Andrew Yang’s attempt at political unity results in conflict
Former presidential and mayoral candidate Andrew Yang’s attempt at bringing together the nation’s divided political factions on Monday was undercut by the example he used to illustrate his point.
“Lincoln won the presidency on the brand new Republican ticket in 1860 with 39.8% in a four-way race,” Yang tweeted Monday morning. “He took a Democrat, Andrew Johnson as his running mate in 1864.”
Lincoln won the presidency on the brand new Republican ticket in 1860 with 39.8% in a four-way race. He took a Democrat, Andrew Johnson as his running mate in 1864.
— Andrew Yang🧢⬆️🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) April 11, 2022
Yang followed that tweet with several calls for Americans to put aside bipartisanship, including a tweeted quote from the 16th president, declaring “With malice toward none, with charity for all.”
But on Twitter, it was Yang’s reference to Andrew Johnson — who has not been treated kindly by history — that became a flashpoint for heated discussion.
“Johnson undermined Reconstruction, held back progress on basic civil rights, and got himself impeached. Historians regularly rank him among the worst U.S. presidents,” tweeted political strategist Aaron Heurtas. “It’s a sterling example of why you shouldn’t add your ideological opponents to your ticket.”
A comprehensive poll of historians published by Siena College Research Institute ranked Johnson dead last on its most recent rundown of president rankings, which listed the North Carolina conservative two spots below Donald Trump. After being impeached in the House of Representatives, Johnson escaped expulsion in the Senate by a single vote. Johnson became the nation’s 17th president after Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865. The White House homepage describes him as an “old-fashioned southern Jacksonian Democrat of pronounced states’ rights views” who was “one of the most unfortunate of Presidents.”
Lara Trump’s Abraham Lincoln ‘quote’ was a fake
One Twitter user wrote to Yang that Lincoln putting Johnson on the ticket was followed by a civil war that eventually led to the nation coming together, but not until after four years of bloodshed, including the assassination of Lincoln, had come to pass. Northeastern Illinois University political science professor William D. Adler also questioned Yang’s interpretation of history.
“You do know that was a disaster, right? You are familiar with what Johnson did as president, right?” he tweeted. “RIGHT?????”
Yang, a former Democrat, launched the Forward Party political action committee in October, which aims to offer voters an alternative to the Democratic and Republican parties. The Schenectady native came to business-world prominence as CEO of Manhattan Prep, which prepares students for graduate school. He was also reminded that the Republican Party was established in 1954, making it arguably not “brand new” when Lincoln became president.
My closing argument: Andrew Yang explains why he thinks he’d make the best mayor of New York
Despite the pushback, Yang tweeted late Monday afternoon, “Who will be the Abraham Lincoln of today?”
Whether or not that would be Yang was also debated. One commenter recommended the actor who played Lincoln in the 2012 Stephen Spielberg film bearing the former president’s name shouldn’t be overlooked.
“Daniel Day Lewis was like...really, really good...just sayin,” the joker tweeted.
Yang has not responded to a request for comment.
