Andrew Yang snubbed as speaker at Democrats' convention

ANDREW YANG

Andrew Yang, who had a hard time getting traditional political powers and mainstream media to recognize him as a serious candidate for POTUS, got snubbed once again.

When the list of speakers for next week's Democratic Convention was released Tuesday morning, Yang's name was not on it.

“To be honest, I kind of expected to speak,” said Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate.

Yang, who without formal party backing, staged a remarkable campaign for president, lasting much longer and raised more money than more established politicians.

In a follow-up tweet Tuesday morning, Yang wrote, "Maybe I endorsed against one too many incumbents."

Yang said he wanted to make an appeal to his supporters -- 42% of whom said they would not vote for Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for President.

Sen. Kamala Harris, Biden's vice president nominee, Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Georgia state House Rep. Sam Park and Sara Gideon, who is challenging Maine's Sen. Susan Collins, are the only Asian Americans scheduled to speak. The absence of AAPI speakers is noteworthy enough that some Congressional members will hold a press event about the lack of AAPI participation in the Democrats' online conclave.

The DNC said that Yang is included in a video package that includes other presidential candidates.

Two Democratic Asian American Congressmembers threw their support behind Yan's desire to speak during the four-day virtual unconventional convention.

Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) both took to Twitter to criticize the Democratic National Committee (DNC), for leaving Yang off the speakers' list.

Lieu addressed his post to the DNC and pointed out that Asian Americans are “the fastest increasing group in America, including in multiple swing states.”

Khanna also pushed for Yang to speak at the convention. “It’s absurd to exclude him given the campaign he ran,” Khanna tweeted.

Yang, a tech entrepreneur, ran on a platform primarily supporting universal basic income and talked about the changing economy and new workforce the US needs, topics that the other candidates began to understand as the campaign wore on.

During the Democratic Primaries, Yang was often left off the charts and lists shown on television network graphics. MSNBC was particularly guilty of slighting Yang, often failing to call on him when he had something to say. When MSNBC did remember to include him on one graphic, he was confused with another person named John Yang.

At one point, Andrew Yang had enough of the gaffs and slights and refused to appear on MSNBC.

Some former candidates, including Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, will have speaking slots.

There is an opening on the speakers' list. Wednesday evening, there is a slot for the vice president nominee to speak. Now that she has been announced as Joe Biden's pick for his running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris will now take that spot.

The slot originally scheduled for Harris to speak is now open.