Tim Ryan, potential 2020 Democrat, courts the ‘wellness’ vote – By David Siders (politico.com) / Aug 11 2018
Only one sitting House member, Tim Ryan’s fellow Ohioan James Garfield, has ascended directly to the White House. That was nearly 140 years ago, but Ryan might go for it anyway. | Alex Wong/Getty Images
SAN DIEGO — Tim Ryan might run for president. Or House speaker. Or both.
But coalition building is important no matter where your aspirations lie. So in one of the earliest displays of micro-targeting in the pre-2020 campaign, the Ohio congressman climbed onto a stage in California this week to court the “wellness” vote.
Speaking at “Mindshare Summit 2018,” which bills itself as “the #1 conference for health & wellness influencers. Period,” Ryan ranged from the value of meditation to the scourge of a food system that he blames for much of America’s poor health.
“The challenges in Washington are very difficult, they’re tough,” the 45-year-old Democrat said. “And we need to build a movement around what we’re talking about here tonight.”
Ryan, a onetime high school football quarterback, is the author of two books: one on mindfulness and meditation, and one on healthy eating. His attendance at the conference — following a fundraiser for his congressional campaign here — was in part a chance to reconnect with friends.
But coming between two mainstays on the presidential calendar — the Netroots Nation conference, which Ryan addressed earlier this month, and the Wing Ding dinner in Iowa, to which he headed next — Ryan’s political prospects were rarely far from mind.
Only one sitting House member, Ryan’s fellow Ohioan James Garfield, has ascended directly to the White House. But that was nearly 140 years ago.
If there is an opening for Ryan in 2020, it will come from a class of Democrats seeking a nominee with a relatively moderate profile to counter President Donald Trump’s popularity with white, working class voters in the Midwest.
Over lunch in San Diego, Ryan likened his politics to those of former Vice President Joe Biden, a leader in early 2020 polls. Asked if he considered himself a younger version of Biden, Ryan said, “That would be a cool … If you wanted to put that in your article, like as a headline, I would not be mad about that.”
Rep. Tim Ryan, a onetime high school football quarterback, is the author of two books: one on mindfulness and meditation, and one on healthy eating. | Tony Dejak/AP Photo
For now, Ryan remains relatively little-known outside of his district. But there was an effort afoot at the “Mindshare Summit” to change that. After Ryan pressed his familiar case for an urban farming initiative and shifting subsidies from crops used in processed food to farmers growing fresh fruits and vegetables, JJ Virgin, a well-known nutrition and fitness expert, urged conference attendees to “stand with Tim.”
“Put him on your podcast,” she told the assembled authors, bloggers and other “influencers.” “Share him with your community.”
Ryan has not said whether he’ll challenge House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi again, as he did after the 2016 election. But he is considering it. He’s also weighing a run for president in 2020 and recently hired Pete D’Alessandro, a top adviser to Sanders during his 2016 Iowa caucus campaign.
Ryan suggested he will not make a decision on either contest until after the midterms.
“I think we’ve got to figure out what happens in November,” Ryan said. “The key is take the House back, play a role, be active.”
The crowd at “Mindshare Summit” was more forthcoming. Asked if Ryan should run for president, Mark Hyman of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, said “Hell, yes!”
Virgin offered a similar endorsement, though in politics, loyalties are rarely absolute. At a patio reception at the conference hotel Thursday night, Virgin said that any politician who eats at McDonald’s or smokes cigarettes should not be president — fine for Ryan, as he does neither. But Virgin recoiled when she heard what he had for lunch.
“He had tater tots?” said Virgin, whose blog includes such recent entries as “5 Important Reasons Why You Need to Take Supplements,” and “Top 5 Supplements to Help Leaky Gut.”
Ryan grimaced.
“I’m sorry,” he told her. “I’m still from Youngstown, for God’s sake.”
Leaving the reception, he appeared to acknowledge a future campaign was in play.
“Our first scandal,” he chuckled. “This is like a ‘Seinfeld‘ episode.”
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/08/11/tim-ryan-2020-democrats-wellness-vote-773368
