Dear #YangGang: Yang is not our savior.

Vol. 1 Issue 2 (first appeared on Medium)

So in issue 1 we talked about Humanity First being the core principle of Andrew Yang’s presidential campaign.

Issue 2 might be a bit less topically popular…let's find out together!

I hate to break it to the Yang Gang but Andrew is not the second coming of Jesus Christ. He is not the Mahdi, nor Saoshyant. He’s not Maitreya and he is most likely not Neo reborn, I mean…probably not, technology is weird. Him being Neo may be the most realistic option.

Plus I hear they are making another Matrix movie, maybe it’s a sign.

You know what, this is all ok. The fact that Andrew is not the chosen one is actually great.

So why are you bringing this up at all? Could you please get to the point?

Right. That. Ok so here’s the deal. Andrew Yang is not going to fix all of our problems. He is not going to wave a magic want and make all our ills disappear. He will also exist in the system, which means he has to work within it to get things done. Let’s also be honest, we definitely do not need another cult of personality president.

Neither Andrew nor his ideas are beyond reproach. The Freedom Dividend is not a cure for all of society’s ills (I am not saying he claims that it is a cure all). I love the passion surrounding the campaign and the support we all give to Andrew, it’s truly exceptional, but he is [checks notes] a human and his ideas are not perfect.

It shouldn't be a surprise that not everyone will agree with his ideas and his specific proposals. That said I have seen Yangers take any question or shot at his policy proposals as a personal insult the them, the movement and Andrew. Issue 1 was humanity first remember?

So here's the thing, loving something or someone can make you crazy and irrational…we all know this, most likely all of us have been in that position at some point. The most dangerous behavior can come from the purest intentions.

That we believe UBI is better than FJG+ 15$ minimum wage is our belief, yes it’s based on data, but so are most things. The only truth I learned when I took stats in college is that stats can say whatever the hell you want them to say. Questioning Andrew and his policies shouldn’t be considered an attack but an opportunity. The opportunity to educate a fellow

American, but it may also be an opportunity for us to discuss and point out weak links in a policy’s metaphorical armor. Yang Gang should be MORE critical of his policy positions than anyone else. As supporters we want his policies to be as bullet proof as possible, and to do that we need to think critically about them and offer feedback. That’s not questioning the chosen one, it’s supporting a human man’s candidacy for president.

-James

One quick response to a comment I received from Issue 1, Ivan said:

· I appreciate this message. Keeping us fighting the media is playing defense on this campaign. Focusing our energy on getting more people to watch a video/listen to a podcast or read through his policies is playing offense. The question is how do we coordinate this offensive strategy more effectively…for now, your three points are a good place to start.

In my opinion this is an awesome perspective. Offense vs Defense. I think Ivan is right to say that when we are burning energy on Twitter trolls and the media and the supporters of other candidates we aren't making the best use of our time and energy. Sure we need to engage and counter dis-information, but the best way to do that is to get the message out to people willing to listen…rarely are you going to find those people on Twitter. They are out there in the real world, go Yang your barista, or a sales person, your family whoever. Alternatively, join the cause, volunteer to support the campaign, they can always use more phone and text bankers!