2016 Postmortem

bigtree

(85,999 posts) Sat Jul 11, 2015, 11:10 AM Jul 2015

Watch Martin O'Malley in New Hampshire Series 'Conversation with the Candidate'

WMUR TV ?@WMUR9 16h16 hours ago
Watch Conversation with the Candidate w/ @MartinOMalley -- http://wmur.tv/6011B8aU1 #wmur2016 #fitn #nhpolitics

Presidential candidate Martin O'Malley joined Josh McElveen and an audience of New Hampshire voters for the latest installment of the Conversation with the Candidate series.

The former Maryland governor touched on a number of issues, including the economy, college education costs and health care.

excerpts:

MARLENE: WE ARE A COUNTRY DIVIDED AND POLARIZED POLITICALLY, SOCIALLY, AND FINANCIALLY. WE NEED A STRONG CANDIDATE WHO WILL UNITE THE COUNTRY AGAIN AND BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH GOALS LEGISLATORS CAN GET BEHIND EVEN IF THEY WALK ACROSS THE AISLE. HOW WILL YOU DO THAT?

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: I WILL DO THAT BY FOCUSING ON WHAT IS IN OUR BEST NATIONAL INTERESTS TOGETHER. OUR LAND OF OPPORTUNITY IS IN DANGER OF BECOMING THE LAND OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS RETURN TO WHAT OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS PRACTICED, PAY OVERTIME PAY FOR OVERTIME WORK, MAKE IT EASIER RATHER THAN HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE OR JOIN LABOR UNIONS OR TO BE ABLE TO GET 11 MILLION OF OUR NEIGHBORS OUT OF THE SHADOW ECONOMY AND INTO THE FULL LIGHT OF OUR ECONOMY BY PASSING COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM. ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE THE THINGS THAT WILL MAKE WAGES START TO GO UP AGAIN INSTEAD OF STAGNATING FOR DECLINING AS THEY HAVE FOR 75% OF US OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS. IT'S THE COMMONSENSE ECONOMICS THAT SAYS WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. WE NEED TO ACT LIKE THAT. THE MORE A PERSON LEARNS, THE MORE THEY EARN, THE BETTER WE ALL DO. THE MORE A PERSON LEARNS, THE MORE MONEY THEY HAD TO SPEND, AND THE BETTER THAT IS FOR BUSINESSES AND OUR ECONOMY. OUR ECONOMY IS NOT MONEY. ITS PEOPLE. IT'S TIME WE ACT LIKE THAT IN THE POLICIES WE CHOOSE.

JOSH: YOU BROUGHT UP IMMIGRATION REFORM. OBVIOUSLY, A BIG ISSUE. A LOT OF REPUBLICANS FEEL LIKE THE FIRST THING WE'VE GOT TO DO IS SEAL THE BORDER. WHAT IS YOUR FIRST APPROACH?

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: WE NEED TO SECURE OUR BORDERS. THAT HAS TO BE SAID AND IT HAS TO BE DONE, BUT THE OTHER THING WE HAVE TO DO IS ADOPT COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM. ONE OF THE GREAT GENIUSES OF OUR NATION IS THE DIVERSITY AND THE STRENGTH THAT COMES FROM THAT DIVERSITY. E PLURIBUS, UNUM. FROM MANY NATIONS ONE. MY ANCESTORS WERE IMMIGRANTS. THE FIRST LANGUAGE WAS NOT ENGLISH, BUT THE HOPES AND DREAMS THEY HAD FOR THEIR KIDS WAS 100% AMERICAN. AMERICAN IMMIGRANTS START BUSINESSES AT HIGHER RATES. THEY ACTUALLY BELIEVE SOMETIMES MORE PASSIONATELY THAN SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HERE A GENERATION THAT OUR COUNTRY IS THE LAND OF OPPORTUNITY AND THEY CAN GIVE THEIR KIDS A BETTER FUTURE. WE NEED TO STOP THIS SILLINESS OF PRETENDING LIKE THERE'S GOING TO BE A GIANT AIRPLANE OR NOAH'S ARK IS GOING TO COME AND DEPORT 11 MILLION PEOPLE, MANY OF WHOM HAVE ONLY KNOWN THIS AS THEIR COUNTRY. WE NEED TO DO COMPREHENSIVE IMMIGRATION REFORM AND START -- START ACTING LIKE AMERICANS AGAIN. OUR ENDURING SYMBOL IS NOT THE BARBED WIRE FENCE, IT'S THE STATUE OF LIBERTY, AND THAT IS WHAT MAKES US GREAT.

TERESA: IF ELECTED PRESIDENT, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR PRIORITY DURING THE FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE YOU GOVERNOR

O'MALLEY: MY PRIORITIES WOULD BE TO ASSEMBLE NOT ONLY THE MOST CAPABLE PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT I CAN POSSIBLY FIND BUT ALSO TO DECLARE THE GOAL OF MAKING OUR NATION 100% CLEAN ENERGY POWERED ON OUR ELECTRIC GRID BY 2050. CLIMATE CHANGE IS NOT ONLY A HUGE, HUGE CHALLENGE. IT IS A BIG BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY AND JOBS OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR NATIONS IF WE SQUARE OUR SHOULDERS TO IT AND ADDRESS IT. YOUR NEIGHBORS IN IOWA -- NOW 30% OF THEIR ENERGY IS POWERED BY WIND THAT IS ACTUALLY EMPLOYING A LOT OF PEOPLE IN IOWA, BUILDING THE WINDMILLS. IN THE STATE OF HAWAII, THEIR GOVERNMENT RECENTLY DECLARED A GOAL OF REACHING 100% CLEAN ENERGY ON THEIR ELECTRIC GRID, SO THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE VERY FIRST EXECUTIVE ORDERS, IS DECLARING THIS THE TOP PRIORITY OF OUR UTTER OF GOVERNMENT. THE MOVE TOWARDS THE GOAL OF 100% CLEAN ENERGY ON OUR GRID BY 2050 AND TO TAKE EVERY ACTION POSSIBLE TO GET THERE.

GAIL: GIANT CORPORATIONS SEEM TO HAVE UNLIMITED FUNDS TO BUY INSIDER ACCESS TO CONGRESS. WHAT STEPS WILL YOU TAKE TO PREVENT CORPORATE CRONYISM FROM CORRUPTING OUR GOVERNMENT AND ECONOMY?

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US MOVE TO PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. IT IS SO SET TO SEE WHAT WE DO TO OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. MOST OF THEM DECENT AND HONORABLE MEN AND WOMEN, MOTIVATOR FOR THE RIGHT REASONS TO PUT THEIR FAMILY THROUGH THIS AND CAMPAIGN AND THE SECOND THEY ARE ELECTED, THEY ARE TOLD THEY HAVE TO BECOME TELEMARKETERS AND BE ON THE PHONE FOR 20 HOURS A WEEK CALLING PEOPLE FOR MONEY FOR THE NEXT CAMPAIGN THAT'S ON THE HORIZON. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY OF OUR TAX DOLLARS OUR CONGRESS MAKES DECISIONS ABOUT, IT WOULD BE A SMALL PRICE TO PAY TO COME UP WITH PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS IN CONGRESS. THERE ARE A LOT OF 80'S THAT ARE ALSO MOVING OUT WITH PUBLICLY FINANCED ELECTIONS, AND THE MORE OUR CITIES START TO DO THAT, THE MORE THE CONSENSUS WILL BE THERE IN THE PUBLIC. PEOPLE ARE ON TO THE FACT THAT THE CONCENTRATED WEALTH AND OUR COUNTRY HAS LED TO THE ACCUMULATION OF CONCENTRATED POLITICAL POWER. WHEN THAT HAPPENS, OUR NATIONAL INTEREST GETS KICKED TO THE CURB, AND THE SPECIAL INTERESTS ALWAYS SEEM TO TRUMP EVERY DEBATE. THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE US MOVE TO -- AND THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT DECISION BY THE SUPREME COURT THE OTHER DAY -- AFFIRMING THE RIGHT OF STATES TO MOVE TO BIPARTISAN REDISTRICTING COMMISSIONS. WE ARE NOT USING COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY AND OTHER THINGS TO CREATE THE MOST EXTREMIST SORT OF CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS WE CAN. WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE, SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS. I ALSO WANT TO SEE CITIZENS UNITED OVERTURNED AS WELL. CORPORATIONS ARE NOT PEOPLE, AND WE WILL KEEP A CANDLE LIT FOR THIS SUPREME COURT TO REVISIT THAT HORRIBLE DECISION. THANK YOU.

JOSH: ONE BIG ISSUE IN THIS RACE, AND TIME IS FLYING, IS RACE RELATIONS. HAVE SEEN THE PROBLEM THAT MARYLAND, TYPICALLY THE CITY OF BALTIMORE, HAS HAD. THERE IS A DEBATE OVER OF SOUTH CAROLINA SHOULD REMOVE THE CONFEDERATE FLAG FROM THE STATEHOUSE. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

GOVERNOR O'MALLEY: I BELIEVE THAT THE FLAG SHOULD GO TO A MUSEUM. IT LOOKS LIKE IN THE VOTE THEY JUST HAD IN SOUTH CAROLINA'S AND IT, OVERWHELMING NUMBERS OF THEIR CITIZENS BELIEVE THAT AS WELL. I HAD OCCASION TO VISIT EMMANUEL AME CHURCH IN CHARLESTON. MY YOUNGER DAUGHTER WENT TO SCHOOL THERE. REVEREND SENATOR PINCKNEY, WHO LOST HIS LIFE IN THAT RACIST MASSACRE, VERY KINDLY OPENED HIS CHURCH TO ME AND BROUGHT TOGETHER A GROUP FOR ME TO SIT WITH IN THAT VERY SAME CHURCH BASEMENT. ALL OF US AS AMERICANS HAVE INHERITED A VERY BRUTAL LEGACY AND OUR COUNTRY THAT IS 300, 400 YEARS OLD, AND IT IS A WOUND THAT WE MUST BECAUSE THE SCENT OF, CONSCIOUS OF -- WE MUST BE COGNIZANT OF, CONSCIOUS OF, TEND TO, AND HEAL. ONE OF THOSE WAYS IS THROUGH GREATER EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY, GREATER ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, BUT ANOTHER WAY THAT WE HEAL THAT WOUND IS BY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS THERE AND TAKING THE ACTIONS AS AMERICANS TO ADDRESS THE DISPARATE IMPACT THAT AN ECONOMY THAT WORKS INCREASINGLY JUST FOR THE VERY FEW HAS INCREASINGLY ON PEOPLE OF COLOR. UNEMPLOYMENT IS HIGHER NOW OR BALTIMORE, NEW YORK, LOS ANGELES, CHICAGO, IN MANY OTHER CITIES THAN IT WAS EIGHT YEARS AGO. THERE'S A LOT OF HOPELESSNESS OUT THERE IN OUR COUNTRY, AND A LOT OF IT COMES FROM AN ECONOMY THAT TREATS US LIKE WE ARE UNNECESSARY, UNNEEDED, UNHEEDED. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER AS A COUNTRY. AFTER THE BALTIMORE NIGHT OF UNREST, PEOPLE CAME OUT OF 5:00 A.M. FROM A CHURCH GROUP TO CLEAN UP, TO REPAIR THAT WHICH WAS BROKEN, AND THEY HAD ON THESE T-SHIRTS THEY HAD MADE UP WITH SIMPLE WORDS -- #DOBETTER. WE HAVE TO DO BETTER AS A NATION.