Rep. Tim Ryan on Thursday said his longtime experience living and working in a “foxhole” with working-class people and those who might be forgotten distinguishes himself from the Democratic presidential field, including from front-runner Joseph R. Biden.
“If you feel forgotten, if you feel like Washington, D.C.’s not working for you, you should elect somebody who’s been in the foxhole with you the last 20 or 30 years, and that’s what I’ve been — trying to rebuild communities, invest in the future of jobs, the future of work,” Mr. Ryan, Ohio Democrat, said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
“I’m living in Youngstown, I’m watching the factories close, I’m going to the union halls and putting my arms around people that are still losing their jobs,” he said.
Mr. Biden also has a perceived appeal to working-class voters and labor unions, but Mr. Ryan said there are vulnerabilities in Mr. Biden’s past record.
“He voted for a lot of the trade agreements that wiped out the communities that I live in. He’s voted for a lot of the financial sector issues that have hurt working-class people,” Mr. Ryan said. “So I think when you start getting into the record a little bit, there’s going to be a big difference between Vice President Biden and I.”
Mr. Ryan was one of 10 Democratic presidential candidates who were on the debate stage Wednesday evening in Miami, while Mr. Biden will get his chance Thursday evening.
Mr. Ryan also said Democrats are battling a perception that coastal elitism is ruling the party.
“Just imagine if the nominee is from a place like Youngstown, Ohio,” he said. “Immediately … our brand changes into working-class, lunch-bucket Democrats that is an inclusive party.”
He said his candidacy could open up opportunities for Democrats to unseat longtime GOP senators such as Lindsey Graham in South Carolina and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky.
“But if we go down there saying we’re going to take away your health insurance and we have no connection to working-class people in eastern Kentucky — no shot,” he said. “But if someone like me is the nominee, I think we can … really put them on their heels.”
Mr. Ryan is a co-sponsor of a House “Medicare for All” bill, but he said it would be “politically disastrous” right now to go into many states and start talking about taking away people’s private health insurance.
Though Democrats are generally in favor of moving toward universal health coverage, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio were the only two candidates who raised their hands on Wednesday when they were asked who would abolish their private health insurance in favor of a government-run plan.
• David Sherfinski can be reached at dsherfinski@washingtontimes.com.
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