Dean Phillips ‘24
Hello, I hope that your holidays are going great.
This week on the podcast I interview Dean Phillips, Democratic candidate for President. I’m excited about his campaign for a few reasons.
First, I think that he dramatically improves the chances of not having Donald Trump win in ‘24. Joe Biden’s approval ratings are now down to 37% (!!!) and he is losing to Trump in most of the swing states. The Democrats should be furiously searching for a candidate who is better situated to defeat Trump. Someone like, say, a 54-year old moderate Congressman from Minnesota who won a red-leaning district 3 times.
“People didn’t think that I could win that first race, but I got out and ran a positive campaign. Not only did we win but my margin of victory went up in each race.”
Dean made headlines as a member of Congress when he stated what most people believe: that Joe Biden should make way for another candidate. “When people say one thing in private and another thing in public, it’s dangerous. The numbers are clear that President Biden isn’t well-positioned against Trump, but no one was willing to say it when a camera was on them even as they were saying it to each other every day.”
“I went out and asked other people to run. When no one else was willing to do it, I decided I couldn’t stand by when the country is at such a pivotal point. I told my daughters I was going to do everything I could against Trump, and I’m going to do just that.”
What would Dean do as President? “First, I’m going to be a leader for all Americans. I’m going to have a team of rivals in my Cabinet. Good ideas come from anywhere, not just from one party. We need to repair America. I’m going to have a youth Cabinet from all 50 states as well. Young people need more voice.”
“Second, everywhere I go Americans are struggling. Housing costs are too high and there’s a national shortage. We should build 7 million new homes immediately. We need a national healthcare system so that no one is going bankrupt from going sick. I will make sure we have a universal healthcare system. We have to reduce the cost of education and the debt load for millions of Americans. I’m also for piloting UBI because I think AI is going to disrupt the jobs and livelihoods of a lot of Americans. I’m going to make America affordable for people and families.”
Dean and I met at a campaign finance reform event. “Our system is corruptive. I’m for open primaries, ranked choice voting and publicly financing elections. I’m for term limits. My colleagues in Congress spend thousands of hours a week dialing for dollars. If everyone you talk to is rich, you lose touch with how most Americans live, where most are living paycheck to paycheck and 40% can’t afford a $400 bill.”
Can Dean win? I think he can because of the way the calendar is laid out. New Hampshire votes on January 23rd, and it’s not a state that Joe Biden has ever done well in, even before he demoted them for South Carolina. “When we win New Hampshire, imagine the headlines on January 24th. All of a sudden a ton of people will be paying attention.” Dean is already at 15% in New Hampshire and climbing. The more people see of him, the better he’s going to do.
The threshold issue is whether he becomes widely known enough fast enough. If he does, I think he will win, as a majority of Democrats are becoming increasingly uncomfortable with Joe Biden as the 81-year old incumbent. Voters will have their say starting on January 23rd.
Dean is determined. “My Dad died for this country in Vietnam, and I think about it all the time. The least I can do is tell the truth and do my best on this campaign.”
To hear my interview with Dean, click here. To check out his campaign, click here. I’ve donated to Dean and I hope you consider doing so as well. And tell your friends! It may not seem like it, but Dean could be the most truly transformative political figure in a generation.
