Democratic presidential candidates can't resist a public transit photo-op

Democrats with White House dreams want to be seen being green.

Several Democratic presidential candidates who came to New York to participate in CNN's climate change-focused town hall event on Wednesday traveled via mass transit, and made sure they got the photos to prove it.

Former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke took a Bolt bus on his way out of New York City to Boston, and his spokesperson even told The Washington Post that it was specifically to lower his carbon footprint. Since air travel "takes nearly every bit of time as the four-hour Bolt ride" once you factor in security lines and additional travel time, the staffer said, "why not choose the lower carbon option?"

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After Former Housing Secretary Julián Castro told CNN he'd "hold corporate polluters accountable," he headed underground to ride the subway and catch some tennis. While he didn't specifically note that his followers should admire his commitment to the environment with his transit choice, the tweet was conspicuously sandwiched between two clips of his CNN appearance addressing carbon pollution fees.

The team behind South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg's official Twitter feed was a little more heavy-handed, acting as if Buttigieg had been "SPOTTED:" by surprise while taking the train to CNN's town hall.

Pandering or not, even New York's subway was swooning for the Public Displays of Environmentalism. Summer Meza