John Hickenlooper in Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019

On Free Trade: No trade war in history ever had a winner

You talk to any economist, there is not a single example in history where a trade war had a winner. Trade wars are for losers. And the bottom line is we've got to recognize, let's negotiate a better trade deal. You're not going to win against China in a trade war when they've got 25% of our total debt. We're paying in tariffs about $800 to $1,200 per household and then we give this incredible tax cut to the rich. Tariffs are not the solution. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Gun Control: Fundamental nonsense of government: Washington can't act

This is the fundamental nonsense of government, where, despite our best efforts, we can't seem to make any progress. When I went to the movie theater in Aurora in 2012 and saw that footage of what happened at that crime scene, I'll never forget it. We decided that we were going to go out and take on the NRA, and we passed universal background checks. We limited magazine capacity. We did the basic work that for whatever reason doesn't seem to be able to get done in Washington. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Health Care: Public option ok; evolution, not revolution

Q: Do you lack the will to fight for Medicare for All, as Senator Warren suggested?

HICKENLOOPER: It comes down to that question of Americans being used to being able to make choices. Proposing a public option that allows some form of Medicare that maybe is a combination of Medicare Advantage and Medicare, but if enough people choose it, it expands, the quality improves, the cost comes down, eventually, in 15 years, you could get there, but it would be an evolution, not a revolution.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Principles & Values: Favoring socialism is a disaster at the ballot box

Q: You ran a Facebook ad that warned "socialism is not the answer." The ad also said, "don't let extremes give Trump four more years," are you saying that Senator Sanders is too extreme to beat President Trump?

HICKENLOOPER: I'm saying this notion that you're going to take private insurance away from 180 million Americans--many of them don't want to get rid of it. Or [with] the Green New Deal, make sure that every American's guaranteed a government job if they want, that is a disaster at the ballot box, you might as well FedEx the election to Donald Trump. I think we've got to focus on where Donald Trump is failing. Why is it soybean farmers in Iowa need 10 good years to get back to where they were 2 years ago? Where's the small manufacturing jobs that are supposed to come back? Why are we lurching from one international crisis to another? All things that he promised American voters, we've got to focus on that.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Principles & Values: I share progressive values, but I'm more pragmatic

Last year Democrats flipped 40 Republican seats in the House, and not one of those 40 Democrats supported the policies of our front-runners at center stage. Now, I share their progressive values, but I'm a little more pragmatic. What we focused on was making sure that we got people together to get things done, to provide solutions to problems, to make sure that we worked together and created jobs. Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On War & Peace: Don't turn our backs on Afghanistan by withdrawing US troops

Q [to Mayor Pete Buttigieg]: There are currently about 14,000 U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan. You've said "One thing everybody can agree on is that we're getting out of Afghanistan." Will you withdraw all U.S. servicemembers by the end of your first year in office?

BUTTIGIEG: We will withdraw. We have to.

Q: Gov. Hickenlooper, you disagree? You've said that you're open to keeping some servicemembers in Afghanistan beyond your first term.

HICKENLOOPER: I look at it as a humanitarian issue. If we completely pull our troops out of there, you're going to see a humanitarian disaster. We have troops in over 400 different locations around the world. Most of them are small, they're peacekeeping, they're not greatly at risk. We're going to have to be in Afghanistan. Look at the progress that has happened in that country. We're going to turn our backs and walk away from people that have risked their lives to help us and build a different future for Afghanistan and that part of the world?

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

On Welfare & Poverty: Make the case that we can deliver an urban agenda

Q: How do you heal the racial divide in America?

HICKENLOPER: The core value behind this country is that all people are created equal. We've fallen far away from that. I think the job is to make the case that we can deliver an urban agenda. When I was Mayor we got universal pre-K for every kid in the city. We did major police reform 10 years before Ferguson--why is it, 5 years after Ferguson, we still don't have anything? You've got to deliver a vision like that for the whole country.

Source: July Democratic Primary debate (first night in Detroit) Jul 30, 2019

The above quotations are from Democratic candidates debate in Detroit Michigan, July 30-31, 2019. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of John Hickenlooper. Click here for John Hickenlooper on all issues.
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Page last updated: Sep 08, 2019