 Hello, everyone. I am here with a congressional candidate running in Nevada's second congressional district. His name is Clint Cobly and this is his second time running He shocked everyone by almost winning in that race and now he's back to win once and for all Clint Thank you so much for coming on the program Mike. I'm really glad you invited me. It's great to be here. Thank you Yes, you are running in a really interesting race So from what I understand there's three to four other opponents all corporate Democrats You are the only progressive and what's interesting is that you have this really unique appeal about you because you you were telling for Viewers telling me about he has this rural background And he's able to speak to voters that usually Progressives wouldn't be able to win over so tell us about yourself and why you think you came so close to winning I like it's a message. I think that you have that's really resonating Well part of it is my background in addition to experience, but I have a rural background I was born into a poor farm farm family in North Dakota and I went to a two-room country school My parents were first-generation Americans. We either raised our food or we had to hunt for it So I grew up in a gun culture and I understand, you know, the gun values of the people in rural Nevada and a lot of the other issues that go in rural Nevada whether it's water or it's public lands But having that rural background makes me, you know A safe candidate for people to talk to plus I worked for the Obama administration for almost eight years as a state director for the USDA So I interacted with all the tribes all the farmers and ranches across the state for almost eight years So I have a lot of professional experience And so I think I'm a pretty trusting individual like some people said I fit the profile really really well because we're Urban and progressive in the western part of the district and then all of the rest is rural and very conservative But haven't grown up in that culture. I can kind of bridge those gaps a little bit And I'm not I'm not so much of a threat or a danger to them I think that that's a really good way to describe it like you're a safe choice like for me if I were running in that area I wouldn't know how to talk to people who grew up with that gun culture. I'd come off as a progressive hippie So I mean you need someone who can really appeal to those types of people that you wouldn't otherwise be able to get So that's why I think it's such an interesting campaign and you know having worked for Obama You did kind of build up that infrastructure you have the connections and it's interesting So I'm curious because I've covered Nevada and politics and some primary races here And one thing that I have seen is that there's a lot of corruption. It's almost Uniquely corrupt in a way that few other states are and that if you want to run you have to kiss the ring of Harry Reed and you know the party apparatus will try to shut you out So what has been your experience because I mean you have the clout with the Democratic Party in the sense that you came from the Obama administration in a way, but now you're running as this grassroots funded progressive You're running on single-payer Medicare for all. So what has been the response to you? Is there this respect or do you feel as if there is this concerted effort to shut you down as we've seen with other Candidates like Amy Valada who've tried to run in Nevada before Well, I wouldn't say there's any concerted effort to shut me down in fact I think the party is very grateful that I'm running I haven't seen the level of support that I would like to see but part of that is due to you know the money that I didn't raise in my First election in 2018. I think the party is a newfound respect for me as the party chair said right after the 2018 election Clint thank you for your leadership and thank you for showing us that this race is finally Winnable so there's there's more support. I think on the grassroots level across the state even with the party I haven't had some you know strong anointments But I I've been endorsed by you know former senator Richard Bryan former Attorney General Frankie Sudele Papa and a lot of and a host of other people that have been involved in Nevada politics for a lot of years That's really interesting. I wanted to ask you a little bit more about the Democratic Party So assuming you're able to win this race and get elected So you're going up against the Republican incumbent. His name is Mark Amade. I think I'm butchering his name But that's okay because he's probably you know a ghoul But nonetheless, you know if you're able to get elected Especially now like just having come off of the Iowa caucuses and really seeing just a lack of trust and incompetence With the Democratic Party at a minimum How do you actually change the party from within electorally speaking? So I mean for example, you are kind of like this insurgent progressive candidate. How do you convince them? To support policies like Medicare for all if you're also trying to balance, you know being marginalized in Congress So let's say, you know You get a little bit too vocal in challenging the party establishment speaking out against any horror Nancy Pelosi And they want to take away committee appointments Like what is your strategy going in because this is something I always like to think about because I don't know like There's no really tried-and-true strategy. So I kind of like to pick the brains of everyone who's running Well part of my message Mike is the fact that I feel that Unbeholding to no one other than the voters of Nevada. I am a grassroots candidate. I am kind of a dark horse I'm not a complete outsider from the political party, but I really do want to go to Washington and You know get back to you know Good representation in government. I feel that's lacking in a lot of people in Nevada feel like All politicians lie or it's all partisan. It's all party politics and who's caring about us Who's doing anything about us in my message has been a little bit different I'm not, you know flipping my finger off to the state of the national party That's not it at all But when I go out and talk to people in the world or even here in urban areas in the western part of the state I I really impressed upon the fact that I need to that a representative has to say what they mean and mean what they say And you have to drop some of that partisan politics Because who's representing the people if you're just going to vote for the party 97 of the time The citizens are going to be just feel left out and I just really hammered that message over and over again That I'm going to mean what I say say what I mean I'm not beholden to anyone for example. I don't take money from corporate packs So I don't feel like I'm controlled by anyone when I get to Washington I'm going to have to carry that message and strike a good balance of Representing the people from the vat and I'm going to fight hard to do that because I feel that that's I have to go with the people that got me there Yeah, and I'm curious because you are kind of campaigning in all all all areas in this district And I know it's a very large district What is the response like when you talk to people Who aren't necessarily traditionally progressive and you pitch something like Medicare for all to them What is the response and how do you sell it to them? Well, first of all, I tell them that you know, let's let's breathe deep and just look at the facts and I'll talk to them how Rural health care has been affected, you know positively by the aca and then negatively by attacks on the aca and how you know Universal health care or Medicare for all could really help rural communities It could help the real clinics It could help the rural hospitals that are in danger of closing. We lost the rural hospital, you know, just several years ago So it's in their own best interest to sit down and talk I think some of the some of the other Officials in the state have done a really good job of being able to talk Sensibly to the opposition and the opposition has a lot of respect for them Senator Cortez masto is set a great example of being able to talk to the other side And for example when I worked for the usda 95 of the people that I had to represent and farmers and ranchers Were republicans, but they never once felt that I held it against them, you know politically or partisanship-wise I did my job and I think I've improved a lot of trust in me That you know, I will do my job. I will say what I mean mean what I say and I will listen to the voters I'm here to hear And I'm not going to talk down to them. I'm going to carry my message to Washington And I'm going to work damn hard when I get there to represent nevadron And not just take orders from you know the party. I do have problems with you know pay to play Having to get to Washington and then pay, you know Thousands of dollars to get on the committee. I know which committees I want to get on to help the people in nevada and I just feel that I have to make a stand on that and really I want to change politics I'm I'm tired of politics as usual in a lot of ways mike I think a lot of people feel marginalized or sick of politics And they're looking for someone with integrity and somebody who'll be different and I'm trying to cast that picture of me being different Yes, I'm progressive, but I'm not going to you know be taking the guns away. I'm not going to destroy healthcare You know, I'm not going to just you know run us in in the tremendously in the debt I think I've got a good plan on a pragmatic approaches and how to get to how to solve our issues So I think I can get a lot of trust on people on what I can what type of job I can do when I get to Washington Now when you say pragmatic approach that does have negative connotations in these days because usually when we hear democrats say pragmatic That necessarily uh, doesn't mean a good thing. It means we'll we'll work with republicans And that's usually code for we're going to roll over and die And so when you you bring up kathryn court has masked out And I kind of want to flip that previous question that I asked in terms of reaching out to more rural voters And I want to ask What do you think you as well as the party apparatus can do to reach out to the left because I actually covered a town hall A couple of years ago. It was actually sent to me from amy vilella who went on to run for congress She attended kathryn court has masked out town hall and asked about healthcare And then the response was to basically use these pro corporate talking points about protecting the aca really You know side stepping the issue of single payer whatsoever So in terms of like getting those rural voters in do you feel personally as if you have to compromise Your progressive values in order to win them over. Do you think that you actually can be Someone who is absolutely committed to you know single payer and will challenge that party establishment to actually fight for it I don't feel I have to compromise one damn bit And I'll tell you why one of the things that I've really really been Hammering lately is on mark newther king day the american college of physicians And it's 159 000 doctors voted for the single payer healthcare system for the first time in its history And I'm hammering that message that this is the future This is the future of ourselves our families and if our doctors are behind us then we have to see the writing on the wall so If if families and doctors want us then we have to take that I don't care what you want to call progressive or whatever I'm not going to run from it. I'm going to stand by because if I I think as they say your doctor knows best Yeah, that's that's a great way to put it and that really was a phenomenal endorsement for Medicare for all And we've kind of been fighting like this this almost narrative battle a constant wave of propaganda But yet that was the ultimate legitimization You know, I love the graphic that they put out as doctors we prescribe Medicare for all because Like it's just it's common sense. I feel like you can't argue against it at this point But yet we're still in this situation where We're so unique in that we're the only world country in the world That's you know developed that doesn't offer single-payer healthcare And we have a democratic party who is to the right of tories in the uk who are openly running against single-payer So a lot of people I think feel really demoralized currently and they feel as if you know, we we want this We see the the public opinion polls And it says we support Medicare for all in spite of all of this, you know Propaganda that's been non-stop from even Democrats not just corporate media So my question to you, you know With that in mind How do you win back people who are demoralized with the process especially coming out of Iowa because a lot of people You know, I give the sentiment that they just want to check out It's hopeless because no matter what we do we can never affect change. So I think really part of winning Um as progressives is to get out the vote get people who are disaffected non-voters to come back to the process What's your strategy for that? Well, first of all, so we've had a snafu Okay, we have nine months to recover and we've got a good message And we've got the american college of physician on our side when it comes to medicare for all So I think we just have to keep hammering on that message I really think that tide is going to change Mike when we go out there and we say look, this is what your doctors believe This is what we believe. I think it's going to be an easier sell It's going to get easier and easier as we go. I've seen the tide change slowly You know across the country as far as numbers, but when you throw in the acp And what how they validated, you know, medicare for all, I just think it's going to help turn the tide You know, it's just a matter of time, but I think we have to keep hammering on that I hammer on it almost every single day Yeah, that's great. So can we can we get you to commit to co-sponsoring? The medicare for all act by promilage. I apologize on day one if you're elected Absolutely That's awesome. That's what I like to hear. See a lot of people, um, you know, they can kind of gauge If a politician is like being upfront with them if they, um, use very direct words Like if you say absolutely that that tells me okay, sure But you know a typical politician who is not like grassroots who's taking money from special interests would probably say Well, Mike, you know, we're going to be weighing a lot of you know Legislation and I'm going to be looking at a lot of different things to co-sponsor and whatnot So it certainly will be on my plate and I think that people really respect like this authenticity that we're seeing from this new wave of progressives running from For congress, um, because it's like unique. We're in this anti establishment era And I love to see everyone who's running who are grassroots funded Just kind of like lean into that because I think that it's really there's value in just being a normal person and communicating to people That I'm one of you and you know, I'm not like these elites this Pete Buddha judge, you know These like elite educated people. I'm just the normal working class American So my question to you is what can we do to help you win? Um, and if you can make your last pitch to my viewers and tell us what we can do to support you, um feel free Well, first of all I want to say that I think people know when you're being sold down the river When a politician or want to be politicians ask the question and they don't answer it and then they He started in with well, I've got this and this and that and you know, it's it's the policy It's the procedures and things like this here. They're stonewalling I think what you have to do to gain people's trust is first Answer the damn question and then you can get into maybe explaining why you feel that way But you've got to do that You know, so what can you do for me? Well, you can go to my website at You know coble for congress.com and that's k o b l e f o r congress.com you can go to my facebook at coble for congress 2020 or my twitter at coble number four congress And instagram at clint for congress and you can get on my website. You can read my platform You can see how I stand and of course you you can help a campaign in any ways you can endorse you can donate you can You know, let people know on your email list that I've read about this guy. I like this guy He seems like the real deal. He's got integrity. He means what he says. He says what he means This is a different type of guy. And so what if he's a progressive in a world state? Sooner or later, those world areas are going to need progressive Issues progressive programs to lift them up. Otherwise, they're going to continue to decline Yeah, and look like for for a lot of people who um, I mean, I just saw james carval on tv Talk about how we have to be more moderate and you know, Claire mcaskill knows to be more moderate because she ran in a red state and lost like what tells me that the tide is turning is that like In the state of west virginia in 2016 bernie sanders won all 55 counties So it's not like you're running this unwinnable campaign In you know rural areas like you almost won last time and I think that's what's so encouraging is that like You don't have to compromise your message You can run unapologetically on progressive issues like medicare for all and that can actually resonate with people And I think that people are beginning to realize the power that they have and you know, uh fueling these types of grassroots campaigns So thank you so much for running for congress. We'll be watching very closely because I think you can take this Okay, well mike, I think it's important that you know, you stand up for what you believe in You stand up for the people that are behind you and the second you don't they're gonna know that so Say what you mean and mean what you say and stick to your guns and stand up. Yeah, I like it We'll flip this seat blue. Thank you so much for coming on the program cleanse Mike, thank you very much. I look forward to talking with you again