Rufus Gifford (left) chatted with Bill Macek on WHAV’s Open Mic Show ahead of the 3rd district congressional primary election. (Chris Porter photograph for WHAV News)
With three weeks until the 3rd district congressional primary to determine the democratic candidate to challenge Rick Green, Rufus Gifford sat down with WHAV’s Bill Macek to outline his platform on the Open Mic Show.
In the Aug. 6 segment, Concord-based Gifford, a former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark and senior aide to Barack Obama, told Macek he has big plans should he head back to Washington, D.C. to represent the 3rd district.
“Not only do you appreciate the United States all the more when you live overseas—understanding how other countries truly rely on American leadership—but you understand what we can do better,” Gifford said. “(I have) that perspective and national and international service in leadership and politics that I bring (to the race) that I feel like no one else has.”
Also during the segment, Gifford told Macek how he’d effort to make immigration and opioid issues bipartisan.
Mary Ellen Daly O’Brien
“If we are going to try to achieve some of these big, bold ideas I have, I think it’s ‘FDR time’ in the United States,” he said, referring to the 32nd president who shepherded the country through the Great Depression. “We’re going to have these tough conversations and we have to figure out how much Americans are willing to do. I think they’re willing to do more than they’re doing right now.”
During the second hour of the program, Haverhill City Councilor Mary Ellen Daly O’Brien chatted with Macek about the state of the city as Haverhill comes to terms with a newly enacted plastic bag ban and considers retail marijuana zoning.
The Open Mic Show is heard live, every Monday night, from 6 to 8 p.m., on 97.9 WHAV FM. Video of the program is also available at WHAV.TV, WHAV’s Facebook page and HC Media Channel 22.