Part 1: A Conversation With John Hickenlooper | Part 2: A Conversation with Seth Moulton

Event Overview

• The Milken Institute Global Conference hosted two presidential conversations featuring Democratic candidates Governor John Hickenlooper (CO) and Representative Seth Moulton (MA), emphasizing non-partisanship and the goal of defeating President Trump.
• Hickenlooper and Moulton are positioned as part of a field of at least 20 Democratic candidates, with the goal of unifying the party to address deep national divisions.

John Hickenlooper: Economic and Political Strategy

• Economic Diagnosis: Hickenlooper argues that despite record stock market highs, 80% of American families struggle to balance monthly budgets, with Gen Xers unable to save due to caring for children and parents, and Millennials buried in debt unable to buy homes.
• Tariff Impact: He identifies "tariff wars" as a primary cause of economic distress for Iowa soybean farmers, who require eight consecutive good years to recover, noting that manufacturers are also incurring hundreds of millions in supply chain reorganization costs.
• Capitalist Stance: Hickenlooper explicitly identifies as a "proud capitalist" who started 20 businesses and created 1,000 jobs, arguing that the current system fails the middle class and that 50% of Americans make less inflation-adjusted income than in 1981.
• Antitrust Policy: He advocates for tougher antitrust enforcement to revitalize small business startups, noting that consolidation into oligopolies in many sectors is stifling competition; he does not support automatic breakup of specific companies like Google but supports case-by-case evaluation.
• Tax Proposals: He supports raising taxes on higher income earners and wealth, specifically criticizing the $1.5 trillion tax cuts as borrowed money benefiting the wealthy and foreign owners of the stock market.
• Climate Change: As a former geologist, he prioritizes immediate decarbonization, citing Colorado's closure of two electric plants to replace them with solar, wind, and batteries, predicting a 10-12 year timeline for global action.
• Social Issues:
  • Marijuana: He supports federal decriminalization and allowing states to choose their policies while opposing federal prohibition, citing Colorado's success in eliminating the black market without a spike in teen consumption.
  • Gun Control: He advocates for universal background checks, citing Colorado statistics that stopped 3,000 violent criminals (including 38 homicide convicts and 133 sexual assault convicts) from purchasing firearms.
• Mueller Report: He calls for the unredacted Mueller report to be released to Congress and supports an investigation into obstruction of justice, while expressing concern that immediate impeachment proceedings could be too divisive for the 2020 election.

Seth Moulton: Veterans, Infrastructure, and Leadership

• Veteran Healthcare Experience: Moulton detailed personal experiences with VA bureaucracy, including a denial of veteran status verification at a D.C. hospital and a pharmacy error where he was sent Advil instead of prescribed painkillers, using this to argue for a public option that competes with private insurance.
• Climate Strategy: He outlines a three-part climate plan: 1) Restore U.S. leadership (e.g., rejoining the Paris Accord) to set global green tech rules; 2) Develop green distributed power for the developing world; 3) Invest in carbon removal technologies to address atmospheric carbon already present.
• Economic Redistribution: Moulton attributes economic distress to automation and AI, not immigrants, and proposes an "educational revolution" focused on vocational training, high school completion, and directing venture capital to "middle America."
• Infrastructure Vision: He rejects 1950s infrastructure approaches (repairing bridges/highways) in favor of 21st-century needs like high-speed rail (e.g., Boston-Washington) and rural broadband.
• Generational Leadership: He argues for a new generation of leadership to solve modern challenges like cyber warfare, contrasting the "baby boomer" era's technology with the need for tech-savvy leaders.
• Political Record: He cites the creation of "Veterans Town Halls" as his proudest legislative achievement, aiming to bridge the gap between veterans and their communities by sharing personal war stories.
• Mueller Report & Impeachment: Moulton distinguishes himself from Hickenlooper by stating that while an impeachment vote is premature without the full report, the House has a constitutional duty to hold the debate and that over 30 of Trump's associates being indicted necessitates a conversation.
• Moral Leadership: He compares Trump to a demagogue and argues that the President's behavior—dividing the country, cozying up to dictators, and disparaging allies—damages national security and recruits against U.S. service.
• Gun Policy: He supports universal background checks, banning bump stocks, and preventing terrorist purchases, arguing that Massachusetts' strict laws correlate with the lowest gun violence rates in the nation.
• Vaccinations: He frames measles vaccination as a public health imperative, urging parents to prioritize herd immunity over individual fears despite the discomfort to children.
• Campaign Diversity: Moulton emphasizes a conscious recruitment strategy to ensure his campaign and office are diverse, moving beyond passively posting job ads to actively seeking talent from underrepresented groups.