If you’ve been following the 2020 Democratic candidates, you’ve probably heard of Andrew Yang. An entrepreneur with no previous government experience, Yang has made a big splash with his three main policies: The Freedom Dividend(also known as universal basic income), Medicare for All, and Human-Centered Capitalism.

As it stands, Yang is currently sixth in the latest public polls, garnering 3% of national supporters. He’s also been in the spotlight of several major controversies, with many also claiming his lack of government experience will ultimately drag him down.

But, see, that’s where Andrew Yang stands out. As one of the few candidates with no prior public positions, Andrew Yang is true to himself, not to what will make him look good in the media, or increase his polls. Whether that’s doing a live Q&A on Quora, breaking down over gun control, Yang isn’t afraid to express how he feels publicly, but also logically.

In an era where misinformation and lies are constantly at war with facts, someone who is authentic and genuine publicly is practically unheard of. A POTUS should be a leader and role-model that we look up to. Not someone who spends his time on Twitter calling other people “short” or “Pocahontas.” A leader is someone who can bring people together towards a cause. But part of that is also someone who is true to himself and rational.

As Naresh Vissa, Founder & CEO of Krish Media & Marketing, puts it, “Andrew Yang is not a part of the Democratic political establishment. He is not beholden to any one group or special interest. He is the only Democratic candidate who has actually accomplished noteworthy feats personally. He is logical and speaks with facts – not blind statements or emotions. He is too intelligent and rational for mainstream federal politics.”

“Even though I lean right, I support nearly all of Andrew Yang’s policies, including his libertarian-themed Freedom Dividend. I also support his stance on single-payer health insurance. He has many other random policies on his website and books that I agree with. Most of his policies are common sense and fact-based.”

Larry Cohen, from Andrew Yang SuperPAC Humanity Forward, adds to this, “Andrew Yang resonates with me because he doesn’t sound like a politician. He stands out as a candidate because he speaks honestly about what he sees as our country’s challenges, and offers the kind of bold necessary policies to address them. Finally, I deeply respect the values he’s fighting for: believing in abundance instead of scarcity, putting people first in our society, and finding and respecting the humanity in all of us.”

“He’s bringing together a wide political coalition, from both sides of the aisle. He’s got former Trump supporters, Bernie and Warren supporters, and also many who haven’t voted before or who have been disengaged from politics. His message is about moving forward as a country. He understands and speaks to the real challenges our country faces and is fighting for the bold policies and changes we need. “

Andrew Yang isn’t like Joe Biden, who adopts policies from his ex-running mate Obama in order to gain supporters. Each one of his policies has been thought about and is something Yang truly believes is helpful and logical.

For example, Kristine Thorndyke from TestPrepNerds mentions how, “Andrew Yang specifically mentions the idea of ‘inertia’ in our politics and government, which means that we just continue policies and practices “just because.” He questions policies in the government such as why Supreme Court justices are elected for life and brings forth ideas as to why and how these common practices can be changed to benefit society.”

He doesn’t specifically attempt to cater towards an audience either. While his ideologies generally align with the Democratic Party, he’s usually bipartisan and doesn’t create policies just to appeal to Democrats.

Quite simply put, Yang is authentic. I’m sure you could argue that with some of the other candidates. Elizabeth Warren can be authentic when she’s pushing out her policies. Bernie is authentic when he’s talking about universal healthcare. But can you say either of them have the rationality and open-mindedness of Yang?

In an interview with NBC, Warren called the Trump administration the most corrupt administration of her lifetime. During the debate, Warren also pushed for Trump’s impeachment, saying, “This is about Donald Trump, but, understand, it’s about the next president and the next president and the next president and the future of this country. The impeachment must go forward.”

Yang also supported the impeachment inquiry. However, Time writes, “Yang was the first candidate to connect the topic of impeachment to broader issues.” He supported “a new vision” and said that “The fact is, Donald Trump, when we’re talking about him, we are losing.”

Yang’s willingness to take a step forward and speak out is something that has become rare.

Honestly, I’m not a big supporter of his policies, but if he’s elected, I have no doubt that some of the integrity of our government will be restored. His lack of experience may ultimately drag him down, but his rationality and authenticity will propel him a ten-fold.

Read the flip side: Andrew Yang’s UBI Could be Illegal

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