KIDS THERE TODAY THAT WE DON’T KNOW THE ANSWER TO.
>> SOEBTHANK YOU FOR STAYING ON
THIS.
THIS. >>> JOINING US NOW, THE MAYOR OF
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, THE
DEMOCRATIC NOMINEE FOR GOVERNOR
IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
THANKS FOR BEING WITH US SBLMPT
DETHANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
>> YOU ARE THE MAYOR OF
TALLAHASSEE.
TALLAHASSEE. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE
SEMINOLES?
SEMINOLES? >> DON’T PUT ME IN THAT
POSITION.
POSITION. THERE IS GROWING TO TAKE PLACE.
BEING BORN IN MIAMI AND
FINISHING HIGH SCHOOL IN
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA, AND BEING
MAYOR OF TALLAHASSEE I HAVE
STATEWIDE TEAMS.
STATEWIDE TEAMS. >> YOU SHOCKED A LOT OF PEOPLE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YOU BECAME A PROMINENT FIGURE IN
THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY IMMEDIATELY
WHEN YOU WON THE PRIMARY THERE.
YOU HAVE BEEN AHEAD IN EVERY
POLL SINCE THAT DAY.
ONE HAD YOU UP BY NINE POINTS,
THE MOST RECENT ONE SHOWED
TIGHTENING IN THAT STATE AGAINST
THE REPUBLICAN.
THE REPUBLICAN. WHAT IS THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE
PEOPLE ASK YOU ABOUT?
>> WE HAVE BEEN ALL OVER THE
STATE OF FLORIDA.
I WAS IN A PRETTY RED AREA OF
OUR STATE.
OUR STATE. WE ARE HEARING PEOPLE CONCERNED
ABOUT HEALTH CARE.
WE ARE A STATE THAT DID NOT
EXPAND MEDICAID FOR OVER 800,000
MOST MEDICALLY NEEDED.
MY OPPONENT HAS SAID THAT PEOPLE
GET ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE
BECAUSE THEY CAN GO TO AN
EMERGENCY ROOM.
EMERGENCY ROOM. MY GRANDMOTHER JUST PASSED FROM
CERVICAL CANCER EARLIER THIS
WEEK.
WEEK. >> I’M SORRY.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT.
THE TRUTH IS MANY PEOPLE IN OUR
STATE LIVE WITH PREEXISTING
CONDITIONS EVERY DAY.
THE FACT THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A
SITTING MEMBER OF CONGRESS, NOW
FORMER MEMBER TALK ABOUT THE
FACT THAT INSURANCE COMPANIES
SHOULD BE ABLE TO DISCRIMINATE
AGAIN TO ME IS OUT OF STEP WITH
THE EXPERIENCES OF FLORIDIANS
AND CAUSES PEOPLE TO BE STRESSED
OUT OVER AN ILLNESS.
>> AS YOU TALK ABOUT TAKING CARE
OF PEOPLE IN MEDICINE, YOU
PROPOSED MEDICARE FOR ALL.
BY SOME ESTIMATES IT WOULD COST
$30 TRILLION OVER A DECADE.
THE ESTIMATES SAY IF YOU DOUBLED
FEDERAL INCOME TAX AND DOUBLED
FEDERAL CORPORATE TAX YOU
WOULDN’T COVER THAT COST.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO THE PEOPLE OF
FLORIDA IF THERE WAS MEDICARE
FOR ALL?
FOR ALL? >> MY ENDORSEMENT IS AT THE
FEDERAL LEVEL.
FEDERAL LEVEL. THERE HAVE BEEN CONSERVATIVE
REPORTS THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT THE
SYSTEM CAN SAVE AS MUCH AS $3
TRILLION IF WE WENT THAT
DIRECTION WHILE ALSO COVERING
MORE PEOPLE.
MORE PEOPLE. AS MY JOB AS THE GOVERNOR OF THE
STATE OF FLORIDA IT WILL BE TO
CLOSE THE UNINSURANCE GAP THAT
EXISTS IN OUR STATE.
ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE DON’T HAVE
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.
IT IS NOT SOME ABSTRACT THOUGHT
FOR ME.
FOR ME. AS A KID GROWING UP IN MIAMI I
REMEMBER HAVING TO WAIT FOR THE
FREE DENTAL CLINIC TO COME
THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN
ORDER TO HAVE OUR TEETH CLEANED.
THERE WERE PEOPLE TERRIFIED OF
GETTING SICK BECAUSE IF THEY
CAN’T GO TO WORK THEY CAN’T EARN
A WAGE.
A WAGE. WE HAVE TO REDUCE THAT LEVEL OF
ANXIETY AND PRESSURE.
HEALTH CARE IS THE MOST
BILLOWING PART OF THE STATE’S
BUDGET.
BUDGET. >> SO MR. MAYOR, HOW DO YOU MAKE
THAT ARGUMENT TO PEOPLE FROM MY
PART OF THE STATE, NORTHERN
FLORIDA, FROM PENSACOLA TO
PANAMA CITY?
PANAMA CITY? THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO
VOTED FOR DONALD TRUMP IN 2016
BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED THEY WOULD
GET BETTER HEALTH CARE, CHEAPER
HEALTH CARE.
HEALTH CARE. HE PROMISED IT.
HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN TO THOSE
VOTERS WHO MAY REFLEXIVELY WANT
TO SUPPORT DONALD TRUMP THAT
WHAT HAS HAPPENED OVER THE PAST
TWO YEARS MAKES THEIR PROSPECTS
FOR HAVING GOOD AFFORDABLE
HEALTH CARE FOR THEMSELVES AND
THEIR CHILDREN EVEN MORE OF A
DISTANT REALITY?
DISTANT REALITY? >> JOE, YOU KNOW THIS WELL
BECAUSE THIS IMPACTS OUR PART OF
THE STATE.
THE STATE. I’M IN TALLAHASSEE, CAMPAIGNED
HEAVILY OVER IN YOUR PART OF THE
STATE DURING THE PRIMARY AND WON
YOUR HOME COUNTY IN THE PRIMARY
ELECTION.
ELECTION. THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE
DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY
THE COST OF HEALTH CARE, THE
ABSENCE OF HAVING THAT HEALTH
CARE.
CARE. WHAT WE HAVE TO DO AND WHAT I
WOULD HAVE HOPED WE WOULD HAVE
DONE IN THE PAST IS WE HAVE TO
TALK TO FOLKS.
WE HAVE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT WE
HEAR THEM, SEE THEM AND WE HAVE
A PLAN TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT
WHAT THEIR LIVED EXPERIENCES
ARE.
ARE. NOBODY IN OUR STATE OUGHT TO BE
TERRIFIED OF GETTING SICK, FEAR
FROM BEING ONE ILLNESS AWAY FROM
BANKRUPTCY.
BANKRUPTCY. IN THAT PART OF THE STATE PEOPLE
ARE TERRIFIED ABOUT NOT HAVING
ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.
WHAT I AM GOING TO DO IS WE
TRAVELLED TO PARTS OF THE STATE
THAT HAVE NOT SEEN A DEMOCRATIC
NOMINEE BEFORE.
NOMINEE BEFORE. WE WERE IN PALM COAST THE OTHER
DAY, WENT DOWN TO SARASOTA JUST
YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY. AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE COMING OUT.
I THINK PEOPLE REALLY
UNDERESTIMATE THE ENERGY THAT IS
HAPPENING ON THE GROUND.
PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED, ANGRY AND
THEY WANT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO
DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
>> WHAT IS THE NATURE OF YOUR
GROUND GAME?
GROUND GAME? A LOT OF THIS DEPENDS UPON
GETTING THE UNLIKELY VOTERS OUT
PARTICULARLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN
PARTICULARLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN VOTERS AND YOUNG FOLK.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING SPECIFICALLY
TO APPEAL TO THE FOLK WHO AREN’T
SHOWING UP IN THE POLLS?
>> YOU ARE SPEAKING MY LANGUAGE.
I BELIEVE THAT EVERY RACE IS WON
AND LOST ON THE GROUND.
THAT IS WHAT WE DID IN THE
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. WE HAD 150,000 VOTERS TURN OUT
WHO HAD NEVER VOTED BEFORE OR
HAD NOT VOTED IN THE PREVIOUS
THREE ELECTIONS.
THREE ELECTIONS. IT IS MY INTENTION TO DOUBLE
THAT NUMBER.
THAT NUMBER. THAT IS WHY WE ARE GOING TO
REMOTE PLACES.
REMOTE PLACES. FOR TOO LONG THE RACE HAS BEEN
TREATED AS IF IT IS THE
ELECTORAL COLLEGE.
ELECTORAL COLLEGE. THE ONE MORE VOTE MAY COME FROM
ANYWHERE.
ANYWHERE. WE ARE PUTTING AS MANY RESOURCES
AS WE CAN MUSTER INTO A GROUND
GAME, MOTIVATING AND MOVING OUR
VOTERS.
VOTERS. WE CAN’T WIN IF WE DON’T GO
THERE.
THERE. I AM PREPARED TO GO THERE AND
PUT INTO PLACE A SERIOUS