'He's a rock star': One of the DNC chair runners up emerges as a national figure

[applegrove]

by Maxwell Tini at Business Insider

http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-pete-buttigieg-dnc-chair-2017-2

"SNIP..........


"Mind. Blown. Mind. Blown. You ask any of the DNC members here, and he was their second choice. I don't care if you voted for Perez first, Ellison first — Buttigieg was their No. 2," the North Carolina DNC member said here at the committee's winter meeting in Atlanta.

Buttigieg ultimately failed to secure the DNC chairmanship: Lacking the votes to secure the role, the 36-year-old mayor dropped out of the race Saturday before anyone got the chance to vote for him, and former labor secretary Tom Perez secured the role in a tight race with Rep. Keith Ellison.

Yet Democrats here were quick to heap praise on the mayor, pointing to a stacked and diverse background and resume: He is a gay, Harvard-educated Rhodes Scholar, a Navy veteran, and an accomplished pianist.

But particularly, many Democrats noted his ability to transcend the rift between the establishment and the ascendant progressive wing of the party.


...............SNIP"

[femmocrat]

1. Looking forward to seeing more of him!

He seems to have made an impression on the movers and shakers! I think Dean and O'Malley both endorsed him.

[nycbos]

2. He got in the race too late.

I never heard of him before he got in but it seems he has a bright future

[bravenak]

3. I want him to stay where I can see him, I like him so much

[tblue37]

4. Good. We NEED charismatic younger politicians to enter the pipeline and to develop

a national profile in order to be ready to seek national office.

[Wounded Bear]

5. Lot of positives for Mayor Pete...

Perhaps he can help turn Indiana blue.

[Chellee]

9. You wide-eyed optimist, you.

[Wounded Bear]

10. Hey, as my favorite QB likes to say: Why not us?

In some ways, I'd rather Mayor Pete polish his resume in political office, and not spend too much time working in what is basically a background job.

Looks like whatever he sets out to do, he'd be a force. With the Repubs working overtime trashing their brand, we need some fresh new blood moving up the ranks.

[Chellee]

13. Agreed.

[George II]

6. He'll be a big voice in the Democratic Party for many years.

[MadDAsHell]

7. "He is a gay"

Wow. Navy veteran. Rhodes scholar. Accomplished pianist.

But your very first descriptor is his sexual orientation.

THIS shit is why we'll never have true equality.

No matter what people accomplish, we still want to put them in boxes. "First Latino to..." "First gay to..."

How insulting.

[stevenleser]

11. Pretty sure that is all excerpt from the article, not sure why you are attacking the OP.

For many of us, different slices of diversity are a plus, LGBT among them. I would be pretty excited to vote for the first LGBT President.

[MadDAsHell]

14. Fair enough, should have been clear I meant the author, not the poster.

But the point stands. Why are we calling out this gentleman's sexual orientation as if it is the most important thing about him? We can celebrate diversity without putting people in boxes.

[bronxiteforever]

8. Excellent post. K & r

[Ligyron]

12. Sounds like a great Dem.

I think the fact that he is a veteran, unlike Dump and most of the GOP "leaders", is an excellent selling point,.

Throw the whole we stand up for the country, rah, rah patriotism thing right back in their faces.