Michael B. Moore: Carrying the Family Legacy in SC

Show Transcript

Michael B. Moore: Carrying on the Family Legacy in SC

[00:00:00] Bob Gatty: In 2020, Republican Representative Nancy Mace of the South Carolina's first congressional district, edged out Democratic incumbent Representative Joe Cunningham, who had been the first Democrat to flip a House seat in South Carolina in 30 years. Mace won by just 5, 400 votes, or about 1%.

[00:00:24] And two years ago, following redistricting, Mace won re election by 14%. Since then, Mace was critical of Trump following the January 6, 2021 MAGA attack on the U. S. Capitol. But she's endorsed Trump, despite the many criminal charges against him and his conviction for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in the 1990s.

[00:00:52] Now, forward thinking business executive Michael B. Moore is one of the two Democrats running in the June 11th South Carolina primary for the chance to oppose Mace in November. His opponent in the primary is attorney Mac DeFord, whose interview on this podcast is now streaming. We're pleased to have Michael Moore with us on the Lean to the Left podcast, but before we get to that, I need to urge you guys to go visit podcast. leantotheleft. net, where you'll find thumbnails and links to all of our episodes. You can subscribe there, too. And don't forget to give us a rating wherever you listen. Five stars would be super, super cool. Now, Michael, sorry for the commercial, but welcome to our show. 

[00:01:42] Michael B. Moore: Absolutely. It's great to be here.

[00:01:44] Thank you for the invitation. 

[00:01:45] Bob Gatty: Yeah. Hey, you come from a long line of pioneering public servants, including your great grandfather, Civil War hero and Reconstruction era congressman, Robert Smalls. In 1862, Smalls commandeered a Confederate ship in Charleston Harbor, carrying his family and 15 other enslaved people to freedom.

[00:02:11] He went on to become one of the first African Americans ever to serve in Congress. And now, you're seeking the same House seat held by your great, great grandfather almost 150 years ago. That's quite a legacy, Michael. Now, can you give us a quick summary of your background and why it qualifies you to serve in Congress?

[00:02:35] Michael B. Moore: Yeah, thank you. Thank you for the question. I'll start with saying I'm a business guy. I've had an opportunity to run companies and organizations over the last 25, 30 years. Back in the late nineties, I was president of a technology company that really was a pioneer in creating the first generation of what we all now ubiquitously know is social media software sites.

[00:02:58] And then a bit after that, I was president ceo of a food company that was originally based In Columbus, Ohio, that we moved to South Carolina and brought jobs and opportunity here to South Carolina. And then back in 2015, former Charleston, Mayor Joe Riley asked me to be the founding president and CEO of the International African American Museum, which is probably one of the most consequential public institutions in the region, perhaps the country.

[00:03:26] And and so that's 1 side of me is this sort of business kind of side that's giving me an opportunity to lead professionally, but as mentioned, you mentioned my great grandfather. I actually, if I'm elected, I'll be the 4th in the last 5 generations of people in my family from South Carolina to serve in elected office.

[00:03:49] I come from a long line of folks, not just my great grandfather, but my great grandfather was elected to the General Assembly. During Reconstruction, I have a cousin from Columbia, Judge Harold Boulware, who was on the team with Thurgood Marshall that won the famous segregation case, Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

[00:04:10] And then, excuse me, I grew up with my grandfather, who started off as just a kind of country farmer in Chester, but got some education, ended up being a college professor, was very active in the civil rights movement and was for 12 years on the city council in Durham, North Carolina. And he would take me to city council meetings as a kid.

[00:04:32] And I think he is the one who really activated this sense of service and the good that one can do by contributing to your community and for those around you. And While this is my first foray into politics, it's been around me. And and something that has, certainly guided me. I got a political science degree from Syracuse University undergrad.

[00:04:54] I got an MBA from Duke University. And like even those degrees combined my, my interests I, I think. Why am I qualified to be in Congress? First of all, I think, I bring the appropriate attitude, temperament. I'm a very kind of no nonsense, common sense guy.

[00:05:15] I talk a lot of in my various goings about low country common sense. I just want to get something done. I talk to people just about every day who really, have a need for government to work and to work for them. Government works great if you're in the one percent. Yeah.

[00:05:31] Average working folks need for it to work for them too. And they need to have somebody in Washington who has their back. And and I certainly have done that. But even, in my career, I've done business on four continents. I have engaged with foreign heads of state. Charleston Business Magazine named me one of the most influential people in the region.

[00:05:51] The city of Charleston named a day after me. I've just been involved in a lot of things, and I've had real accomplishments. 

[00:05:57] Bob Gatty: The city of Charleston named a day after you? It 

[00:06:00] Michael B. Moore: had a day named after me, yeah. 

[00:06:02] Bob Gatty: Why? Why? What'd you do? 

[00:06:05] Michael B. Moore: I was the president, the founding president, CEO of the International African American Museum and that project as it completed, I think, and as I was moving on, I had committed to that project to get them through groundbreaking.

[00:06:19] And once I did that, I think as a part of the celebration of our efforts, Mayor Tecklenburg at the time. Gave me a day. 

[00:06:28] Bob Gatty: Wow, how about that? Maybe one of these days you'll have one of these bridges around here named after you. Every time I go across a bridge that has somebody's name on it, my wife always goes, what the hell did he do or she do to usually it's a he.

[00:06:45] Usually it's a he, to get that bridge named after him. It might even be just a little culvert. But it seems like everything is named after somebody in South Carolina. Yes, I agree. Anyway let's talk a little bit about this federal court ruling about the South Carolina elections, ordering that the primary be held under a map that's already been deemed to be unconstitutional and discriminatory against black voters.

[00:07:17] And it was the same three judge panel that found that the state used race as a proxy for partisan affiliation, which is a violation of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. Now, what are your thoughts about that Michael? 

[00:07:32] Michael B. Moore: Yeah, I think it's a, I think it's a tragedy. Look, um, particularly since I'm on leaning to the left podcast, not leaning to the right podcast.

[00:07:42] I feel safe in saying that Republicans know that they are they are bad on the demographics. They are bad on the issues. And so they've got to play games and they've got to, lie, cheat and steal, frankly, to try to hang on to power. On October 11th, which was the day that the oral arguments for the gerrymandering case for our district first began, the arguments began, I was on the steps of the Supreme Court, had an opportunity to speak in a rally. And I, I talked about the fact that no longer are we in a world in a country where, we can just passively take for granted the kind of democracy that we grew up with. I think January 6th a few years ago showed us that this is a new a new time.

[00:08:29] And I think it's a, I think all in all it's a tragedy. 30, 000 voters. Many of whom were just like me. I'm an African American voter in the first congressional district, and I had my political voice muted by having those 30, 000 voters exiled from the district, so to speak. I engage with the issue from a number of different vantage points, as a candidate, I care about, obviously, the composition of our district, I care that now there are people just miles away from me who are now not in my district. And that's bizarre. But I also, from historical standpoint, Robert Smalls, 140 some years ago was gerrymandered out of the district and it just, South Carolina has come a long way, but on this particular issue, we're still seeing gerrymandering and seeing the use of tools to deny people political voice.

[00:09:26] And I think it's, I think it's embarrassing. I think South Carolina is better than that, or should be better than that. And and I'm out, talking to folks and looking to represent everyone in the district and I hope justice ultimately will prevail. I will just say lastly the lower courts basically their hand in making the decision to use the lines that we have now their hands were forced because the Supreme Court is basically dragging the heels on this.

[00:09:54] They know what they've decided. They know what they're going to do, but they don't. It feels like they're forced. Just putting their hand on the scale a little bit influencing this particular race. And again, I think that's disappointing. 

[00:10:07] Bob Gatty: What are your thoughts of, you mentioned January 6th, a couple of minutes ago, what are your thoughts about Congresswoman Mace supporting Trump and criticizing him for the January 6th insurrection? 

[00:10:19] Michael B. Moore: I think a lot of people in the district want to know who is the real Nancy Mace, is it the one who, critiqued Trump or is it the one who, went out and sought his, endorsement and won his endorsement? Is it the one who said that she was, pro women and supported, In some, to some degree, women's reproductive freedom, or is it the one who was the co sponsor of a six week abortion ban and, sponsored a bill against IVF?

[00:10:44] Is it the one who voted against the infrastructure bill, or is it the one who shows up when the bacon, so to speak, comes to the district, back to the district and wants to try to take credit of itself? I think that's part of the problem with Nancy Mace is that I, it doesn't feel like there's it. much integrity to her position.

[00:11:03] She says what she feels like she needs to say at the moment to appease whatever political group she's in front of. So I think it's a problem. 

[00:11:14] Bob Gatty: Yeah. Okay. 

[00:11:15] So what would be your your top priorities Michael, if you're elected? 

[00:11:21] Michael B. Moore: Coming from a business background, I think the economy is something that I spend a lot of time thinking about.

[00:11:26] I believe that there are a lot of needs. People, have a lot of needs, but I think at the core, if a family, someone family has a good job with good benefits to take care of their family. And then ultimately that allows them to retire with dignity. I think that's the start.

[00:11:42] So I spent a lot of time focusing on how do we create a more inclusive economy? How do we help people better take advantage of their skills? Their hard work to take care of their families. I think health care is an enormous problem. I think 1st most acute is the issue with women's reproductive freedom and codifying Roe v Wade and ensuring that women have the rights to make decisions about their own bodies. But even broader than that, medical debt is the number one cause of bankruptcy in America. There are 110 million Americans who are mired down by health care debt, and we just have to create a more balanced system.

[00:12:21] Someone pointed out to me recently, when you go to New York City, the tallest buildings are the insurance companies and I think they're an enormous problem. 

[00:12:31] Bob Gatty: Never thought of that. Yeah. 

[00:12:33] Michael B. Moore: Lots of issues. I think the environment, they don't call us down here, the low country for no reason.

[00:12:38] I think we've got to really get serious and we've got to, here in the district, we've got to take some ownership of trying to contribute to the solution to our environment. It's a much broader problem, obviously, than the low country, but I think we can be leaders in that. And then I would just say, last two issues 'cause I know we got limited time, but, education is an enormous challenge in this country.

[00:13:02] South Carolina ranks toward the bottom of the states in public education. My great grandfather wrote the legislation to create the public school system in South Carolina, which was the 1st public school system in the way that we know them now in the entire country. And I know he would be rolling in his grave.

[00:13:20] There's solid research that shows that lifetime earnings, the accumulation of all someone earns is directly connected to education. We just have to stop fooling around, banning books and, we've got to let teachers teach. You've got to compensate teachers in appropriate ways. I come from a family.

[00:13:38] My wife is a teacher. She teaches special needs children, both by the parents with teachers. 3 of my 4 grandparents were teachers. I understand from a number of different vantage points the power that the advantage that can come from having a great education. So we've got to get serious.

[00:13:54] And then I would just say, as a father, I've got four sons, I've got a beautiful nine month old granddaughter. It always breaks my heart when I say that the number one cause of death among our children in this country is gun violence. And Look, we are making a value judgment as a nation. We are saying that it's more important that we adhere, not just to the Second Amendment, but to the NRA's rather perverted interpretation of the Second Amendment than it is to care for our communities and to care for our Children. And so I would say there are a whole host of really common sense reforms, by the way that the vast majority of Americans already agreed to that we just need to get behind. We need to have people in Washington who will will support those things.

[00:14:41] So a lot of issues. But but those are those were a few. 

[00:14:46] Bob Gatty: We need to have people in Washington who have the courage to address some of these issues like guns, for example because it seems to me that, despite all these horrible shootings that take place in schools and shopping centers and churches it's because people have unfettered access to firearms, and instead of doing anything to, turn that around the states are making it easier for people to have weapons and weapons of mass destruction.

[00:15:15] Michael B. Moore: It's really interesting. I I flew to another state, had to rent a car, and as I was renting the car I saw this big sign that says you've got to be 25, you've got to have a good driving record, and you've got to have good credit to be able to rent a car from that particular place.

[00:15:30] You can, as, that's just to rent a car. You can, 18 year old, you can get a, Assault rifle with a high capacity magazine with no training with no nothing and it just doesn't make any sense. It's illogical. And I think we need to do we can do better. We need to do better. Okay, 

[00:15:48] Bob Gatty: so your district one is dependent on tourism.

[00:15:53] It's sensitive to climate issues and in need of affordable housing. It's comprised of varied communities with different needs. If elected, how would you deal with those issues and meet those varied needs? 

[00:16:06] Michael B. Moore: I think we've got to first have someone who cares about those needs. Nancy Mace Likely you heard the story that leaked documents from her campaign say that she calls herself National Nancy and that she's got a quota on her staff getting around national news, not South Carolina news, not first district news, national news.

[00:16:28] I think with all our antics and everything else, I think it's pretty clear that she's actually more interested in either getting a. A role in, God forbid the next Trump administration or getting a gig on Fox News or who knows, but her is clear. Her interests are not here in the 1st congressional district.

[00:16:47] So I think, having somebody who cares about the district who cares about the people. Look, my ancestors got here in the early to mid 1790s and have been here ever since my, mentioned, Robert Smalls, he got in office in 1868 and I've had multiple generations of people serve.

[00:17:05] It is the highest and greatest aspiration in my life. To serve the people here in the first congressional district and to, become a representative who's got their back. So that's the high level. And then I think we've got to dive into the issues. I've already contributed to tourism as the founding president and CEO of the International African American Museum.

[00:17:24] I, was able to step across party lines and raise money and get this institution up and going and it's a powerful again, one of the most I think, consequential public institutions in the state. And I will continue to support the creation of those kinds of things.

[00:17:43] We just need to create a sensible approach to all these issues. Development is great, but it's got to be balanced by human issues. People need to be able to Live in the communities that they work. We need to not just, continue to gentrify our communities in search of the dollar.

[00:18:03] And so I would, work with local communities. And in particular, I'll mention, I think the Gullah Geechee community along the coastlines is particularly vulnerable along this. They've got, Extraordinarily valuable land that often has been in their families for 150 plus years since reconstruction since the end of the Civil War.

[00:18:23] But are quickly, and systematically being pushed off their lands. And I think we need to. Do something to protect to protect their properties. But I think the biggest thing is again, having a representative who's engaged with the people engaged with the local issues and who will be there to fight, for all these things.

[00:18:41] Bob Gatty: I know, I'm sure that in your district, District 1 in South Carolina, that you've got plenty of Social Security and Medicare recipients. Is that a good assumption? 

[00:18:52] Michael B. Moore: Absolutely. 

[00:18:53] Bob Gatty: Yeah, alright. So what do you think about what the Republicans and Trump keep talking about? Cutting benefits and raising the retirement age and all of that.

[00:19:02] Michael B. Moore: I think as our current president would say, I think that's malarkey. I, no I look, first of all, I disagree with how Republicans talk about entitlements somehow. If a government program for people, it's given this. epithet that it's an entitlement, but we can give corporations all kind of subsidies and the like, and that's perfectly fine.

[00:19:24] Even that aside, Social Security is not an entitlement in any kind. It's an earned benefit. Every American pays into that system from their very first check when they're 14, 15, 16 years old. And I believe it's a promise that, that every paycheck doubles down, doubles and triples down on.

[00:19:44] And so I think we've got to support Social Security. I think we've got to support Medicare. And I've got, a number of ideas about how we can, do that. But absolutely under no circumstances should we consider cutting Social Security. I don't even believe in increasing the, age that you can start drawing.

[00:20:03] I think there's all kinds of things. Congress has been stealing from the social security trust fund for generations. That's why if there's a problem, that's where it comes from. And I think we just need to, solve that challenge in a creative way that allows folks to maintain their benefits.

[00:20:20] And and that will make it healthy, but privatizing it or cutting it, cutting benefits, I totally disagree with it. 

[00:20:29] Bob Gatty: Now you mentioned a little while ago abortion and reproductive rights, but I'd like you to expand on that if you could. 

[00:20:37] Michael B. Moore: Yeah, I think we'd have a different perspective on this if all of a sudden the government were trying to mandate vasectomies for men or something like that.

[00:20:45] I think we think about this a little bit differently about the government. I think 

[00:20:49] Bob Gatty: you're probably right there. 

[00:20:52] Michael B. Moore: So no, I just think I think the government has absolutely no role in getting between a woman and her physician on around her health matters. I am just appalled. I saw the statistic that in those states that outlawed abortion, there were 60, 000 collectively 60, 000 pregnancies that arose from rape or incest or things like that. So 60, 000 women, girls and women, are being forced to take pregnancies to term because their states have outlawed it. I just think it's horrendous. Um, and further, you know, there's been talk that next up is contraception, and, they've already talked about IVF.

[00:21:37] I just, I just think we need to jump back into the 21st century here, and and women need to have, right to make decisions about their body. But I will also tell you this. I go, my support for women goes further than just women's reproductive freedom. I support the Equal Rights Amendment.

[00:21:54] I support pay equity. I support the Violence Against Women Act. There are all kinds of research that says that societies that are healthy and they're doing well, they're thriving in part are Thriving because the women in those societies are well supported and are, protected.

[00:22:10] And I, just today, as a matter of fact, my campaign announced the women came together and launched a Women for Moore group. And I just feel so grateful for their support and an active group of women who are going all around the district and talking about the campaign and gathering other women to join us.

[00:22:30] And so I feel grateful women are going to be a very important part of the election, and I feel grateful to have that group behind me. 

[00:22:38] Bob Gatty: Okay. Let's turn a little bit to the other hot button issue that the Republicans keep blasting Trump and the Democrats over, and that's immigration. What do you, where do you stand on generally on that issue, and what do you think should be done?

[00:22:54] Michael B. Moore: Generally, I don't think the issue is particularly it's not an honest issue. I think that Republicans, the fact that they had an opportunity to pass a bipartisan bill and chose not to, I think reveals their true, motivations and how political this is. Look, I think the other thing I would say is that if we just Start thinking about the problem when someone is at our southern border.

[00:23:20] We've already lost the ballgame. It's a hemispheric problem. We've got to think about hemispheric solutions. We've got to work with our partners, our neighbors to the south. And we've got to try to create situations where there is economic opportunity where there's political stability. These people are coming here and risking their lives and risking their children's lives.

[00:23:43] They're not doing it on vacation. They're doing it because that's in their minds is the best alternative. And so I think if we are serious about this problem, a, we will look at this and look at partnering with governments south of us around these problems. But I also think, we've got to be honest that a lot of these folks are being lured here by businesses seeking to take advantage to exploit their labor without paying them a full wage, without giving them benefits, without, the benefit of appropriate safety standards and the like. And we just got to get honest about this challenge all the way around. The other thing I would say is, Donald Trump in particular, but lots of his Republican minions, always try to talk about the fact there are characterized folks coming from the south of us as criminals, rapists and the like, the facts on this are clear.

[00:24:35] Immigrants who come to this country are less likely, significantly less likely, to commit crimes than people here. And it's just logical about that. If someone's here, Particularly if they are here in an undocumented way, they're not going to do anything to call attention to themselves and to, potentially get themselves booted.

[00:24:52] The other thing is I think the fentanyl issue is a really serious issue. I think it deserves an extraordinary amount of attention, but it gets trivialized when the lie is perpetrated that immigrants are bringing fentanyl over the border. It's not immigrants. It's the Americans. who are going down and getting fentanyl and bringing it over.

[00:25:13] And it's a dubious that the source of that fentanyl is coming from China as well. So I think all around, we just need to get honest about the challenge and we need to, act in, in sober, And in realistic kinds of ways. 

[00:25:26] Bob Gatty: Yeah, how do you feel about the fact that there was a bipartisan bill, which the Democrats were not crazy about, but they supported.

[00:25:34] And it made it partway through Congress, but then Donald Trump, Oh, no, buddy, don't pass that. No. That's a win for Biden. Don't do it. And so the Republicans bailed. And the bill fails and now we're stuck. 

[00:25:47] Michael B. Moore: I think it, it clearly betrays their real motivations that they are really political on this issue.

[00:25:55] Using it as a political football to try to attack Biden. And they're not really serious. And frankly, I think Nancy Mace, we will hold her accountable on this particular issue. 

[00:26:08] Bob Gatty: Now it occurred to me that, you're running for Congress a very red state. And, so it's an uphill battle.

[00:26:17] There's just no, no way to cut, say it any other way. It is an uphill battle. And what they've done with redistricting in your district doesn't help. But, I'm just wondering why it is that you're willing to take on this challenge against these odds and why you think it would be any different for you, compared to those members of Congress who are now leaving because they're just frustrated with the fact that nothing can get accomplished.

[00:26:48] Michael B. Moore: Great question. Look we looked really hard at the district and whether we could win. I, I've got this legacy. I feel a deep calling to do this work, but I wasn't gonna bang my head against the wall if there was no chance in us winning. Donald Trump won the district in the presidential campaign by 52, 53 percent, 52 and some change percent.

[00:27:10] So it's not 60, it's not 70 percent. Beyond that. Joe Cunningham when he lost by, as you mentioned, I think 5, 400 votes, there were 73, 000. Voters of color who just weren't inspired to come to the polls. This last candidate, Dr. Andrews, great candidate. If she had just gotten half of the voters of color, both Latinos and African Americans, she would have won despite the gerrymandering.

[00:27:40] I had an old coach who once told me, to get different results, you got to do things differently. One of the things that we are doing, first of all, I've got an amazing team of people that, head of our team, the person who's in the role of campaign manager, was the executive director of the Georgia Democratic Party when they flipped that state, won those Senate seats.

[00:27:59] Person driving our finance function was the finance director for Jamie Harrison when they raised 130 million in his Senate campaign, then jumped over to Georgia, raised over 100 million for Stacey Abrams. In her race for governor and the person who, you know, getting back to doing things differently on this particular question, we're going to build an amazingly efficient and effective ground game.

[00:28:25] There hasn't really been a ground game down here in a while. And the person who was driving that for us came to us from the Obama campaigns. One of the things that really distinguished Obama's victory was the fact that he had this really, effective ground game and the person who started with him down here in 2008 and then came back and led this state and a number of other know, battleground states , she is leading that effort for us.

[00:28:51] So we're going to get out the vote. We've already got out canvassing and calling folks and, we are going to inspire voters. For us to win, you kn you know,, we've got to get out the African american latino voter, there's, 170, 000 left leaning women in the district who are pissed off about actually about the whole reproductive freedom issue and we're marshaling their efforts.

[00:29:19] Young people. We've already got a a group of We've got a campaign fellows program, like an internship, and we've already got 20 young people and we're just getting started. We're going to have an army of young people out connecting with other young people, talking to them about our campaign, about the issues.

[00:29:35] And look we also think that Nikki Haley beating Donald Trump and the Republican presidential primary proved that. There's probably an even larger universe of moderate Republicans who at least are not going to vote for anything MAGA, and that obviously includes Nancy Mace, and look, we think with my business background, with with all that I've accomplished in in the community, being on the board of a commerce and all those th gonna have a good shot at speaking to them in languages that make sense and attract some of those folks.

[00:30:06] So w We've already raised mone raised money all around the country, 46 states. We've raised money people are starting to get the sense that we're a campaign that can help pick up this seat and help put a democrat in the Speaker's chair, and we're going for it. 

[00:30:25] Bob Gatty: Okay, great. All right. So have you got anything else you'd like to add? 

[00:30:30] Michael B. Moore: No, just, we are, we're working hard for folks who might be interested.

[00:30:34] Our website is just my name, MichaelBMoore. com. Okay. We'd love to get people to donate to volunteer. There's lots of opportunities for folks to get involved. And I'm grateful for the opportunity to visit with your your viewers and love to come back sometime. 

[00:30:51] Bob Gatty: All right. Thank you very much. And we we wish you well.

[00:30:55] And you know what, if you make it through, we'll have you on and at that time, it'll be bigger stakes. 

[00:31:03] Michael B. Moore: Sounds great. Look forward to it. 

[00:31:04] Bob Gatty: All right. Thanks so much, Michael. I really appreciate it. Enjoyed talking to you.