Is Andrew Yang a New Model of Candidate?

Patrick Ruffini: “Pay attention to the Yang play — launch futile Presidential bid to establish name ID for a race you’d otherwise have no business running in, leapfrogging a host of local pols. If it works, 25+ candidate fields could be the norm moving forward.”

“If all politics is national and it’s easier these days for everyone get their 15 minutes in a Presidential primary, this seems like a viable strategy in states where it’s impossible to break through like California, Texas, and New York.”

Jonathan Bernstein: “Never mind that most of the no-name candidates remained obscure, and never mind whether Yang could’ve found another path — if he becomes mayor after running for president, or even comes close, many in the political world are going to interpret his campaign as a savvy move, no matter how many counterexamples exist.”