--:-- [Theme music fades out]
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome to Up First, I'm Steve Inskeep.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me on the show.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Today, we're talking to the governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear. He's a Democrat who's been winning in a state that's traditionally Republican. Governor Beshear, thanks for joining us.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: The federal government has just shut down, and you're one of the governors who's being affected by it. How is this state being affected?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, the state's going to be affected in a number of ways. But the first way it's affected is our families that work for the federal government aren't going to work today for the most part. There's a federal building just a couple doors down from where we are. Unless they're in certain areas. And so that's going to be a hardship for those families.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: While typically a deal is eventually reached and they receive that back pay, they're still going to struggle in the days and possibly the weeks that it takes for Congress to come together and agree on a plan. But what's happening right now is the Democrats are trying to prevent health care costs from increasing for millions of Americans.
--:-- Andy Beshear: If we don't see an extension of the ACA tax credits, it's not just those that get their health insurance from the ACA. It's also all other insurers that are likely to raise their rates significantly. So at a time when Americans are struggling with the cost of everything, I believe Democrats in Washington, D.C. are trying to provide a little bit of relief.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then what we're seeing on the other side is the president making threats, almost negotiating through blackmail, saying, if you don't agree to exactly what I want, I'm going to fire a whole bunch of people and cause a lot of pain.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Do you think he's right? He's going to fire a bunch of people? Well, if he fires a bunch of people, it's not because Democrats wouldn't reach a deal. It's because the president decides and actually fires people. People aren't a negotiating tool. They are not a prop. And that's how he's treating these families.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Could Democrats not have done what they have urged Republicans to do in the past, which is simply pass a short-term bill and negotiate for a few more weeks?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, it's a really challenging situation because you don't want any of those families that are impacted. You don't want the services that are impacted. You don't want the economy to be impacted in the way that it is. But it appears that right now, the president nor congressional Republicans will negotiate at all. And that means if Democrats don't take a stand, your health care costs go up for most Americans.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How many Kentuckians are on those Obamacare subsidies that are at issue here?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, a significant number, and it would really be compounded by the big, ugly bill, which looks like it's going to kick about 200,000 Kentuckians off their health care coverage. And so you then add this on top of it, plus the increase in all other premiums and what it's going to do.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: You look at the Affordable Care Act and the expansion of Medicaid, and we went from one of the highest uninsured rates to one of the lowest in the country. It's helping our people become healthier. It's helping us climb the list in economic development and bring in great new jobs for our people.
--:-- Andy Beshear: But the idea that the president's legislation, because it was his, is going to close up to 35 rural hospitals, is going to impact those local economies and require you to drive two and a half hours just to see a doctor, is definitely moving backwards. And this refusal to re-up that help for those covered under the ACA is just compounding an already devastating cut that's coming.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies. But it's part of this also that your party felt that they needed to do something to show resistance to this president because they object to so very much of his agenda and his style of governing.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think that, at least for me, the reason to stand up and push back right now has to be one that directly impacts American families. To go through a government shutdown, which is a serious thing, needs to be, if it's going to occur, and it is, based on something incredibly important to our families, and certainly the cost of your health care is that important.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Speaking as someone who represents a state that voted for Trump, how do you think about that rhetoric?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Oh, it's incredibly concerning. It is not presidential, and I think it's un-American. You know, America loves our military, our armed services. We are home of the free because of the brave. And one of the reasons that we have such confidence in our military is that it is professional and not political.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How do you think it plays here in Kentucky where so many people voted for him?
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think people are very uncomfortable with it. They didn't vote for this type of governance. Yes, they were worried that the American dream was slipping away. They were willing to take a chance with someone that they thought would do things very differently. But they didn't vote to make their lives harder. They didn't vote to make us more cruel. They were hoping that this would be a president that could help them pay bills at the end of the month.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In a moment, we'll confront Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear with a question that voters here wanted to ask him.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome back to Up First. We're talking to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to tell you, Governor, I prepared for this interview by talking with Kentuckians. I called my former college roommate from Moorhead State University, for example. And we also drove to Bardstown, which is a tourist town, lots of bourbon, lots of distilleries. And it's in a county, as you probably know, that voted for Trump and also in a different year voted for you.
--:-- Andy Beshear: And I asked people, what do you want to ask the governor? And the most common question was, is he running for president?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'll give you the same answer that I give every time that I'm asked. Right now, my job is to speak reason into some of the chaos that we're seeing in this country, to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice, because the American people want a party, any party, that will focus on their everyday needs.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Next year, I've committed to be the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and we're going to win a lot of races across this country because Democratic governors govern well. Here in Kentucky, we've broken every record for private sector investment, jobs, wages, exports, tourism, and you see that out of a lot of Democratic governors.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then after that, I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. What's most important to me is that the next president be someone that can heal this country, that can bring people back together because we can't have this us versus them.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think about that pledge of allegiance where we pledge to keep our country indivisible, yet we have a president that tries to divide us over every single issue. If I think that's, I'm a candidate that can do that, I'll have a long conversation with my family. But if it's somebody else, I can support them.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Because at the end of the day, I care more about this country and the future of this country, about not leaving a broken country to my kids than I do about any title.
--:-- Andy Beshear: How do you think about that personally as to whether you would make that effort? Do you have to believe you would win, for example? Like what's on your mind?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's at least a couple years off when I'm looking at what my job is now, to be the best governor of Kentucky that I can be, and then to hopefully be a national voice that gets the Democratic Party, but I hope Republicans and independents too, focused on the things that matter most to people, their job, their next doctor's appointment, the roads and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their communities.
--:-- Andy Beshear: These things that shouldn't be bipartisan, they should be nonpartisan and that we can get results. And then a strong commitment next year to the Democratic Governors Association.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What is the case for a Democratic nominee who's the governor of a red state?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I'd say if you look at Kentucky, the temperature is turned down. People are willing to vote for people of both parties like you talked about. We don't see neighbors yelling at neighbors, and we are all excited about the success that we've had because we believe we've done it together.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And we've been top five in economic development per capita every year that I've been governor. We've seen jobs come to a lot of places that haven't had jobs in far too long. We built a first hospital in our largest African-American community in 150 years.
--:-- Andy Beshear: We see success here. And that's a recognition that success isn't red or blue, Democrat or Republican, left or right. A good job is just good for a family.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: When you talked about jobs, I was immediately thinking of an event earlier this year. Tim Cook of Apple showed up at the White House, showed the president some glass, and he said this is the screen for an iPhone, and we're going to be making a lot more of these in the United States, specifically at a plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
--:-- Andy Beshear: With that in mind, would you say that President Trump has done anything good for Kentucky?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I think any president, any president that I have served with, I've always made the commitment to where if I disagree, I'm going to speak up. But if I agree, I'm going to say that too. For instance, in our February flooding, President Trump's FEMA response was really good. The folks on the ground were good to our people. It was one of the best flood responses that I've seen, and the president deserves credit for that.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies. But it's part of this also that your party felt that they needed to do something to show resistance to this president because they object to so very much of his agenda and his style of governing.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think that, at least for me, the reason to stand up and push back right now has to be one that directly impacts American families. To go through a government shutdown, which is a serious thing, needs to be, if it's going to occur, and it is, based on something incredibly important to our families, and certainly the cost of your health care is that important.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Speaking as someone who represents a state that voted for Trump, how do you think about that rhetoric?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Oh, it's incredibly concerning. It is not presidential, and I think it's un-American. You know, America loves our military, our armed services. We are home of the free because of the brave. And one of the reasons that we have such confidence in our military is that it is professional and not political.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How do you think it plays here in Kentucky where so many people voted for him?
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think people are very uncomfortable with it. They didn't vote for this type of governance. Yes, they were worried that the American dream was slipping away. They were willing to take a chance with someone that they thought would do things very differently. But they didn't vote to make their lives harder. They didn't vote to make us more cruel. They were hoping that this would be a president that could help them pay bills at the end of the month.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In a moment, we'll confront Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear with a question that voters here wanted to ask him.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome back to Up First. We're talking to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to tell you, Governor, I prepared for this interview by talking with Kentuckians. I called my former college roommate from Moorhead State University, for example. And we also drove to Bardstown, which is a tourist town, lots of bourbon, lots of distilleries. And it's in a county, as you probably know, that voted for Trump and also in a different year voted for you.
--:-- Andy Beshear: And I asked people, what do you want to ask the governor? And the most common question was, is he running for president?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'll give you the same answer that I give every time that I'm asked. Right now, my job is to speak reason into some of the chaos that we're seeing in this country, to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice, because the American people want a party, any party, that will focus on their everyday needs.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Next year, I've committed to be the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and we're going to win a lot of races across this country because Democratic governors govern well. Here in Kentucky, we've broken every record for private sector investment, jobs, wages, exports, tourism, and you see that out of a lot of Democratic governors.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then after that, I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. What's most important to me is that the next president be someone that can heal this country, that can bring people back together because we can't have this us versus them.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think about that pledge of allegiance where we pledge to keep our country indivisible, yet we have a president that tries to divide us over every single issue. If I think that's, I'm a candidate that can do that, I'll have a long conversation with my family. But if it's somebody else, I can support them.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Because at the end of the day, I care more about this country and the future of this country, about not leaving a broken country to my kids than I do about any title.
--:-- Andy Beshear: How do you think about that personally as to whether you would make that effort? Do you have to believe you would win, for example? Like what's on your mind?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's at least a couple years off when I'm looking at what my job is now, to be the best governor of Kentucky that I can be, and then to hopefully be a national voice that gets the Democratic Party, but I hope Republicans and independents too, focused on the things that matter most to people, their job, their next doctor's appointment, the roads and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their communities.
--:-- Andy Beshear: These things that shouldn't be bipartisan, they should be nonpartisan and that we can get results. And then a strong commitment next year to the Democratic Governors Association.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What is the case for a Democratic nominee who's the governor of a red state?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I'd say if you look at Kentucky, the temperature is turned down. People are willing to vote for people of both parties like you talked about. We don't see neighbors yelling at neighbors, and we are all excited about the success that we've had because we believe we've done it together.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And we've been top five in economic development per capita every year that I've been governor. We've seen jobs come to a lot of places that haven't had jobs in far too long. We built a first hospital in our largest African-American community in 150 years.
--:-- Andy Beshear: We see success here. And that's a recognition that success isn't red or blue, Democrat or Republican, left or right. A good job is just good for a family.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: When you talked about jobs, I was immediately thinking of an event earlier this year. Tim Cook of Apple showed up at the White House, showed the president some glass, and he said this is the screen for an iPhone, and we're going to be making a lot more of these in the United States, specifically at a plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
--:-- Andy Beshear: With that in mind, would you say that President Trump has done anything good for Kentucky?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I think any president, any president that I have served with, I've always made the commitment to where if I disagree, I'm going to speak up. But if I agree, I'm going to say that too. For instance, in our February flooding, President Trump's FEMA response was really good. The folks on the ground were good to our people. It was one of the best flood responses that I've seen, and the president deserves credit for that.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies. But it's part of this also that your party felt that they needed to do something to show resistance to this president because they object to so very much of his agenda and his style of governing.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think that, at least for me, the reason to stand up and push back right now has to be one that directly impacts American families. To go through a government shutdown, which is a serious thing, needs to be, if it's going to occur, and it is, based on something incredibly important to our families, and certainly the cost of your health care is that important.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Speaking as someone who represents a state that voted for Trump, how do you think about that rhetoric?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Oh, it's incredibly concerning. It is not presidential, and I think it's un-American. You know, America loves our military, our armed services. We are home of the free because of the brave. And one of the reasons that we have such confidence in our military is that it is professional and not political.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How do you think it plays here in Kentucky where so many people voted for him?
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think people are very uncomfortable with it. They didn't vote for this type of governance. Yes, they were worried that the American dream was slipping away. They were willing to take a chance with someone that they thought would do things very differently. But they didn't vote to make their lives harder. They didn't vote to make us more cruel. They were hoping that this would be a president that could help them pay bills at the end of the month.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In a moment, we'll confront Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear with a question that voters here wanted to ask him.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome back to Up First. We're talking to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to tell you, Governor, I prepared for this interview by talking with Kentuckians. I called my former college roommate from Moorhead State University, for example. And we also drove to Bardstown, which is a tourist town, lots of bourbon, lots of distilleries. And it's in a county, as you probably know, that voted for Trump and also in a different year voted for you.
--:-- Andy Beshear: And I asked people, what do you want to ask the governor? And the most common question was, is he running for president?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'll give you the same answer that I give every time that I'm asked. Right now, my job is to speak reason into some of the chaos that we're seeing in this country, to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice, because the American people want a party, any party, that will focus on their everyday needs.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Next year, I've committed to be the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and we're going to win a lot of races across this country because Democratic governors govern well. Here in Kentucky, we've broken every record for private sector investment, jobs, wages, exports, tourism, and you see that out of a lot of Democratic governors.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then after that, I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. What's most important to me is that the next president be someone that can heal this country, that can bring people back together because we can't have this us versus them.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think about that pledge of allegiance where we pledge to keep our country indivisible, yet we have a president that tries to divide us over every single issue. If I think that's, I'm a candidate that can do that, I'll have a long conversation with my family. But if it's somebody else, I can support them.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Because at the end of the day, I care more about this country and the future of this country, about not leaving a broken country to my kids than I do about any title.
--:-- Andy Beshear: How do you think about that personally as to whether you would make that effort? Do you have to believe you would win, for example? Like what's on your mind?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's at least a couple years off when I'm looking at what my job is now, to be the best governor of Kentucky that I can be, and then to hopefully be a national voice that gets the Democratic Party, but I hope Republicans and independents too, focused on the things that matter most to people, their job, their next doctor's appointment, the roads and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their communities.
--:-- Andy Beshear: These things that shouldn't be bipartisan, they should be nonpartisan and that we can get results. And then a strong commitment next year to the Democratic Governors Association.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What is the case for a Democratic nominee who's the governor of a red state?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I'd say if you look at Kentucky, the temperature is turned down. People are willing to vote for people of both parties like you talked about. We don't see neighbors yelling at neighbors, and we are all excited about the success that we've had because we believe we've done it together.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And we've been top five in economic development per capita every year that I've been governor. We've seen jobs come to a lot of places that haven't had jobs in far too long. We built a first hospital in our largest African-American community in 150 years.
--:-- Andy Beshear: We see success here. And that's a recognition that success isn't red or blue, Democrat or Republican, left or right. A good job is just good for a family.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: When you talked about jobs, I was immediately thinking of an event earlier this year. Tim Cook of Apple showed up at the White House, showed the president some glass, and he said this is the screen for an iPhone, and we're going to be making a lot more of these in the United States, specifically at a plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
--:-- Andy Beshear: With that in mind, would you say that President Trump has done anything good for Kentucky?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I think any president, any president that I have served with, I've always made the commitment to where if I disagree, I'm going to speak up. But if I agree, I'm going to say that too. For instance, in our February flooding, President Trump's FEMA response was really good. The folks on the ground were good to our people. It was one of the best flood responses that I've seen, and the president deserves credit for that.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies. But it's part of this also that your party felt that they needed to do something to show resistance to this president because they object to so very much of his agenda and his style of governing.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think that, at least for me, the reason to stand up and push back right now has to be one that directly impacts American families. To go through a government shutdown, which is a serious thing, needs to be, if it's going to occur, and it is, based on something incredibly important to our families, and certainly the cost of your health care is that important.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Speaking as someone who represents a state that voted for Trump, how do you think about that rhetoric?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Oh, it's incredibly concerning. It is not presidential, and I think it's un-American. You know, America loves our military, our armed services. We are home of the free because of the brave. And one of the reasons that we have such confidence in our military is that it is professional and not political.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How do you think it plays here in Kentucky where so many people voted for him?
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think people are very uncomfortable with it. They didn't vote for this type of governance. Yes, they were worried that the American dream was slipping away. They were willing to take a chance with someone that they thought would do things very differently. But they didn't vote to make their lives harder. They didn't vote to make us more cruel. They were hoping that this would be a president that could help them pay bills at the end of the month.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In a moment, we'll confront Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear with a question that voters here wanted to ask him.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome back to Up First. We're talking to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to tell you, Governor, I prepared for this interview by talking with Kentuckians. I called my former college roommate from Moorhead State University, for example. And we also drove to Bardstown, which is a tourist town, lots of bourbon, lots of distilleries. And it's in a county, as you probably know, that voted for Trump and also in a different year voted for you.
--:-- Andy Beshear: And I asked people, what do you want to ask the governor? And the most common question was, is he running for president?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'll give you the same answer that I give every time that I'm asked. Right now, my job is to speak reason into some of the chaos that we're seeing in this country, to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice, because the American people want a party, any party, that will focus on their everyday needs.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Next year, I've committed to be the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and we're going to win a lot of races across this country because Democratic governors govern well. Here in Kentucky, we've broken every record for private sector investment, jobs, wages, exports, tourism, and you see that out of a lot of Democratic governors.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then after that, I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. What's most important to me is that the next president be someone that can heal this country, that can bring people back together because we can't have this us versus them.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think about that pledge of allegiance where we pledge to keep our country indivisible, yet we have a president that tries to divide us over every single issue. If I think that's, I'm a candidate that can do that, I'll have a long conversation with my family. But if it's somebody else, I can support them.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Because at the end of the day, I care more about this country and the future of this country, about not leaving a broken country to my kids than I do about any title.
--:-- Andy Beshear: How do you think about that personally as to whether you would make that effort? Do you have to believe you would win, for example? Like what's on your mind?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's at least a couple years off when I'm looking at what my job is now, to be the best governor of Kentucky that I can be, and then to hopefully be a national voice that gets the Democratic Party, but I hope Republicans and independents too, focused on the things that matter most to people, their job, their next doctor's appointment, the roads and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their communities.
--:-- Andy Beshear: These things that shouldn't be bipartisan, they should be nonpartisan and that we can get results. And then a strong commitment next year to the Democratic Governors Association.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What is the case for a Democratic nominee who's the governor of a red state?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I'd say if you look at Kentucky, the temperature is turned down. People are willing to vote for people of both parties like you talked about. We don't see neighbors yelling at neighbors, and we are all excited about the success that we've had because we believe we've done it together.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And we've been top five in economic development per capita every year that I've been governor. We've seen jobs come to a lot of places that haven't had jobs in far too long. We built a first hospital in our largest African-American community in 150 years.
--:-- Andy Beshear: We see success here. And that's a recognition that success isn't red or blue, Democrat or Republican, left or right. A good job is just good for a family.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: When you talked about jobs, I was immediately thinking of an event earlier this year. Tim Cook of Apple showed up at the White House, showed the president some glass, and he said this is the screen for an iPhone, and we're going to be making a lot more of these in the United States, specifically at a plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
--:-- Andy Beshear: With that in mind, would you say that President Trump has done anything good for Kentucky?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I think any president, any president that I have served with, I've always made the commitment to where if I disagree, I'm going to speak up. But if I agree, I'm going to say that too. For instance, in our February flooding, President Trump's FEMA response was really good. The folks on the ground were good to our people. It was one of the best flood responses that I've seen, and the president deserves credit for that.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies. But it's part of this also that your party felt that they needed to do something to show resistance to this president because they object to so very much of his agenda and his style of governing.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think that, at least for me, the reason to stand up and push back right now has to be one that directly impacts American families. To go through a government shutdown, which is a serious thing, needs to be, if it's going to occur, and it is, based on something incredibly important to our families, and certainly the cost of your health care is that important.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Speaking as someone who represents a state that voted for Trump, how do you think about that rhetoric?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Oh, it's incredibly concerning. It is not presidential, and I think it's un-American. You know, America loves our military, our armed services. We are home of the free because of the brave. And one of the reasons that we have such confidence in our military is that it is professional and not political.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: How do you think it plays here in Kentucky where so many people voted for him?
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think people are very uncomfortable with it. They didn't vote for this type of governance. Yes, they were worried that the American dream was slipping away. They were willing to take a chance with someone that they thought would do things very differently. But they didn't vote to make their lives harder. They didn't vote to make us more cruel. They were hoping that this would be a president that could help them pay bills at the end of the month.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: In a moment, we'll confront Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear with a question that voters here wanted to ask him.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Welcome back to Up First. We're talking to Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Thanks for having me.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to tell you, Governor, I prepared for this interview by talking with Kentuckians. I called my former college roommate from Moorhead State University, for example. And we also drove to Bardstown, which is a tourist town, lots of bourbon, lots of distilleries. And it's in a county, as you probably know, that voted for Trump and also in a different year voted for you.
--:-- Andy Beshear: And I asked people, what do you want to ask the governor? And the most common question was, is he running for president?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I'll give you the same answer that I give every time that I'm asked. Right now, my job is to speak reason into some of the chaos that we're seeing in this country, to be a common sense, common ground, get things done type of voice, because the American people want a party, any party, that will focus on their everyday needs.
--:-- Andy Beshear: Next year, I've committed to be the head of the Democratic Governors Association, and we're going to win a lot of races across this country because Democratic governors govern well. Here in Kentucky, we've broken every record for private sector investment, jobs, wages, exports, tourism, and you see that out of a lot of Democratic governors.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And then after that, I'll sit down with my family and we'll see. What's most important to me is that the next president be someone that can heal this country, that can bring people back together because we can't have this us versus them.
--:-- Andy Beshear: I think about that pledge of allegiance where we pledge to keep our country indivisible, yet we have a president that tries to divide us over every single issue. If I think that's, I'm a candidate that can do that, I'll have a long conversation with my family. But if it's somebody else, I can support them.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: Because at the end of the day, I care more about this country and the future of this country, about not leaving a broken country to my kids than I do about any title.
--:-- Andy Beshear: How do you think about that personally as to whether you would make that effort? Do you have to believe you would win, for example? Like what's on your mind?
--:-- Steve Inskeep: It's at least a couple years off when I'm looking at what my job is now, to be the best governor of Kentucky that I can be, and then to hopefully be a national voice that gets the Democratic Party, but I hope Republicans and independents too, focused on the things that matter most to people, their job, their next doctor's appointment, the roads and bridges they drive, the school they drop their kids off at, and whether they feel safe in their communities.
--:-- Andy Beshear: These things that shouldn't be bipartisan, they should be nonpartisan and that we can get results. And then a strong commitment next year to the Democratic Governors Association.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: What is the case for a Democratic nominee who's the governor of a red state?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I'd say if you look at Kentucky, the temperature is turned down. People are willing to vote for people of both parties like you talked about. We don't see neighbors yelling at neighbors, and we are all excited about the success that we've had because we believe we've done it together.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: And we've been top five in economic development per capita every year that I've been governor. We've seen jobs come to a lot of places that haven't had jobs in far too long. We built a first hospital in our largest African-American community in 150 years.
--:-- Andy Beshear: We see success here. And that's a recognition that success isn't red or blue, Democrat or Republican, left or right. A good job is just good for a family.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: When you talked about jobs, I was immediately thinking of an event earlier this year. Tim Cook of Apple showed up at the White House, showed the president some glass, and he said this is the screen for an iPhone, and we're going to be making a lot more of these in the United States, specifically at a plant in Harrodsburg, Kentucky.
--:-- Andy Beshear: With that in mind, would you say that President Trump has done anything good for Kentucky?
--:-- Andy Beshear: Well, I think any president, any president that I have served with, I've always made the commitment to where if I disagree, I'm going to speak up. But if I agree, I'm going to say that too. For instance, in our February flooding, President Trump's FEMA response was really good. The folks on the ground were good to our people. It was one of the best flood responses that I've seen, and the president deserves credit for that.
--:-- Steve Inskeep: I want to be totally real here. I realize there's an issue that Democrats have raised having to do with Obamacare subsidies.
