♪ ADAM OUR NEXT CANDIDATE WAS THE FIRST DEMOCRAT TO DECLARE HIS CANDIDACY THIS CYCLE -- AND RIGHT AWAY, JOHN DELANEY STARTED VISITING THE GRANITE STATE TO
SPEAK WITH VOTERS ONE ON ONE.
WHEN HE SAT DOWN WITH US FOR BREAKFAST, THE FORMER U.S. REP FROM MARYLAND TALKED ABOUT MAKING THE CAMPAIGN DECISION WITH HIS FAMILY AND HIS DESI TO SERVE THE PUBLIC.
JOHN DELANEY BELIEVES HE IS READY ON DAY ONE TO BE PRESIDENT.
BUT AS FOR HIS DOG, WELL, HE IS NOT SO SURE ABOUT HER.
MR. DELANEY: THE ONLY DOG WE HAVE LEFT IS A MALTESE, WHICH IS NOT REALLY THE RIGHT DOG TO FILM YOUR PRESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL WITH HER NAME IS MIMI.
AND I LOVE MIMI.
MIMI’S GREA SHE IS, LIKE, 14 OR 15.
BUT MIMI WAS GIVEN TO ONE OF MY DAUGHTERS BY MY MOM AND SHE DID NOT TELL U SHE CAME DOWN FOR HER BIRTHDAY, AND SHE GIVES MY DAUGHTER BROOKE A DOG!
AND I WAS LIKE, "MOM, WHAT’S GOING ON HERE?
THERE’S CERTAIN THINGS YOU’ GOT TO CLEAR WITH US." ADAM: THE ENTREPRENEUR AND FORMER CONGRESSMAN SAYS JO NUMBER ONE IS BEING A DAD.
AND WITH A 15-YEAR AGE RANGE BETWEEN HIS OLDEST AND YOUNGEST GIRLS, HE HAS PUT IN THE TIME.
MR. DELANEY: YOU KNOW, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER JUST GOT MARRIED FIVE WEEKS AGO.
I’M VERY HAPPY.
BEAUTIFUL WEDDIN I HAVE A WONDERFUL SON-IN-LAW.
BUT MY FOUR DAUGHTERS, YOU REALIZE THEY START LEAVING THE NEST, AND THAT TIME WITH THEM BECOMES SO PRECIOU I WENT TRICK-OR-TREATING WIT GRACE THIS YEAR.
SHE’S 12.
AND MY WIFE WAS SAYING, "THIS WILL PROBABLY BE THE LAST TIME." AND I WAS LIKE, "I’VE BEEN GOING TRICK-OR-TREATING FOR 26 STRAIGHT YEARS." [LAUGHTER]
MR. DELANEY: BECAUSE MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER IS 27, BUT HER BIRTHDAY IS I OCTOBER, SO I DO NOT THINK WE TOOK HER WHEN SHE WAS FIVE DAYS OLD, BUT WE DEFINITELY DID THE NEXT YEAR, WHEN SHE WAS ONE,
CARRIED HER AROUND, YOU KNOW.
BUT I AM LIKE, WOW, THE SUN IS SETTING ON MY TRICK-OR-TREATING CAREER.
[LAUGHTER] DID YOU DRESS UP WHEN YOU TAKE -- DID YOU DRESS UP THIS YEAR?
MR. DELANEY: I DIDN’T DRESS UP THIS YEAR.
>> AS A PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE, WHAT WOULD YOU WEAR?
MR. DELANEY: YOU KNOW, THAT IS THE THING.
YOU KNOW, YOU GOT AN IMAGE.
YOU KNOW, I MIGHT DRESS UP AS ADAM SEXTON.
PUT ON A TOUPEE, CARRY AROUND A CAMERA AND A MIC AND MAKE BELIEVE I’M INTERVIEWING THE NEXT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND I’D HAVE LIKE, A DUMMY THERE, WHICH WOULD BE ME!
[LAUGHTER] MR. DELANEY: AND I WOULD SAY, THE QUESTION WOULD COME, "GOD, YOU’RE SUCH A GOOD CANDIDATE.
HOW DO YOU DO IT?" AND THE DUMMY WOULD SAY, "WELL IT JUST COMES NATURALLY TO ME.
ADAM: DELANEY HAD ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN BUSINESS.
BUT HE ALSO KNOWS HIS WAY AROUND THE KITCHEN.
>> I KNOW YOU HAPPEN TO BE A REALLY GREAT COOK.
DO YOU ENJOY COOKING GOURMET?
MR. DELANEY: I ENJOY COOKING ITALIAN FOOD, ACTUALLY.
YOU KNOW WHAT I LIKE ABOUT COOKING AS I LIKE TO EAT, SO LET’S START WITH THAT.
IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS IN LIFE WHERE YOU G IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO COOK I -- THE QUESTION WITH IT IS DO YOU GO A LITTLE MORE RED OR DO YOU GO A LITTLE MORE TOMATO-Y?
I MEAN, DO YOU GO BROWN OR A LITTLE MORE TOMATO-Y.
I TEND TO GO A LITTLE MORE TOMATO-Y >> MY SPOUSE AND I -- SHE’S FROM BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, I’M FROM NEW HAMPSHIRE.
AND SHE CALLS WHAT YOU PUT ON SPAGHETTI, GRAVY THAT’S WRONG.
MR. DELANEY: I THINK THAT’S WRONG.
>> OK, GOOD, GOOD.
MR. DELANEY: GRAVY IS WHEN YOU PUT ON MASHED POTATOES.
GRAVY IS WHAT YOU PUT ON TURKEY SAUCE IS WHAT YOU PUT ON SPAGHETTI.
>> GOOD, GOOD.
I AM LESS UNDECIDED NOW.
IS YOUR WIFE ITALIAN ? WE CALL IT GRAVY.
MOST ITALIANS -- >> DO YOU USE A SPOON OR NOT USED A SPOON TO TWIRL YOUR SPAGHETTI.
MR. DELANEY: I WOULD SAY I USE A SPOON TO TWIRL MY LINGUINE, NOT MY SPAGHETTI.
[LAUGHTER] RIGHT, RIGHT ANSWER!
ADAM: DELANEY GREW UP IN A WORKING-CLASS HOUSEHOLD IN NEW JERSEY WITH PARENTS WHO HAD BIG PLANS FOR THEIR SON.
MR. DELANEY: I WAS THE FIRST IN MY FAMILY TO GO TO COLLEGE MY DAD WAS AN ELECTRICIAN.
MY PARENTS ACTUALLY WANTED ME TO BE A DOCTOR.
AND THAT I WHY, I WENT TO COLUMBIA, I STARTED THINKING I WAS GOING TO BE A DOCTOR, BECAUSE I WAS A GOOD STUDENT.
AND BA THEN, WHEN YOU COME FROM THAT BLUE-COLLAR BACKGROUND, DOCTORS WERE DEEPLY ADMIRED, AS THEY SHOULD BE, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND THAT IS SORT OF THE NEXT PHASE OF THAT
IMMIGRANT FAMILY THING, "MY CHILD’S GOING TO BE A DOCTOR." SO, I WENT TO COLUMBIA TO BE A DOCTOR, BUT I QUICKLY REALIZED THAT WASN’T WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
BECAUSE I WAS WORKING AT ST.
LUKE’S HOSPITAL IN THE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY ROOM IN THE VOLUNTEER, AND I WAS DOING RESEARCH OF THE COLUMBIA EMERGENCY MEDICAL CENTER DURING MY SUMMER AFRESH AND -- OF FRESHMAN YEAR, AND I
WAS EXPOSED TO, LIKE, THE BEST OF THIS WORLD, AND I DID NOT REALLY LIKE IT.
THE PROBLEM IS, I HAVE TO TELL MY PARENTS I WASN’T GOING TO GO TO MEDICAL SCHOOL, AND THEY HAD SACRIFICED A LOT.
ADAM: INSTEAD HE WENT TO LAW SCHOOL AND THEN INTO BUSINESS.
MR. DELANEY: SO, I WAS PRACTICING LAW FOR ONE YEAR, AND MYSELF AND TWO LAW SCHOOL CLASSMATES, WE WANTED TO GET INTO BUSINESS, BUT NONE OF US HAD ANY MONEY, WHICH WAS A HUGE
PROBLEM.
SO THERE WAS A COMPANY FOR SALE IN THE "WASHINGTON POST" FOR $15,000, AND THAT IS WHAT INTERESTED US, BECAUSE WE COULD EACH COME UP WITH $5,000.
SO W PUT IN THE $15,000, AND IT WAS IN THE HOME HEALTH CARE BUSINESS, SO IT’S AND NURSES AND THE PEOPLE’S HOMES.
IT WAS LOCATED IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
IT WAS THE WORST HOME HEALTH CA COMPANY IN WASHINGTON, D.C.
SO WE BOUGHT IT, WE RAN IT, WE TURNED IT AROUND, AND WE SOLD IT TO A BIG HOMECARE COMPANY AND MADE A LITTLE MONEY.
BUT WHEN I REALIZED WHEN I WAS RUNNING THE BUSINESS IS I HAD A VERY HARD TIME GETTING A BANK LOAN, BECAUSE THIS WAS THE EARLY 1990’S, AND NO BANKS WHAT LEND TO US, BECAUSE SECRETARY
CLINTON, IN PART, WHO I AM A HUGE FAN OF, WAS PROPOSING TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, AND IT CREATED A REAL CHILL IN THE BANKING INDUSTRY.
AND I SAID THAT IS CRAZY, THES HEALTH CARE COMPANIES, THEY ARE A HUGE PROSPECT, SO I STARTED A COMPANY TO LEND MONEY TO HEALTH CARE COMPANIES, AND I BASICALLY STARTED THE BUSINESS, AND I’VE
RAISED THE MONEY TO DO IT TO BASICALLY BE A BANK - -- TO BASICALLY BE A BANK FOR THEM.
ADAM: THAT BUSINESS BANK TOOK OFF AND MADE DELANEY THE YOUNGEST CEO OF A COMPANY ON THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE.
HE TRANSITIONED TO PUBLIC SERVICE AND THREE TERMS IN CONGRESS.
NOW HOLDS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WHO WAS FIRST TO ENTER THE RACE THIS CYCLE, HAVING LAUNCHED HIS CAMPAIGN BACK IN 2017.
>> WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT CAMPAIGNING?
MR. DELANEY: THIS STUFF!
>> OK.
MR. DELANEY: I’LL TELL YOU THE WORST PART ABOUT CAMPAIGNING IS SITTING INSIDE THE BELTWAY.
TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF PUNDITS AND HAVE A VIEW ABOUT WHAT T COUNTRY IS LOOKING FOR CUTIE WERE SITTING THERE LIKE, YOU DO NOT ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE COUNTRY IS LOOKING
FOR, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE.
BUT THE BEST PART IS ACTUALLY TALKING TO PEOPLE.
WHEN YOU GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE, YOU REALLY REALIZE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO IMPROVE PEOPLES’ LIVES.
IT IS WHERE I LIKE -- THERE’S NO QUESTION, IT’S WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT DOING THIS.
ADAM: WE INVITED THE MAJOR DEMOCRATIC PARTY CANDIDATES ACTIVELY CAMPAIGNING IN NEW HAMPSHIRE TO JOIN US FOR OUR CAFÉ SERIES.
JOE BIDEN, ELIZABETH WARREN, AND TOM STEYER WERE THE ONLY ONES TO TURN THAT INVITATION DOWN.
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S CAMPAIGN DID NOT RESPOND TO OUR REQUEST.
BUT ONE OF HIS MAIN CHALLENGERS DID AND REVEALED HOW HIS UNUSUAL THEATER TRAINING PREPARED HIM FOR A LIFE IN POLITICS.
ALSO AHEAD, WHY ANDREW YANG’S BRIEF TIME IN THE LEGAL FIELD MADE HIM SO