Gov. Wes Moore Takes On 20 Non-Voters In Jubilee’s “Surrounded” — Did He Change Their Minds?

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — This July, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore sat down with 20 non-voters on Jubilee’s “Surrounded” to debate their fiercest concerns about elections and the power of politics. The debate centered around whether voting matters in America and how who you cast your vote for can have lasting impacts on policy throughout the country. Below, we’ve highlighted a few of the most interesting points made during each section of the 81-minute video, so let’s dive into the debate!

Nothing Shapes Policy More Effectively Than Your Vote

“Do Americans still believe their vote has power, or do some view that not voting is a form of protest?” asked John Regalado at the beginning of Jubilee’s “Surrounded.”

The first challenge posed to Gov. Moore was one of the most important, as his answer set the stage for the rest of the debate.

“I kind of want to hear more first why you think nothing shapes policy more than your vote,” said Naseem.

“Because I’ve seen it firsthand,” Moore responded. “I have seen how everything is a policy decision in our lives. The water we drink is a policy decision. The air we are breathing, that is a policy decision. The neighborhoods that are policed, and how they’re policed.”

Moore’s debate partner then asserted that there are alternative ways to help shape policy, to which the governor responded that it’s “a very fair point,” but he also explained that major policy changes, like the Civil Rights Act, only come about when you have the right elected officials in office and when those politicians are concerned enough to listen to the voice of the voters.

Bad Politics Thrive When You Don’t Participate

During the debate, a non-voter named Carlheb asserted that he doesn’t “want to disregard” everything that Gov. Moore has done for Maryland, but that the system is often “too wicked” to actually repair it.

Moore and the guest go on to discuss how politicians and billionaires may leverage their power to make a profit through the American political system, rendering the average voter obsolete since the money often “does not flow to their pockets.”

Gov. Moore honors the guest’s energy and goes on to agree with many of Carlheb’s opinions, even pointing out a few examples of the aforementioned political corruption that he has perceived over the last decade, such as insider trading.

At the end of the conversation, Gov. Moore challenges his debate partner by asking, “Would it be better to disengage?” Moore’s final question further highlights his stance that voting is essential for any meaningful change to come about.

Not Voting Doesn’t Protest Corruption — It Protects It

One of the most interesting discussions during the debate came from a non-voter named C, who highlighted injustices in the foster care system after experiencing it firsthand. C asserted that participation can come in many forms by pointing to a piece of foster youth legislation called AB12 that they helped pass, offering financial aid to former foster children.

“I focus on local impact. I’m really big on former foster youth and foster care, so I work with not only former foster youth but current foster youth. So my thing is, it’s not Democrat, it’s not Republican — it is humanitarian, and I choose to put my energy toward local impact,” C explained.

Gov. Moore doesn’t disregard C’s perspective, but he does point out that it was ultimately legislators in the state of California who passed AB12.

“Policy, that’s my only point. The fact that we do need advocacy. We do need humanitarian work. We do need you and everybody else doing what they are doing on the ground to make people’s lives better.

“But here’s the thing: if we do not fix the systems that are in place that are intentionally hurting people and that are keeping people in places of pain, then all of the humanitarian work that we are doing individually, we will just simply find ourselves cleaning up the debris that comes from broken policies.”

Gov. Moore acknowledged C’s desire to help in alternative ways but stayed true to his belief that voting is essential for creating lasting change and that voting goes hand in hand with humanitarian work. Moore also explained that it’s not just the federal election that matters, but often, more importantly, elections at the state and local levels.

Moore believes that not voting will only open the door for political corruption, which won’t help vulnerable groups, such as foster children, who truly need the extra support and representation.

The Current Political Framework Isn’t Working For People

During the final round of the debate, Gov. Moore is given the opportunity to choose one non-voter to speak with for his final conversation. He picks a woman named Pree who immigrated to America from the United Kingdom, whom he spoke to earlier in the video, offering her the chance to continue their earlier debate.

The non-voter addressed a few topics where she believes both parties are doing the wrong thing. She noted her interpretation that Republicans are too harsh on immigration, while Democrats are too lenient. She then explained why she doesn’t feel the urge to vote in America.

“I can’t vote because I think that the voting system, or the way that it’s built, is just cruel and controlling and coercive toward people. Normal, everyday people who should be so proud to be American,” said Pree.

Moore responded with a statement about why engaging is so important, wrapping up all of his key points into a few sentences.

“Our ability to engage and our ability to make sure that we actually have people to reflect those values; I think that is actually going to help to be the bomb that we need to actually be able to heal.

“It will not get better because we close our eyes and hope it does,” said Gov. Moore, conveying that engaging with the political system, instead of disengaging, is the best way forward toward enacting positive change.

At the very end, three non-voters are asked whether Gov. Moore has convinced them to vote. Two said no, while one said yes, indicating that Moore did change at least a few minds during the debate.

To watch the entire video below.

---