Campaign of hate, fear over
Tonight, Donald Trump will make his first visit back to New Hampshire for his re-election campaign.
Even though we are still in the midst of a very competitive and exciting First in the Nation Democratic presidential primary that’s bound to have some twists and turns, one thing is abundantly clear: no matter who our Democratic presidential candidate is, the contrast between any of our Democratic candidates’ visions to move this country forward and Donald Trump’s politics of fear, anger, and regression could not be more stark. That’s because on issue after issue, up and down the ballot, Democrats are siding with working Granite Staters, while Trump and Republicans are pushing policies that help the rich get richer, leaving everyone else in the dust.
All of the Democrats in this race want to make sure that Granite Staters and all Americans have access to affordable quality health care. Democrats believe that whether you live or die shouldn’t depend on your income. And now, thanks to Democrats, tens of thousands of Granite Staters have access to health care because of the Affordable Care Act, but Republicans want to take it away. Even worse, Donald Trump wants insurance companies to be able to deny Granite Staters coverage if they’ve been pregnant, beaten cancer, have diabetes, or another pre-existing condition. We lived through that time, and we won’t go back.
Every Democrat running for president believes that we need to build the economy from the middle out so that everyone thrives – instead of just the top 1 percent. Take the minimum wage for example. Democrats believe that people should be paid a fair wage for their hard work, which means raising the outdated, federal minimum wage which remains at $7.25 even as the cost of living has risen dramatically. They may differ on the details, but the distinction between Democrats and Republicans is clear. Trump has said that there shouldn’t be a federal minimum wage, while Chris Sununu has made it clear that he opposes giving Granite State families a raise, has said flat out that New Hampshire shouldn’t have a minimum wage at all, and vetoed a minimum wage bill just this week. Both Republicans’ schemes leave Granite State workers in a race to the bottom.
Every Democrat running for president believes that the cost of college is far too high, and has a plan to address it. Democrats know that in order to get students ready for the jobs of tomorrow, a college education needs to be within reach for more families. The details of Democrats’ plans may vary, but they’re all on the same page when it comes to increasing college access and affordability. That’s good policy for New Hampshire, which has the highest average student loan debt in the country. Trump, despite false campaign promises, has done nothing to ease the burden of rising costs and student loans. Instead, his Department of Education has sided with predatory for-profit institutions at the expense of students saddled with debt. For his part, Chris Sununu’s proposed budget did nothing to lessen the burden of student debt in New Hampshire and would have likely led to tuition increases at state universities.
While Republicans have been quick to criticize the diversity and scope of our presidential primary, Democrats are excited to have choices. All of our candidates are talking about rebuilding the middle class, making college more affordable, and making sure Americans have access to quality affordable health care. And the difference between any Democrat running for president versus Donald Trump and Republicans could not be more stark.
Democrats know how important the 2020 election is, and that’s why we’re not waiting until there’s a nominee to start organizing and talking to voters about what’s at stake. No matter who secures the Democratic nomination for president or wins the First in the Nation primary, we already know that that person will be focused on creating opportunities for all Granite Staters, not just the 1 percent, because that’s what Democrats believe in, and that’s what Democrats have fought for. On Election Day 2020, we’ll have the chance to tell Donald Trump that his campaign of hate and fear is over, and we’ll have a chance to make Democrats’ vision for opportunity for all a reality.
Will you join us?
