Having outlasted senators and governors Andrew Yang scales up his campaign

Still, Yang’s presidential bid has come a long way since his staff sent the Washington Examiner a note in January, asking that the founder of job creation nonprofit organization Venture for America be included in lists of declared and potential White House hopefuls.

The son of Taiwanese immigrants, a graduate of Brown University and Columbia Law School, has a nationwide polling average of 2.8%, according to RealClearPolitics data. While he trails front-runner Joe Biden by more than 20 percentage points, he has more aggregate support than some of his rivals set to appear alongside him at next week’s primary debate, such as Sens. Cory Booker of New Jersey and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. He is also keeping pace with his competitors’ fundraising efforts, reporting $6 million cash on hand at the end of 2019’s third-quarter.

The upstate New York native, who filed his candidacy in November 2017, told the Washington Examiner he was not surprised by his staying power because he had “the clearest vision for the country, the truest sense of the problems, and the best set of solutions” of those in the race.

“I believe we can contend, and win the whole thing, and I wouldn’t have set off on this journey if I didn’t believe that,” he said after the opening of a new field office in Iowa City this month.

The financial contributions have allowed Yang’s once scrappy presidential campaign, best known for his universal basic income platform and “MATH” or “Make America Think Harder” slogan, to enter a new phase less than 100 days out from Iowa and New Hampshire.

The former CEO of education company Manhattan Prep, who is estimated to be worth up to $2 million, has hired a slew of staffers, though most have limited national political experience, to roll out a busier schedule and more structured “get-out-the-vote” organization.

Although still hosting stops like “Yangapalooza,” a music event held in Des Moines before the Iowa Democratic Party’s storied Liberty and Justice Celebration, it is a shift away from the viral moments that initially sustained his White House ambitions, including his breakout moment on Joe Rogan’s podcast in February and offering select donors the opportunity to get $1,000 a month for a year as part of a pilot program for his “Freedom Dividend” proposal.

“The fact is, 12 months ago, it was okay if we operated in a certain way because not that many people were paying attention. But now that it’s nearing game time, people are paying close attention, so we needed to professionalize our operation in some ways,” Yang said.

His central message of how automation and resultant unemployment gave rise to President Trump has tinges of anti-establishment sentiment, which appeals to younger Democrats, independents, and centrist Republicans, collectively known as the “Yang Gang.” His perceived different perspective, combined with his casual manner and tieless dress code, has simultaneously drummed up a cult-like following, inspiring dedicated YouTube channels run by volunteers who chase him around the country.

“Well, if you look at it, 25% of Americans identify as politically disengaged and over 40% identify as independents. So if you can activate a significant number of those people, you could win the whole thing in a place like Iowa. So that’s our big advantage,” Yang said.

Patsy Wheeler, a 68-year-old nurse from Oxford, Iowa, is considering caucusing for Yang despite describing him as a “long shot” and noting he had not qualified for December’s debate.

“Everything that he says just all makes good sense to me,” she said when asked about not fitting the mold of other Yang fans. “I mean, who really thinks about the idea that at some point trucks are going to be driving themselves?”

Jacob Crooks, 20, a college student who will likely unregister as a Republican to caucus for Yang, added he felt his pick “wasn’t going to bullshit you,” attributing his momentum to being in the “right place at the right time with correct people backing him on both sides of the political spectrum.”

But growing pains are evident as Yang receives more national media attention.

Yang was shielded from a reporter’s question this month regarding why he did not denounce jokes about racial slurs at Yangapalooza after coming under criticism in March for failing to condemn support from white nationalists. His press team additionally tried to dictate who the Washington Examiner could speak to at the field office opening.

For Colby College’s L. Sandy Maisel, Yang’s success was in part driven by the Democratic electorate’s desire for a fresh face. Maisel reinforced the unlikelihood of him becoming the party’s standard-bearer, but referred to his focus on New Hampshire given his ties with that region of the country as a “wise strategy.”

“There’s a natural limit to how far he goes,” Maisel said, suggesting he should “expand what he’s talking about.” “But let me add a caveat to that. At the same point in 1976, I didn’t think Jimmy Carter was going anywhere either.”

Larry Jacobs, director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for the Study of Politics and Governance, told the Washington Examiner Yang was a “niche, boutique candidate” who had piqued the interest of “newer people to politics” looking for an alternative to “angry partisans or the older politicians.” While he had not had a huge impact on the primary, Democrats may rue not having another option in the field who excites potential voters, Jacobs explained.

“I think the key thing about Yang is, is this it? His message could well resonant increasingly in the future. If Donald Trump wins reelection, there’s going to be a lot of people wanting to know what went wrong, and I think he’s got a very 21st century answer, which is the party needs to leave the mid-20th century and enter the 21st century,” he said. “If the Democrats lose, the guy who was out of place is all of a sudden going to have a very strong message about what the Democratic Party needs to do to become more relevant in the 21st century.”