One-On-One With Democratic Candidate Andrew Yang
DEAN: One Democratic presidential candidate is vowing to overperform in the Iowa caucuses, now barely a month away, believe it or not. But most recent polling shows him far from frontrunner territory, though. Andrew Yang is here with us. Mr. Yang, thanks for coming in on a holiday weekend.</s>ANDREW YANG (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's good to be there. Thank you for having me.</s>DEAN: We really appreciate it. Before we get into the race itself, I'm curious, you just celebrated holidays and Christmas and all that. What -- did you guys talk any politics at your holiday table?</s>YANG: I think Christmas was a politics-free day.</s>DEAN: Zone, yes.</s>YANG: We figure no one wanted to hear from me that day, so I got to deal with the family and my family --</s>DEAN: Yes, did they want to hear from you?</s>YANG: -- did not really want to talk about the campaign. My boys have no idea what daddy is doing. I just tell them I have a very big deadline coming up.</s>DEAN: And remind us how old they are again?</s>YANG: Seven and 4.</s>DEAN: Yes. So, they're still pretty little. All right. Well, I'm glad you got some family time in. Let's get down to it now. 2020, of course, the Iowa caucuses just right down the way now as we turn to the New Year, and you predict that you're going to do well.</s>YANG: Yes.</s>DEAN: That you think that you're going to overperform in Iowa. But you say that that state isn't make or break for your campaign. So, where do you stand on that? Do you still think it's not make or break in Iowa?</s>YANG: Well, we're going to do really well in Iowa, but I just came from South Carolina where the energy is growing. I'm heading to New Year's to celebrate -- sorry, I'm heading to New Hampshire to celebrate New Year's.</s>DEAN: Uh-huh.</s>YANG: And we're really, really strong in New Hampshire. So, Iowa is pivotal, but we're seeing strength in all of the early states.</s>DEAN: Yes. And so, what are you -- is it from a fundraising perspective? I mean, if you don't come in let's say the top four or five in Iowa, that's not going to kind of -- you think kind of start to dwindle and narrow the field a little bit?</s>YANG: Well, anyone looking at the campaign sees that we have some of the strongest support from people online. We raised $10 million last quarter. We're going to do better this quarter. And so, that support is going to be very, very resilient because the Yang Gang has been with us from the beginning and they want to see this through, all the way through the spring.</s>DEAN: Yes. And what state would say is -- is there one that's really the one that you're going to -- this is -- this is it, this is this is my line in the sand, or are you open to every --</s>YANG: Well, I think that we're going to do really well in New Hampshire.</s>DEAN: Yes.</s>YANG: I think that we're striking a powerful chord there. But I think the same thing about Nevada, South Carolina. And I can't wait for the Super Tuesday states because California, Texas, we've had thousands of people come out for the campaign in each of those places. I think that we're going to shock a lot of people come February and March.</s>DEAN: It is interesting to remember that in Democratic primaries, it's not winner-take-all with delegates. So, it does become a math game as it were in terms -- in terms of collecting delegates.</s>YANG: Yes, yes, of course.</s>DEAN: You don't have to win the state to get delegates all the time. You do have to hit a certain percentage though. That next debate in Iowa is in January. CNN is going to host it, along with "The Des Moines Register". Now, at this point, you've not qualified under the DNC's tougher criteria. If you don't make it in, this is going to be the first time you won't have been on the debate stage. What's going to mean for your campaign if you don't make it on that stage?</s>YANG: We're very confident that I'll be on that stage in January. I love it when CNN moderates a debate.</s>DEAN: Oh, thanks.</s>YANG: I'm looking forward to it. But we've already exceeded the donor threshold by a very wide margin. We have one of the qualifying polls. And as soon as they start running polls in the early states, people will see that we're above the threshold needed to qualify. So I'll be on that stage.</s>DEAN: So, you think looking forward, you're going to keep showing up. Andrew Yang will be on the stage as we move down and the field begins to winnow. In the last debate, though, you said it was an honor and a disappointment that you were the only nonwhite candidate on the stage. Obviously, we haven't had an historic field of candidates in this Democratic primary. What do you make of where we are and now, you're the last nonwhite candidate there on the stage as of the last debate?</s>YANG: Well, I said it on the debate stage -- our politics reflects the disposable income of our citizens. And if you have lower levels of disposable income, you are much less likely to be in the less than 5 percent of Americans who donate to a political campaign. So that influences very profoundly the kind of people that make it to the debate stage in these later months. But we expect to be the lone candidate of color unless Cory joins me. I was a little surprised that the DNC elevated their threshold. I thought that they were going to keep it the same.</s>DEAN: Yes, and I do want to talk to you about the threshold because the DNC has pushed back and said that it has let a very fair and transparent process, and even told campaigns almost a year ago that the qualification criteria would go up later in the year and not one campaign objected. What is your reaction to the criteria? I know there's been a lot of debate around it. They've -- the DNC said they put a lot of thought into this and try to make it as fair and equitable as possible.</s>YANG: I've had absolutely no issue with the DNC's thresholds throughout. They've actually been very fair and transparent like they said. I was still surprised that they elevated the threshold for January in part because I thought that they wanted to give Cory a path back to the stage to have more representation on the stage. And the only concern I have is that they haven't been running many polls in part because of the holidays. So, it's very difficult to have a higher threshold when there aren't that many polls out in the field.</s>DEAN: And it was interesting because Cory Booker's campaign, along with the rest of the Democratic field, came forward with this letter earlier in December, asking the DNC to do away -- to go back to some of the earlier thresholds.</s>YANG: Yes.</s>DEAN: And your campaign did sign on to that. But I was told by a source that some campaigns were calling the DNC, asking them -- saying, hey, we're going to sign this, but hold the line because we like the thresholds, they're working for us. Was your campaign one of those? What do you think about that?</s>YANG: No, Cory and I are friends. I was eager to have Cory on the stage. I'm eager to have Cory rejoin us on the stage in January. So, I can't speak for the other campaigns, but our communication has been sincere.</s>DEAN: And I want to turn -- you were here when we were talking about Joe Biden. This afternoon, he clarified his position on what he said to the "Des Moines Register" yesterday. He had said yesterday that he wouldn't participate in a subpoena to testify. He said today that he will do whatever is legally asked of him, that he just doesn't think -- he was making the broader point that he doesn't think it's going to get to that point. If he is subpoenaed and again, that's a big if because it hasn't happened yet, do you think he should testify?</s>YANG: Well, I would take Joe at his own word. I mean, he said that if he gets subpoenaed, then he would naturally comply. That seems like the right approach.</s>DEAN: Yes, what -- impeachment hovers over 2020. I mean, so many times -- I'm out on the campaign trail. You guys are talking to voters. They're not necessarily asking you particular questions about impeachment. We're talking about it. It is driving the news cycles. How does that affect how you're campaigning and how you move forward with your message?</s>YANG: My experience has been the same as yours out there. When you're in Iowa, or New Hampshire and South Carolina, they are not as fixated on impeachment as the cable news networks are. And so, we have to take every single opportunity to solve the problems that got Donald Trump elected, create a new way forward and present a vision of a 21st century economy that works for people. To me, that's where my attention is as a candidate. I wish that the media was making that case more consistently to the American people rather than having all of its eyes on</s>D.C. DEAN: But President Trump does do a very effective job of driving the narrative, of really taking up a lot of the news cycle. And you all are really forced to kind of reckon not only within your own party and competing against each other, but also with him before you even get to the point where you have a Democratic nominee.</s>YANG: What I've said is that anytime we're talking about Donald Trump, we are losing and he is winning. He is a creature that thrives on attention. And for better or worse, generally for worse, the media networks have found that talking about Donald Trump drives ratings. And so, you have this cycle of coverage and controversy that crowds out the chance to present a positive vision that Americans will get excited.</s>DEAN: Yes.</s>YANG: That's where my attention is, and that's where I think all of our attention should be.</s>DEAN: But he is the president, you know? You have to follow along what he's doing, but yes.</s>YANG: Yes. I mean, I don't blame people because it is historic.</s>DEAN: Yes.</s>YANG: He is the president.</s>DEAN: Quickly before we go, Speaker Pelosi is holding on to those articles of impeachment. They are trying to kind of hash out what that's going to be like in the Senate. Do you think that's what she should be doing?</s>YANG: Nancy has been driving this entire process. She's very savvy. She knows what she's doing. If she thinks that's the right approach, I'm sure she's on point.</s>DEAN: All right. Andrew Yang, thanks so much. Enjoy your new year in New Hampshire.</s>YANG: Thank you so much. It's so great to see you.</s>DEAN: Thanks for coming on. We appreciate you making time. Well, what a difference two decades makes. That was the last time Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer was part of an impeachment trial. And now, his 1999 comments are coming back to haunt him. We'll have more on that. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.