This week on The Local Take I talk about the upcoming 2020 Presidential election with Clark Atlanta Political Science Professor Dr. William Boone, and Yalanda Lattimore, the original Atlanta blogger from Dryerbuzz.
I ask them about the recent televised national interview where a sitting president of the United States said that he'd be interested in intelligence on his opponents from foreign entities or governments. When prompted to say that if this occured he'd contact the FBI, he explained that life doesn't work that way. This was such a discordant response that it rose above the other insanity of our current administration. Is the President of the United States actually asking foreign governments to reach out to him?
Our conversation then moved to the current more than 20 Democratic candidates for the presidential nomination, the media's response to that large number, and whether or not the electorate is even paying attention. Both Boone and Lattimore feel that the large field of candidates will quickly winnow down after the initial debates. We discuss the candidates' plans having to entail more than "we're not the other guy."
How can we get everyday citizens involved and paying attention? They both speak about civics in the classroom. Lattimore mentions that suppression of the vote is already starting with county's reporting that machines may not be working for the upcoming primaries. Boone explains that we have to change the narrative around voting. Many people still express that their vote doesn't matter and that nothing changes if they don't vote.
There are less than 500 days between now and the 2020 election. Hopefully the citizens in our country will begin to pay attention and vote.
For more information on Dr. William Boone
For more information on Yalanda Lattimore
To see the interview with Trump