John Hickenlooper's 2020 Bid: Rural County Aid, Rejecting Socialism And More
With Sacha Pfeiffer
2020 presidential candidate and former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says “socialism is not the answer” to achieve progressive goals. He’s with us.
Guests
James Pindell, political reporter for the Boston Globe covering the 2020 presidential campaigns. Political analyst for WBUR. (@JamesPindell)
John Hickenlooper, candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. Governor of Colorado from 2011 to 2018. Mayor of Denver, Colorado, from 2003 to 2011. Author of “The Opposite of Woe: My Life in Beer and Politics.” (@Hickenlooper)
From The Reading List
The Hill: “Hickenlooper unveils sweeping plan for rural communities” — “Former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper Friday unveiled a sweeping plan to invest billions in federal funds to buoy rural communities across the country as part of his 2020 presidential platform.
“Hickenlooper said he would ‘be a champion for our rural communities’ promoting small businesses, expanding access to broadband, education and health care and investing in renewable energy, while also fighting the mushrooming opioid crisis.
“Hickenlooper touted his accomplishments in rural areas over two terms as governor of Colorado, including helping expand broadband internet access to all 64 of Colorado’s rural counties.
“He also said that more than 80 percent of Colorado rural counties rank in the top half of employment growth of all such areas as a result of his initiatives.”
CNN: “John Hickenlooper booed for saying ‘socialism is not the answer’” — “The welcoming cheers 2020 presidential hopeful John Hickenlooper received when he first graced the stage at California’s Democratic Convention quickly crumbled into boos and jeers after he rejected socialism as the answer to Democrats’ problems.
“‘If we want to beat Donald Trump and achieve big progressive goals, socialism is not the answer,’ Hickenlooper said to a crowd of more than 4,500 delegates and observers on Saturday.
“Before he could get finish his next sentence, a chorus of boos along with a sea of waving ‘Bernie’ signs overtook his speech, lasting for more than 30 seconds. The moment prompted Hickenlooper to attempt a smile and eventually break from his remarks to add, ‘You know, if we’re not careful, we’re going to end up helping to re-elect the worst president in history.’
“The former Colorado governor is one of 15 Democratic candidates to address the San Francisco crowd, which is known to be home to some of the party’s furthest left progressives.”
Denver Post: “Hickenlooper is latest Democrat to make guns a priority in 2020 presidential race” — “At a library two miles from Sandy Hook Elementary School, where 20 students were among those killed in one of the nation’s most horrific mass shootings, John Hickenlooper sat Saturday among two dozen survivors, listening to their ideas on how to curb gun violence and pitching a few of his own.
“Universal background checks are a must, the former two-term Colorado governor said. Then, maybe, an assault weapons ban. As president, he would go community by community, House district by House district, with data to convince reluctant federal lawmakers to pass meaningful gun control legislation.
“‘Every great social triumph was built on the ashes of previous failures,’ Hickenlooper told the crowd. ‘We’re at a point now where we have critical mass. I really feel now we’re at an inflection point, where if everyone continues their efforts in the next year or two, after 2020 we will have the momentum — it really is momentum — to address gun violence issues.’
“It’s conversations like the one Hickenlooper had Saturday on the presidential campaign trail that give gun control advocates hope that the 2020 election will be a watershed moment for an agenda that has stalled at the national level.”
Stefano Kotsonis and Brian Hardzinski produced this hour for broadcast.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org. [Copyright 2019 NPR]
