Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who is considering a run for president in 2020, criticized some his fellow Democrats’ “unrealistic ideological promises.”
In an op-ed published Thursday in the Washington Post, McAuliffe argued that a federal jobs guarantee and universal free college are not practical policies for his party to pursue.
A federal jobs guarantee, which would ensure every American who needs a job has one with at least a $15-per-hour wage and benefits, has gained steam among some prominent Democrats in the last year. Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Cory Booker of New Jersey, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York have all said they support some version of a federal jobs guarantee. Incoming Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has said the issue is a top priority.
“Sound too good to be true? It is. Proponents of a jobs guarantee are smart people with good motives, but they surely recognize that it is not a realistic policy,” McAuliffe countered.
The promise of universal free college also sounds nice, but “spending limited taxpayer money on a free college education for the children of rich parents badly misses the mark for most families,” he added.
McAuliffe said Trump faces an easier road to re-election if Democrats continue to push such policies.
The op-ed echoed his remarks Sunday, when he called for Democrats to find ways to pay for their policy proposals, such as “Medicare for all.”
“Am I for healthcare for all individuals, affordable, quality care? You bet I am. The key is — and this is why I say governors are very important because when we make promises we have to deliver — we have to actually pay for what we’re actually promising,” McAuliffe told CNN’s “State of the Union.”
