Pete Buttigieg heckled by homophobic protesters; Beto O'Rourke stands up for fellow candidate

[mobeau69]

Beto,


https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/pete-buttigieg-heckled-homophobic-protesters-beto-orourke-stands/story?id=62818754

[dalton99a]

1. .

Link to tweet

[Demsrule86]

13. Good for Beto...I am saddened to see this but not surprised. My daughter is a Lesbian, and I have

seen what she goes through. I often fear for her safety.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. THIS is how democratic candidates for 2020 should respond to attacks on each other.

If we are to avoid being unduly splintered, we have to support all candidates until the nomination. Denigrating democratic competitors is not the way to win an election.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I applaud Beto for standing up for Pete in such a gracious way!

This is how to support all the candidates.

[grantcart]

15. +1

[Skittles]

25. you know it, Pegster

yes INDEED

[Archae]

4. Sounds like these "protestors" are Randall Terry and his goons.

He brags about following Buttigieg.

On a related note, Randall Terry reports that “I have a lot of supporters who do NOT want to fight so-called ‘homosexual marriage.’ And when we went after Pete Buttigieg, sadly, we saw a DROP in contributions.”

https://mailchi.mp/voiceofresistance/55pdbqsp1v-16513?e=20e17c9c46

[CurtEastPoint]

5. "What about the babies?" WHAT ABOUT THEM, WOMAN?

[Sapient Donkey]

29. WHAT ABOUT THE BABIES????? I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT THE BABIES!

Let's cut funding for WIC...

I bet if asked, this woman would support defunding WIC and supported any previous funding decreases under Trump.

[IndyOp]

6. All politicians get heckled. IMHO - reporting on Pete's hecklers is going to hurt him

He can handle his own hecklers just like the other candidates handle theirs. I am not making light of threats of violence against him - he needs and deserves professional security around him to keep him physically safe. But he’s got to be allowed to handle his own hecklers. Handling the hecklers can include coaching attendees to chant “Pete” or USA” before he steps on stage to drown out hecklers until someone from the staff can escort them out.

If, when Pete gets heckled, it appears as if he needs someone to defend him - then homosexuality becomes the best known bit of information about him and it makes it seem as if he will not be able to be effective as a candidate or as President because he’ll need protection all the time.

How to handle this is not obvious, not easy - but one surefire way to sink his candidacy is to keep everyone riled up - phobic or protective - so that the people who would protect him worry that he is unelectable because he is gay and so they vote for someone else in the primary.

[Indygram]

8. This one is a bit different because it shows what courtesy between candidates looks like

When there is already bickering between candidates and even some really negative stuff going on...it's really nice and refreshing to see something like this.

[IndyOp]

20. I didn't mean to take away anything from Beto's decency and good deed -

We really, really need all Dems for President to support and defend each other and Beto got that exactly right.

My lingering concern is that one individual reaching out to a bunch of locals in cities across the US getting them to go heckle Pete will have a bigger negative impact on Pete if the heckling consistently gets press - professional or social media.

[Indygram]

23. I honestly don't think there is much that can be done to avoid it getting press

I think it sort of comes with the territory of being the first gay candidate. Because it's a first the media will be all over those kind of stories like flies on a cowpatty.

[Cosmocat]

11. I am not sure on the dynamics of it

I take your point, and the possible net loss from it.

At the same time, it feels like a breaking point for homophobia, and as long as he successsfully deals with it in the moment, I think it makes the idiots look small, and potentially will push people to say enough, and get behind him a bit.

Not sure I am making the point clear enough, but if he handles it well it might end up having people who are sketchy about him be more uncomfortable about the absurdity of the "protesters" and end up supporting him ...

[IndyOp]

21. I agree with you exactly - if Pete handles the hecklers in a way

that highlights his confidence and calm demeanor under pressure then that’s a win for him.

If a few disrupters show up at a lot of events and the result is social media accounts that focus on presence of heckler and Pete’s sexuality then the social media amplifies the heckler even if that is not the intention of the person who posts about the event.

[MustLoveBeagles]

27. I understand your concern but I think he handled it perfectly

[NYMinute]

7. Beto and Pete are both amazing nt

[murielm99]

10. Thank you, Beto.

[ananda]

9. I love Beto!

Thank you!

There is no room for hate in real America.

[George II]

12. But for one, it looks like our group of candidates have respect for each other....

....and actually like each other.

[LakeArenal]

14. Yep 'cept for One

[grantcart]

16. +1

[ehrnst]

18. For the most part. (nt)

[NYMinute]

19. and that one is very easy to spot

[IndyOp]

22. LOL - great gif! :-) (nt)

[peggysue2]

24. LOL!!

Good one!

[ehrnst]

17. That is class. (nt)

[thegoose]

26. YES!

There may be tons of Democratic candidates in the race, but they're not seeking to beat each other. They're seeking to wipe that bloated orange piece of shit off the map!

[Beatleman]

28. So this is the way

it should play out till the end.
We are all in it for the same reason,,,good for Him

[mtnsnake]

30. Those hecklers who went after Pete are all the more reason why we're gonna kick Trump's ass

in 2020. Trump has brought all the assholes out of the woodwork.