Daily Kos/Netroots Nation Presidential Candidate Forum

Saturday July 13, 2019 from 3:30 to 6 PM ET at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia

4 CANDIDATES: Castro, Gillibrand, Inslee and Warren.

Background: This forum was the culminating event of the three-day Netroots Nation conference in Philadelphia.  To be invited, candidates had to have achieved at least 1% in one of the Daily Kos straw polls.  Nine candidates qualified, but five chose not to participate: Biden, Buttigieg, O'Rourke, Harris and Yang.  Each candidate had about 20 minutes on stage, answering questions posed by moderators (Daily Kos founder and publisher Markos Moulitsas and Cheryl Contee, chair of the Netroots Nation Board of Directors) and activists.

"This is your chance to hear from some of the 2020 Democratic primary candidates about some of the most important and pressing issues we face, from poverty and economic opportunity to criminal justice and abortion access. Netroots Nation Board of Directors Chair Cheryl Contee and Markos Moulitsas, founder and publisher of Daily Kos, will moderate. Before the Forum begins, you’ll hear from Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym and Sen. Sherrod Brown." >

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For Immediate Release: Saturday, July 13, 2019
Contact: Kawana Lloyd
Cabot Petoia

4,000 Pack Into Netroots 2019 Presidential Forum as Candidates Compete for Progressive Loyalty

Philadelphia, PA -- With nearly 4,000 registered attendees, Netroots Nation closed out the 2019 conference with a packed presidential forum co-hosted by Daily Kos featuring four of the leading candidates: Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Washington Governor Jay Inslee, and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julián Castro.

Candidates were questioned by moderators and community activists on issues ranging from economic inequality to public housing and from healthcare to abolishing ICE. Big progressive ideas were front and center, with candidates universally advocating against corporate power and for policies that bring greater equality.

“Progressives won in 2018 and we will even bigger in 2020,” said Mary Rickles of Netroots Nation. “The energy at Netroots Nation this year is unprecedented, and we believe it will continue to build. We are proud to give advocates a platform to directly question candidates about the most pressing issues in our communities.”

"To anyone who's working in this system, understand you abuse immigrants, you physically abuse immigrants, you sexually abuse immigrants, you fail to get the medical care that they need, you break the law of the United States of America and Donald Trump may be willing to look the other way, but President Elizabeth Warren will not,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren at the forum speaking of the brutality at the border by the US Government. “On my first day, I will empower a commission in the Department of Justice to investigate crimes committed by the United States against immigrants.”

Warren both entered and exited the stage to raucous chants of “Warren! Warren! Warren!” 
“I will guarantee Medicare for All,” said Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, as she took aim at corporate opponents to health reform. “We need to take on the insurance industry and the pharmaceutical industry directly, and we need to get to the root of political corruption by getting big money out of politics.”

“Housing is a human right,” said Sec. Julián Castro. “There is no reason that anyone in this nation -- the wealthiest nation in the world -- should be without healthcare or housing.” The Secretary also drew big applause when he called for civil rights for transgender Americans, arguing that “We need a country with no second-class citizens.”

“Defeating the climate crisis has to be the number one priority for America,” said Gov. Jay Inslee, who drew his biggest cheers of the night saying his first act on day one would be appointing soccer star Megan Rapinoe to Secretary of State.

For more than a decade, Netroots Nation has hosted the largest annual conference for progressives, drawing thousands of attendees from around the country and beyond.

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Daily Kos
Carolyn Fiddler
June 7, 2019

Daily Kos to partner with Netroots Nation for presidential candidate forum in Philadelphia

We’re thrilled to announce that Daily Kos and Netroots Nation will be holding a joint Presidential Candidate Forum in Philadelphia at the annual Netroots Nation conference next month. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Gov. Jay Inslee are the first candidates to confirm their participation in the forum, which is scheduled for July 13. Other candidates are expected to be added soon.

Our own founder and publisher Markos Moulitsas will moderate the forum with Cheryl Contee, chair of the Netroots Nation Board of Directors. Netroots and Daily Kos community members—representing millions of politically engaged activists from across the country—will have a chance to submit questions for consideration in advance of the event.

The forum will take place on the final day of Netroots Nation, the annual progressive conference that brings together more than 3,000 activists, organizers, and progressive organizations. With interest in the primary election at an all-time high, organizers expect this year’s gathering to be the largest turnout in the conference’s 14-year history.

Markos and Cheryl Contee shared their thoughts on the forum in a Netroots Nation press release.
“Daily Kos is thrilled to partner with Netroots Nation to present a presidential candidate forum that will give our talented field of candidates an opportunity to speak to these critical activists about why they deserve our time, money and votes” said Markos. “As a community, the Netroots has come a long way—from a small and motivated core of die- hard activists to the very lifeblood of a modern political campaign. If a candidate can’t appeal to the politically engaged online community by building support and a small-dollar army, that candidate has no business running for president.”

“Netroots Nation’s attendees are among the most active, politically engaged supporters each election cycle,” said Contee. “Candidates must have the support of this diverse group of activists and leaders to win in 2020.”

The forum will take place at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, July 13 from 3:30 to 6 PM ET.

More speakers will be announced in the coming days. For more on Netroots Nation, please visit http://www.netrootsnation.org/.

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Republican National Committee
July 13, 2109

2020 candidates, led by Elizabeth Warren, are descending on Netroots Nation in Philadelphia today where the Democrat Party's lurch to the far left will be on full display.
 
Expect Warren, Julian Castro, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Jay Inslee to tout all of the Democrat Party’s latest radical buzzwords: open borders, decriminalizing illegal border crossings, taxpayer funded health insurance for illegals and don't forget, making it illegal to keep your own preferred private health insurance. 
 
Netroots Nation could not have picked a better time or place to host 2020 candidates:
 
·         The unemployment rate is at a record low in PA.
·         Lockheed Martin announced they were keeping the Sikorsky helicopter plant in Coatesville open.
 
·         Per capita income growth is rising at 3.7% under President Trump compared to 2.7% under Obama-Biden.
·         Under Obama/ Biden administration, PA lost 51,000 manufacturing jobs. Comparatively, PA has gained 3,800 jobs under President Trump.
 
Bottom Line: While Democrats use Netroots Nation to tout their radical, government-runs-all, agenda, they will do so while sitting in a state that is thriving as a result of President Trump's free-market approach. The choice in 2020 could not be more clear.  
 
Steve Guest
Rapid Response Director
Republican National Committee