Andrew Yang has been widely praised as the most relatable Democratic candidate in the primary field, and for good reason. He’s a policy wonk, yet down-to-earth; modest, yet ambitious. And, above all, Yang knows how to laugh at himself.
Speaking to a crowd of supporters in Iowa ahead of Monday’s primary caucuses, Yang joked that caucusgoers should knock those who don’t support him unconscious, “drag them over to the Andrew Yang” corner, then “prop them up and make them seem like they’re conscious.”
But it gets better. When Yang was unable to stop laughing at his own joke, his wife, Evelyn Yang, stepped in and quipped, “Contain yourself.”
WATCH: @AndrewYang jokes that canvassers should knock unwilling people unconscious, drag them to his corner: “…then you prop them up and make them seem like they are conscious.” Doubles up with laughter and his wife Evelyn tries to get him back on track: “Contain yourself.” pic.twitter.com/QoDRQp58g4
— Ben Pu (@BenPu_nbc) February 3, 2020
This moment, though brief, speaks to Yang’s personable candidacy. He’s still down in the polls and, unless he can pull off a miraculous surge, it’s unlikely he’ll win the 15% support needed to take home a share of precinct delegates at many caucus sites. But instead of approaching this predicament as a doomsday scenario, Yang chose to laugh it off.
Unlike many of the other Democratic presidential candidates, Yang avoids hyperbole. He refrains from making ad hominem remarks and instead sticks to human-related solutions he believes can bridge the divide between Democrats and Republicans. This hasn’t created the national appeal Yang needs, but it has resulted in a loyal base. Indeed, a recent Iowa survey found that more than 40% of Yang supporters will not support another Democratic candidate if Yang doesn’t qualify in Iowa.
And if this is what he’s best known for, a movement dedicated to practicality and empathy, then surely Yang has done something right whether he wins or not.
