A top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination made a campaign stop in Raleigh last night.
U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren energized a capacity crowd at Broughton High School with an unabashedly populist message.The Massachusetts senator stood before a large American flag and promised the raucous crowd of more than 3,500 big structural change.
"It is time for a wealth tax in America," said Warren, eliciting big cheers from the crowd.
Warren's Proposal To Tax The Ultra-Wealthy
Warren proposes taxing the ultra-wealthy two cents on every dollar above $50 million. She says the revenue from such a tax could pay for a host of programs, including universal child care, universal pre-K, and $800 billion of new funds for public schools.
"All of that, on the same two cents, plus we can cancel student loan debt for 95 percent,” she said.
That message certainly resonates with Eric Dees, a 29-year-old graduate student, who brought his 8-year-old son, Isaac, to the rally.
"We talk a lot about what's going on and try to give him context for the different parties, positions, things like that,” Dees said. “I thought this was a good opportunity to show him some excitement and give him an example of one of the candidates I'm excited about and I've talked about."
I think in today's climate you want honesty and truth, and she seems to bring that out or present that in herself and I just like her. -Carolyn Debnam
Dees wants to see corruption rooted out of politics.
The same goes for Jim Challender, a 76-year-old retired accountant and unaffiliated voter, who has been writing in candidates for years, including in 2016.
But Challender says the need to defeat President Trump in 2020 is too great.
"That has convinced me that, perhaps, I might have to sacrifice my independence," said Challender, adding that Warren’s anti-corruption message resonates with him.
"You really want to hose out some of the corruption in Washington?” Warren asked the crowd. “Make every single person, every one of them who wants to run for federal office put their tax returns online."
Warren also shared her personal story describing her childhood in Oklahoma and the financial straits caused by her father's debilitating heart attack.
"This is when I learned words like 'mortgage' and 'foreclosure'," she said.
That kind of a personal touch appeals to voters like Carolyn Debnam.
"I think in today's climate you want honesty and truth, and she seems to bring that out or present that in herself and I just like her," said Debnam, 71.
In a Meredith College poll of North Carolina voters last month, Warren trailed President Trump in a possible matchup 33 to 39 percent. Only Joe Biden fared better among Democrats, getting 35 percent to Trump's 38 percent.
North Carolina's presidential primary is scheduled for Super Tuesday on March 3.
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