1
00:00:00,730 --> 00:00:04,430
Welcome back I'm Craig. Our
next candidate this evening is

2
00:00:04,430 --> 00:00:07,230
the Democratic candidate for
Congressional District. Two.

3
00:00:07,230 --> 00:00:12,350
Alex Spencer, Alex Spencer is a
writer, a poet and activist She

4
00:00:12,350 --> 00:00:14,830
founded and led the Women's
March Klamath Falls for the

5
00:00:14,830 --> 00:00:17,950
first 3 years and Co-founded
Klamath Force for peaceful

6
00:00:17,950 --> 00:00:21,390
action, an Indivisible group
that merged to become Klamath

7
00:00:21,390 --> 00:00:25,150
Indivisible Alex Spencer
joining us now Alex Thank you

8
00:00:25,150 --> 00:00:28,350
so much for taking the time it
is my pleasure. Thank you.

9
00:00:28,350 --> 00:00:31,210
Craig so you're new to
politics. At this level, at

10
00:00:31,210 --> 00:00:34,090
least as a candidate has that
made you have to work that much

11
00:00:34,090 --> 00:00:37,450
harder, especially considering
the constraints that covet has

12
00:00:37,450 --> 00:00:41,370
on campaigning this time well,
it has certainly been

13
00:00:41,370 --> 00:00:46,490
interesting. I think that you
know everyone starts a new

14
00:00:46,490 --> 00:00:50,090
somewhere and for me it just
you know I'm kind of an

15
00:00:50,090 --> 00:00:54,810
opportunist. I'm kind of uh an
opportunist advocate and

16
00:00:54,810 --> 00:01:00,330
whenever the thing arises and
someone asked, I tend to say

17
00:01:00,330 --> 00:01:04,190
yes. so. Why are you the best
candidate to represent the

18
00:01:04,190 --> 00:01:08,590
Rogue Valley? Well? that's
really an important question

19
00:01:08,590 --> 00:01:12,750
and you know the West Wing
dedicated an entire episode to

20
00:01:12,750 --> 00:01:15,710
this question because it's so
incredibly difficult to answer

21
00:01:15,710 --> 00:01:17,950
and I've answered it many ways.
I think I've answered it

22
00:01:17,950 --> 00:01:21,710
several ways for you. What I've
come to realize through all of

23
00:01:21,710 --> 00:01:26,190
this who covet through the
wildfires through the loss of

24
00:01:26,190 --> 00:01:31,390
the notorious Ruth Ginsburg.
What I've realized is that I

25
00:01:31,390 --> 00:01:35,530
wanna be your voice. Congress
because I want to do everything

26
00:01:35,530 --> 00:01:39,930
I can to ensure everyone is
cared for and it's as simple as

27
00:01:39,930 --> 00:01:45,830
that from. From taking from
ending the business in Congress

28
00:01:45,830 --> 00:01:49,430
who taking the profit out of
people suffering wherever we

29
00:01:49,430 --> 00:01:53,430
find it, you told me recently
that you're confident you can

30
00:01:53,430 --> 00:01:56,390
win this race despite running
as uh as you know against the

31
00:01:56,390 --> 00:01:59,990
former Republican legislator in
a predominantly red district.

32
00:01:59,990 --> 00:02:04,390
uh why do you feel that way?
Well, it was predominantly read

33
00:02:04,390 --> 00:02:08,310
and today, maybe not so much.
so our non affiliated voters

34
00:02:08,310 --> 00:02:12,390
definitely outnumbered the
Republicans and the Democrats

35
00:02:12,390 --> 00:02:17,310
are gaining and so I.. Think
that my chances are very good

36
00:02:17,310 --> 00:02:20,750
and in fact, in our very
informal polling, so we're

37
00:02:20,750 --> 00:02:23,550
calling a lot of non affiliated
voters. While everyone else is

38
00:02:23,550 --> 00:02:26,830
calling Democrats on our
behalf, We're calling non

39
00:02:26,830 --> 00:02:32,510
affiliated voters and those
folks are coming back 69 to 70%

40
00:02:32,510 --> 00:02:36,510
in our favor. So I think we've
got a really good shot if

41
00:02:36,510 --> 00:02:39,790
elected, what would your
priorities be in Washington?

42
00:02:39,790 --> 00:02:43,230
Well, the very first thing the
very first thing on everyone's

43
00:02:43,230 --> 00:02:48,950
mind is ending the divisiveness
and You know we are so we feel

44
00:02:48,950 --> 00:02:52,550
so far apart and yet we all
want very much the same thing I

45
00:02:52,550 --> 00:02:55,590
would love to create a
committee for congressional

46
00:02:55,590 --> 00:02:59,350
communication, a place where
members of Congress can come

47
00:02:59,350 --> 00:03:03,990
together really work through
the issues hold more than one

48
00:03:03,990 --> 00:03:08,230
idea at a time, and I think
that will go a really long way.

49
00:03:08,230 --> 00:03:12,550
And then, of course we need to
tackle universal health care a

50
00:03:12,550 --> 00:03:14,870
universal basic income,
especially in this time of

51
00:03:14,870 --> 00:03:21,410
covet. And universal right to
housing who is your choice for

52
00:03:21,410 --> 00:03:23,890
president and why is that
candidate the best choice for

53
00:03:23,890 --> 00:03:30,450
the second district? My choice
for president is Joe Biden and

54
00:03:30,450 --> 00:03:35,490
the reason I choose Joe Biden
is because we have an executive

55
00:03:35,490 --> 00:03:41,330
branch that has been dismantled
or lack of a better word and

56
00:03:41,330 --> 00:03:47,150
Joe Biden has the institutional
memory. The man put the exact.

57
00:03:47,150 --> 00:03:51,310
Office back together again and
be a president that will serve

58
00:03:51,310 --> 00:03:54,990
all of the people of America.
have you been to the Rogue

59
00:03:54,990 --> 00:03:58,030
Valley and seen the damage from
the Alameda and south open

60
00:03:58,030 --> 00:04:02,190
fires. And if so, what are your
thoughts? Absolutely? In fact,

61
00:04:02,190 --> 00:04:05,870
I just spent time there the
other day and spoke with a

62
00:04:05,870 --> 00:04:09,710
gentleman who's having trouble
with the insurance companies.

63
00:04:09,710 --> 00:04:14,030
His house actually still
standing in the house next door

64
00:04:14,030 --> 00:04:18,430
is absolutely gone. The fires
were indiscriminate in the way

65
00:04:18,430 --> 00:04:23,310
they took um buildings and.
Houses and you know if it was a

66
00:04:23,310 --> 00:04:27,070
mobile home park, it just
didn't matter it was so fast

67
00:04:27,070 --> 00:04:31,470
and so hard that it just took
everything in its way and his

68
00:04:31,470 --> 00:04:36,670
home was decimated by smoke and
he is just having trouble

69
00:04:36,670 --> 00:04:39,630
getting the insurance companies
to pay for the clean up, you

70
00:04:39,630 --> 00:04:43,070
know and they can't be. they
can't live in it because it's

71
00:04:43,070 --> 00:04:48,190
so bad and so you know really,
it's all about looking at those

72
00:04:48,190 --> 00:04:54,090
areas that have been torn.
Apart by the fires and ensuring

73
00:04:54,090 --> 00:04:57,770
that when they are rebuilt,
they're rebuilt in a way that

74
00:04:57,770 --> 00:05:01,210
folks can afford to live there
again. I think that needs to be

75
00:05:01,210 --> 00:05:04,970
our greatest priority. In all
of this, we have about 30

76
00:05:04,970 --> 00:05:07,370
seconds left a little more than
a week out from the election.

77
00:05:07,370 --> 00:05:12,650
How are you spending that final
push? Well? we are working on

78
00:05:12,650 --> 00:05:16,330
advertising. We're working on
phone banking. We are just

79
00:05:16,330 --> 00:05:20,490
asking everyone to vote to
devote their hearts to vote

80
00:05:20,490 --> 00:05:24,490
their minds and we're really
looking forward to November

81
00:05:24,490 --> 00:05:29,930
4th. Thank you so much for
joining us appreciate it. Thank

82
00:05:29,930 --> 00:05:32,730
you take care.