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Part One:
We speak with Walter Shapiro, staff writer at the New Republic, a fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice, and a lecturer in political science at Yale. We discuss the thinning field of Democrats running for president, including the ten who’ve just qualified for the next debate in September. After criticizing the DNC’s exclusionary rules to narrow the field, we address the relative merits of the three front-runners (who are in a virtual dead heat at the moment): Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Bernie Sanders. Do voters yearn for more substance (Warren), a level of comfort (Biden), or consistent, out-loud passion (Bernie)?
We wonder whether Warren’s steady rise in the polls is due in part to voters resonating with her personal story – including her family’s difficult financial circumstances and her own problematic choices (forgoing college to get married at 19, getting a late start to her career).
Part Two:
We welcome presidential candidate Bill Weld to the studio. The former governor of Massachusetts and former Assistant Attorney General of the US, Weld is challenging Donald Trump for the Republican nomination for president.
Weld is hoping to appeal to undeclared or independent voters, as his politics are not consistent with either Democrats or the current Republican voters. He identifies with his view of libertarian values: “keep the government out of your pocketbook and out of your bedroom.” He also hopes to restore integrity to the Republican ticket.
We asked Gov. Weld what policies he would put in place, if elected, regarding climate change, health care, immigration, and the economy’s transition toward AI, driverless cars/trucks, machine learning and drones.
