of people into the political process. 742 00:39:38,200 --> 00:39:41,280 Speaker 1: When I said earlier, ideas that seemed far out and crazy, 743 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: like medicare for all of making public colleges and universities 744 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: tuition free, that kind of mainstream ideas now because people 745 00:39:48,200 --> 00:39:54,280 Speaker 1: are talking about them, they're saying, why not Senator sanders 746 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,200 Speaker 1: new book, Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution is just out. 747 00:40:04,280 --> 00:40:07,319 Speaker 1: I'm Alec Baldwin and you're listening to Here's the Thing