Hickenlooper Backtracks, Now Says: ‘I’m Happy to Say I’m a Capitalist’

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well I- I want to offer you the chance to clear something up here because you did an interview earlier in the week where you were asked three times if you would call yourself a proud capitalist and you wouldn’t directly answer the question. It led Howard Schultz, who’s possibly a candidate to say, “If even a successful businessman and entrepreneur like Governor Hickenlooper can’t openly support capitalism the Democratic primary, it’s clear this is Senator Sanders’ party now.” Why are you uncomfortable calling yourself a proud capitalist?

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: I’ve been— the point I was making is that we defined people by these labels that- that often have all kinds of associations and baggage with them in that sense. Do I believe in small business? Of course I believe in small business. I started probably more than 20 different small businesses. I’d have— in one year I’d have over a million customers. I understand that. But what’s happening— I think it’s kind of a silly question. We should be looking at some of the reasons be- behind why we have less and less start ups.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure.

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: We should look at of the reasons why, you know, more and more people aren’t wanting to start a business.

MARGARET BRENNAN: Sure. But you understand that—

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: But—

MARGARET BRENNAN: —it is a main Republican talking point to label Democrats right now as anti-business socialists.

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: Right? But that’s ridiculous, obviously there are—

MARGARET BRENNAN:  So you would reject that.

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: —the Democratic party is a big tent.

MARGARET BRENNAN: You reject that label.

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: Yes. Absolutely. I think that’s not accurate. And I think that, as your interview with Elizabeth Warren showed, there are all kinds of- of- of different people making up the Democratic Party. Do I believe in- in free markets? Do I believe that, you know, you put capital to work to- to create jobs and- and improve your community? You know back when I was a kid, businesses understood the part of their job wasn’t just to make as much profit as they could but it was to create the community. Once you get back into these labels, am I a capitalist? Am I a socialist? How much of how much of a capitalist I am I versus how much of a socialist? That becomes kind of silly doesn’t it?

MARGARET BRENNAN: Well—

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: I mean,

MARGARET BRENNAN: If-

GOV. HICKENLOOPER: In a funny way—

MARGARET BRENNAN: The other candidates were comfortable answering the question so I wanted to offer you a chance to- to answer it.  understand you’re not comfortable directly answering

GOV.. HICKENLOOPER: I-I—