“So what’s most important to you as you’re thinking about who to vote for—who do you care about most,” Psaki asked Rivera after her conversation with Young concluded.
Rivera revealed that her biggest concern was with jobs and the economy.
“As a mother of four children, the jobs, they say that all these jobs are out there, but they don’t want to pay enough for you to actually live off of the jobs—so you know, I’d like there to be, you know more jobs available with the flexibility to be able to actually work and take care of your family,” Rivera said.
“I’m sure it’s not the answer you wanted but,” Rivera said as the conversation drew to a close.
The conversation started with the Planned Parenthood representative plugging Democrats John Fetterman and Josh Shapiro, saying that they will protect “women’s health care and access to abortions.” But when asked what she actually cares about, the woman responded by talking about jobs and the cost of living, noting to Psaki that “I’m sure it’s not the answer you wanted.”
The former Biden official did her best to spin the commentary she received in an article she wrote post-trip, but I’m not so sure she did a good job.
In a post-trip write up by Psaki, the MSNBC host noted that Rivera was not alone in her position, recalling that the economy and health care were topics that frequently came up in conversations she had with potential voters.
“It’s not surprising that abortion rights were only one of many priorities for the people who answered the door in Braddock last week, and not necessarily the most important one,” Psaki wrote. “But worries about child care and health care and economic opportunity can all be tied to abortion rights and how a woman’s right to choose can affect her life, as well as the lives of her children and her partner.”
I love that last line which basically boils down to “yeah, you may care more about the economy, but did you know that if you kill your kids, you might save some money?” It’s just such a grotesque way to think, treating children as disposable and worthless. Of course, it’s no surprise Psaki thinks that way given her history.