MANCHESTER, NH – To Share Brewery on Union Street held a packed crowd on Wednesday night seeking a chance to hear from presidential candidate Andrew Yang.
Yang (D-NY), provided his stump speech focused on the ongoing economic transformation of the United States and his ideas on how to address the problems arising from that transformation.
William Ainello of Goffstown was one of the people who heard that speech, Ainello has supported Yang for about a month and a half and is fervently opposed to all other Democrats and Republicans. If Yang doesn’t get the Democratic nomination, Ainello says he will write-in Yang during the general election.
“The other guys are fake, they’re false, they’re not real. They throw some breadcrumbs at you and they have their little sayings, but they’re not genuine. This dude is completely genuine, he’s open, he’s completely transparent and he has ideas the others are not talking about.”
Ainello also praised Yang’s demeanor as well.
“If you watch him, he will never degrade another candidate,” he said. “He even has a hard time saying bad things about Trump. He’s all about being good and kind to other people.”
The event also drew undecided voters such as Kalman Bokow, a political science student from Maryland who has been trying to experience campaigns firsthand across New Hampshire.
Bokow describes himself as a Republican, but could foresee supporting Yang or Tulsi Gabbard as the Democratic nominee.
“I think (Yang) was really good. He’s talking about automation and that’s something none of the other candidates are talking about,” said Bokow. “I also like how he’s not a career politician. I don’t want something who, as Trump supporters say, has been in the ‘swamp’ for too long. I want someone fresh and with new ideas. I really like Andrew Yang. He connects with the average person and understand what the average person talks about.”
Like most of his events, Yang interjected jokes into his delivery, drawing laughs from the crowd. But he believes that anyone that has met him in person will find he has the gravitas to become the Commander in Chief while also being someone most people find relatable.
“I think many Americans are eager for a leader who seems like more of a human being and somewhat relatable than someone who has been a fixture over the years and decades. Trump’s victory was born in part because people feel like Washington isn’t up to the challenges of our time,” said Yang. “(But) I certainly don’t think Donald Trump should be considered a stand-in for every non-politician and businessman throughout the country.”
The event was the latest in a series of presidential candidate visits to the brewery this season, following events with U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ), former South Bend, IN Mayor Pete Buttigieg, and U.S. Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO)