HAVE IN A DECADE. THAT’S PROBABLY THE CASE.
WE’LL HEAR OUT OF THESE NUMBERS
FROM PRESIDENT TRUMP.
THE ECONOMY WILL PLAY A KEY ROLE
IN THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION.
JOINING US NOW FORMER COLORADO
GOVERNOR AND 2020 PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE JOHN HICKENLOOPER.
GOVERNOR, GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON
WITH US.
WITH US. FOR PEOPLE WHO DON’T KNOW YOU
YOU HAVE A FASCINATING STORY.
YOU ARE A GEE CONTROLOLOGIST TUR
BREWER, A NATIONALLY RANKED
SQUASH PLAYER IF I HAVE MY STATS
CORRECT.
CORRECT. SO WE’LL PUT THE FIRST QUESTION
TO YOU, WHY DO YOU WANT TO BE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES?
>> YOU KNOW, I’M RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT BECAUSE YOU KNOW, A, I
LOVE THIS COUNTRY, BUT B, I SEE
THE COUNTRY IN A CRISIS.
I MEAN, A MONUMENTAL CRISIS.
I DON’T THINK WE’VE BEEN THIS
DIVIDED SINCE THE CIVIL WAR AND
I LOOK AT WHAT I’VE DONE IN
GOVERNMENT, WHAT I DID IN SMALL
BUSINESS, I’VE BEEN ABLE TO
BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND GET
STUFF DONE.
STUFF DONE. SO WHETHER YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT
HEALTH CARE, COLORADO NOW HAS
ALMOST UNIVERSAL COVERAGE.
CLIMATE CHANGE, WE’VE GOT
INDUSTRY TO SIT DOWN WITH THE
ENVIRONMENTAL COMMUNITY AND
CREATE THE FIRST METHANE
REGULATIONS IN AMERICA.
OR YOU LOOK AT JUST THE BASIC
ECONOMY.
ECONOMY. WE TOOK COLORADO FROM 40th IN
JOB CREATION TO THE NUMBER ONE
ECONOMY IN THE COUNTRY THE LAST
TWO YEARS.
TWO YEARS. THIS IS THE STUFF THAT WE NEED.
WE NEED PEOPLE WHO CAN
DEMONSTRATE THAT THEY’VE GOTTEN
STUFF DONE AND I NOT ONLY KNOW I
CAN BEAT DONALD TRUMP BUT I
THINK I CAN BRING US TOGETHER ON
THE OTHER SIDE AND GET BACK TO
ACCOMPLISHING PROGRESS.
ACCOMPLISHING PROGRESS. >> THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY WELL
KNOWN SENATORS RUNNING FOR
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT ADVANTAGE DO YOU THINK A
GOVERNOR HAS, SOMEONE WHO HAS
RUN A STATE FROM THE EXECUTIVE
SEAT OVER A SENATOR?
>> WELL, I THINK AND OBVIOUSLY
I’M A LITTLE BIASED, BUT I THINK
HAVING THAT EXECUTIVE EXPERIENCE
MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE
WORLD.
WORLD. AND SO I -- WHEN I WAS OUT OF
WORK FOR A COUPLE YEARS AND
STARTED THE BREW PUB, I CREATED
A BUSINESS FROM SCRATCH.
I PUT THE TEAM TOGETHER, I MADE
IT WORK AND THEN WHEN I WAS
MAYOR I DID THE SAME THING.
I BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER,
CREATED A TEAM AND THEN GOT ALL
THE DIFFERENT GROUPS IN THE
COMMUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER TO
MAKE REAL CHANGE AND A GOVERNOR,
AS A GOVERNOR FOR EIGHT YEARS
I’VE DONE THE SAME THING AGAIN.
WE TOOK ON THE NRA.
WE GOT UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND
CHECKS PASSED IN A PURPLE STATE.
THAT -- THAT RECORD OF
ACCOMPLISHMENT MOST OF THE
SENATORS AND AGAIN, I KNOW MOST
OF THEM AND THEY’RE REMARKABLE
PEOPLE AND I’M ALWAYS IMPRESSED,
BUT THEY’RE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW,
DEBATING AND DREAMING.
I CAN DO THE DREAMING TOO, BUT I
ALSO GET STUFF DONE.
I’M A DOER.
>> SO GOVERNOR, YOU CERTAINLY
WERE A DOER WHEN IT CAME TO
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT SOUNDS
LIKE THE AMERICAN DREAM AS FAR
AS BUSINESS GOES AND WOW, AN
ADVERTISEMENT FOR AMERICAN
CAPITALISM.
CAPITALISM. ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT SOME
FACTIONS OF YOUR PARTY EMBRACING
SOCIALISM?
SOCIALISM? >> WELL, I THINK THERE’S -- THE
DEMOCRATIC PARTY, I’VE ALWAYS
LOVED THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF
IDEAS.
IDEAS. I LOOK AT MY EXPERIENCES AND
WHERE I’VE TRIED TO MAKE A
DIFFERENCE AND IT REALLY IS
GETTING PEOPLE TOGETHER, GETTING
THEM TO LAY DOWN THEIR WEAPONS
AND GETTING STUFF DONE.
AND THE LABELS I THINK MOST
DEMOCRATS DON’T CARE AS MUCH
ABOUT THE LABELS.
>> WELL, WOULD YOU CALL YOURSELF
A PROUD CAPITALIST?
>> OH, I DON’T KNOW.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THE LABELS I’M
NOT SURE ANY OF THEM FIT.
BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW,
THAT ABILITY TO LOOK AT, YOU
KNOW, CLIMATE CHANGE AND FIGURE
OUT HOW ARE WE REALLY GOING TO
CREATE A SENSE OF URGENCY AND
GET PEEKOPLE TOGETHER.
METHANE IS ONE OF THE WORTH
POLLUTE TANTS THAT THERE IS AND
WE’RE THE FIRST STATE TO ADDRESS
IT AGGRESSIVELY.
IT AGGRESSIVELY. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. LET ME ASK YOU JUST I’LL BREAK
IT DOWN EVEN MORE.
DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A
CAPITALIST?
CAPITALIST? >> WELL, AGAIN, THE LABELS, YOU
KNOW, I’M A SMALL BUSINESS
PERSON.
PERSON. SO THAT PART OF THE SYSTEM THAT
YOU WOULD CALL CAPITALIST, I GET
IT.
IT. WHEN YOU OPEN YOUR OWN BUSINESS,
WHEN WE FIRST SIGNED THE LEASE
IN LOWER DOWNTOWN DENVER IT WAS
ONE DOLLAR PER SQUARE FOOT PER
YEAR.
YEAR. THAT IS IF YOU HAVEN’T EVER
SIGNED ONE OF THOSE LEASES THAT
IS ALMOST FREE AND IT REFLECTS
HOW BAD AND HOW ABANDONED THAT
PART OF THE COMMUNITY WAS.
WE WORKED 70, 80, 90 HOURS A
WEEK TO BUILD THE BUSINESS AND
WE WORKED WITH THE OTHER
BUSINESS OWNERS TO HELP THEM
BUILD THEIR BUSINESS.
IS THAT CAPITALISM?
I GUESS.
I GUESS. SO IN THAT SENSE OF BUILDING
COMMUNITY THAT’S ONE ASPECT OF
IT.
IT. IT’S NOT ALL THAT IT IS.
I SERVED ON 42 NONPROFIT BOARDS
AND COMMITTEES IN THAT SAME
12-YEAR PERIOD.
12-YEAR PERIOD. >> RIGHT.
>> RIGHT. SO DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A
CAPITALIST AND DOES CAPITALISM
WORK?
WORK? >> WELL, I THINK I -- I DON’T
LOOK AT MYSELF WITH A LABEL.
AND I CERTAINLY THINK THAT SMALL
BUSINESS IS PART OF THE
SOLUTION.
SOLUTION. I THINK RIGHT NOW THE WAY
CAPITALISM IS WORKING IN THE
UNITED STATES, IT’S NOT DOING
WHAT IT ONCE DID.
IT’S NOT -- IT’S REALLY NOT
PROVIDING SECURITY AND
OPPORTUNITY FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS
AND FOR POOR PEOPLE.
AND I THINK AS A COUNTRY WE NEED
TO STEP BACK AND LOOK AT THAT
AND SAY, HOW DO WE GET AMERICA
BACK T PLACE IT WAS WHERE IF
YOU WERE -- WORKED HARD ENOUGH
NO MATTER WHERE YOU STARTED ON
THE ECONOMIC LADDER YOU WOULD
HAVE A CHANCE TO GO AHEAD AND
CREATE YOUR OWN VERSION OF THE
AMERICAN DREAM.
AMERICAN DREAM. >> GOVERNOR, SO YOU BASICALLY
SAID CAPITALISM IS NOT WORKING
FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS AND THE
POOR.
POOR. WHAT -- AND YET YOU DO OPPOSE
MEDICAID FOR ALL SF I?
I MEAN, WHAT IS YOUR POSITION ON
THAT?
THAT? >> DID YOU SAY MADE CADE FOR
ALL?
ALL? >> YES.
>> YES. >> I’VE SAID HEALTH CARE SHOULD
BE A RIGHT AND I BELIEVE WE
SHOULD GET TO UNIVERSAL
COVERAGE.
COVERAGE. I THINK THERE ARE SOMEWHERE
NORTH OF 1 OO50 MILLION AMERICAN
WHO GET THEIR HEALTH CARE
THROUGH PRIVATE INSURANCE.
I DON’T THINK WE’RE GOING TO
TAKE AWAY THAT INSURANCE FROM
THEM OR MAKE THEM GO TO A WHOLE
NEW SYSTEM VERY EASILY.
>> SO THE CAPITALISM WORKS IN
THE PRIVATE SECTOR INSURANCE BUT
NOT GENERALLY FOR THE PUBLIC?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT THERE ARE
PLACES WHERE WE NEED TO MAKE
DRAMATIC CHANGES.
DRAMATIC CHANGES. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE 70 MILLION
PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY THAT MAKE
LESS THAN $75,000 A YEAR.
WE’VE GOT TO FIND WAY TO GET
MORE OF THE BUSINESS PROFITS AND
THEIR SAXTAX SAVINGS THAT COME D
TO THOSE WORKERS AND THAT IS A
CHALLENGE THAT WE’VE GOT TO
ACCEPT AND WORK ON.
>> SO NICE TO TALK TO YOU.
I’M GOING TO PICK UP KIND OF THE
LINE OF QUESTIONING WHERE JOE
AND SUSAN WERE AND I’M
FRIGHTENED THAT YOU’RE IN A
POSITION WHERE IT’S HARD FOR YOU
TO COME OUT AND SAY IT’S A
CAPITALIST.
CAPITALIST. WE ARE A CAPITALIST SOCIETY.
THAT DOESN’T MEAN WE CAN STILL
HAVE MORE INCOME EQUALITY, BUT
THAT IS MY CONCERN THE WAY YOUR
PARTY, MY PARTY IS BEING
HIJACKED THAT IT’S UNCOMFORTABLE
FOR YOU TO SAY I AM A PROUD
CAPITALIST.
CAPITALIST. >> WELL, BUT THE TRICK HERE IS
ALL THESE LABELS HAVE GOTTEN TO
THE POINT WHERE THEY DIVIDE US
FROM EACH OTHER.
>> THAT’S MY POINT.
>> YOU BECOME A CAPITALIST AND
YOU’RE RIGHT.
YOU’RE RIGHT. PEOPLE THINK THAT’S A BAD THING.
YOU BECOME A SOCIALIST.
THAT’S A BAD THING.
I PREFER TO SAY ALL RIGHT, HOW
DO WE COME TOGETHER?
WHATEVER THE LABEL IS THAT YOU
FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE WITH, HOW
DO WE COME TOGETHER AND REALLY
MOVE THE BALL DOWN THE FIELD?
HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE
PROVIDING MORE OPPORTUNITY TO
PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, STARTED
OUT WITH MORE CHALLENGES.
>> CAN’T WE SAY SOCIALISM?
IS IT BAD FOR THE DEMOCRATIC
PARTY TO SAY SOCIALISM IS A BAD
THING?
THING? THAT’S NOT WHO WE ARE?
>> WELL, WE HAVE ALWAYS -- I
MEAN, WHEN WE HAD SOCIAL
SECURITY, PEOPLE USED TO AT THAT
POINT SAY THAT’S SOME FORM OF
SOCIALISM.
SOCIALISM. YOU KNOW, THERE ARE PARTS OF
SOCIALISM, PARTS OF CAPITALISM
IN EVERYTHING.
IN EVERYTHING. RIGHT?
RIGHT? AND ARE WE GOING TO TRY AND GET
EVERYTHING DOWN TO BEING PURELY
CAPITALISM?
CAPITALISM? IF YOU’RE PURELY MARKET DRIVEN,
THEN YOU END UP WITH MONOPOLIES.
YOU END UP WITH ALL KINDS OF
PROBLEMS.
PROBLEMS. SO WHATEVER LABEL YOU CHOOSE,
WEIR GOING TO HAVE TO FIND WAYS
TO NAVIGATE AND RECOGNIZE THAT
THIS IS A SYSTEM THAT
INCORPORATES ASPECTS OF MANY
DIFFERENT ECONOMIC THEORIES.
>> ALL RIGHT.
GOVERNOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING WITH US.
I KNOW WE HAMMERED JUST ONE PART
OF A -- OF A -- I MEAN, I WANTED
TO ASK YOU ABOUT SAUDI ARABIA.
I WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT
FOREIGN POLICY.
FOREIGN POLICY. WE HOPE WE GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO
DO THAT BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY
HERE FOR MYSELF AND FOR MY
FAMILY AND FOR EVERYBODY ON THIS
SET, WE KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THIS
DECISION HAD TO BE FOR YOU AND
YOUR FAMILY JUST LIKE ANYBODY
WHO IS RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF
THE UNITED STATES TO CONTRIBUTE,
TO GIVE BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY
AND WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR
DOING THAT.
DOING THAT. LIKE WE WANT TO THANK EVERY
CANDIDATE BUT AGAIN I KNOW IT’S
A TOUGH DECISION.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING YOUR
COUNTRY AND THANK YOU FOR BEING
WITH US THIS MORNING.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, I