DUers have made Mayor Pete the #2 overall choice

[True Dough]

Just 1% behind Kamala Harris.

It's pretty tight among the top four candidates, but it sure is promising to see Pete Buttigieg among them. He's come from out of nowhere and is now turning heads everywhere.

Long way to go, but the debates can't come soon enough!

Pete for America!

https://peteforamerica.com/meet-pete/

[BlueDawn]

1. Watched him on Rachel last night.

You know, I watched him on Rachel's show last night and I thought he was very impressive.

I am thinking of switching.

Like you, I look forward to the debates!

[wysimdnwyg]

47. I don't know that I'm ready to switch, or even thinking about it...

But I've definitely moved him up my list. That was a great interview, and it syncs up with every other time I've seen him speak. He's very smart and has some great ideas. The debates should be a load of fun (as long as they can avoid bashing each other).

[PatrickforO]

2. All you have to do is listen to the guy. I love the vids on his website.

"I might be the young guy in this conversation but my experience qualifies me for a seat at the table."

I like him better every time I hear him.

[KPN]

28. Ditto that!

[DavidDvorkin]

3. He's also #2 in the current betting on Predictit

There it's Sanders as #1, then Pete, then Biden.

[aeromanKC]

54. Sanders #1??

Good money to be made on Sanders No then. I might have to re-open my account there!!

[DavidDvorkin]

55. Yep.

[Tipperary]

4. He is great.

I’m more impressed every day.

[DownriverDem]

5. Please focus

Who can win in November 2020? I'm not looking for someone I like. I'm looking for someone who can beat trump.

[True Dough]

6. Pete comes with no political baggage

What does Trump have to knock him on?

1) He's inexperienced. Well, guess what? Donald Trump never held political office in his life before becoming POTUS. So that argument will go nowhere.

Pete has military experience. Donny just dreams of it (while having dodged it many times).

Pete has run a city of 100,000 very successfully. Donny has bankrupted several companies and ran a bogus "university."

Pete is a Rhodes scholar. Donny won't allow his marks to be released from kindergarten through Wharton University.

Pete speaks seven languages. Donny can barely manage one.

Pete plays guitar and classical piano. Donny probably plays with himself (no chance Melania goes anywhere near that anymore).


2) They can go for the "he's gay" strategy. Good luck with that in 2019. The crudest among their base may fall in line, but most people won't go for it today.


I like Pete Buttigieg's chances very much. And he won't be 81 years old by the end of his first term!

[USALiberal]

8. Nice post! Nt

[Celerity]

9. actually he speaks 8 languages

English, Norwegian, French, Spanish, Italian, Maltese, Arabic, and Dari.

[True Dough]

15. Thank you for the clarification!

All the more reason to admire him!

[FreeState]

17. He more than likely understands more than 8 too.

Most speakers of Norwegian can understand and read Swedish and Danish (they are very similar - same root language). He probably has some understanding of Portuguese as well.

[Celerity]

39. yes, for sure on the Swedish and Danish, Swedish is a wee bit closer to Norwegian than Danish in

terms of reading and especially speaking. Also I agree on the Portuguese.

[FreeState]

58. Danish is easier to read for me, I understand spoken Swedish better than spoken Danish

Danish is easier to read for me, I understand spoken Swedish better than spoken Danish. I'm not a native though (spoken it for 28 years), so this is just my experience.

[BannonsLiver]

12. There's no politician alive without baggage.

All of them have it, and if the baggage isn’t obvious the media will usually make sure it is at some point.

[True Dough]

14. Please provide some examples relating to Pete Buttigieg

I'd be curious to hear what issues of substance will be held against him. And tell me how it would be a greater disadvantage than the political baggage the other contenders are carrying.

[Mr. Evil]

16. It may not be an issue of substance but,

it won't take the evangelicals long before they point out that the first 'First Husband' of the White House won't be because he's married to a woman. They'll eventually make their play but, I believe it won't have much of an effect except only to their most hard-core followers.

[CTyankee]

22. i worry tho. Those hard core followers you mention are just the ones who make sure to vote.

If we Dems all surged to the polls, we would win. If we sit home and "wish" we had Pete or any other Dem we will lose again in 2020.

[calimary]

26. This. The fans of the bad guys never fail to make it to the ballot box.

The ones we need often seem to be the same ones who get discouraged too easily and stay home.

If only we could get all our voters out to vote, we’d win every election! Simply because there are more of us. I wish we were able to use that potential power for real! WHENEVER it comes time to vote. Make our bigger numbers work for us - and for all of America.

[marylandblue]

32. Rhat's why an inspirational candidate like Beto or Pete is our best choice

I you excite them, they will come.

[True Dough]

24. I agree, that there will be evangelicals who will condemn Pete for that reason

And I'm willing to live with that. Turn the other cheek. Fuck 'em!

[radical noodle]

60. Not just politicians...

all people have something in their past that they might not be proud of. The question is how one handles it.

[cwydro]

13. Excellent post!

Wish it were an OP so I could rec.

[DoctorJoJo]

20. I Agree, Except That Both Bernie and Biden Would Be Eighty-TWO When Their First Term Ends!

And 86 at end of their 2nd term!

[Celerity]

40. Bernie actually would be 83 and 87 (born Sept 8, 1941, right before Pearl Harbor)

[Perseus]

25. I like your comparisons, right on the money

And about the gay thing...first, he is very comfortable with who and what he is, second, almost every month (I am being generous here) we find out about a republican who is a closeted gay, or practicing extra-marital exercises, they are corrupt as hell, etc., etc.

I believe Buttigieg with his superior skills of the language, and I am not even mentioning the other languages he speaks, will crash them when they dare to criticize him for being gay.

This is not about sexual preferences, with how immoral the buffoon is, I would not put it past him to have done worst things, this is about putting the best person in office, to place the person who can rewind the damage that this administration is doing to the country, whether is Harris, or Buttigieg, or any other Democrat, we need to find the best candidate, and right now, I am personally very impressed with Buttigieg.

[True Dough]

36. Nicely written

We are of like minds.

[KPN]

30. Spot on. I like his chances too.

[CaptainTruth]

42. +1

[True Dough]

46. Thanks! I'll gladly take that as a compliment

from CaptainTruth!

[calimary]

44. He has A LOT going for him

A very appealing candidate, I must say!

He’s my second choice, after Jay Inslee. But he does include the climate crisis in his priorities list. And for me, that’s CRITICALLY important. Kinda starts and ends there, for me, at this point.

[True Dough]

52. Listen, we have CaliforniaPeggy on board

and we won't stop until we have calimary filling a seat on the Pete Buttigieg Express!

[calimary]

64. I'm already standing in the passenger loading area.

Won’t give up on Inslee yet, but much to my regret, he’s not catching fire. Mayor Pete just might be doing exactly that. And he does talk climate crisis - which ANY candidate will have to do if he or she hopes to get my attention.

I WILL vote for WHOEVER our nominee is. Regardless of my personal preference. Yep. Even Bernie. Who I hope is NOT our nominee. But if that’s how it turns out, so be it. If he’s our choice, then I’m there.

[Grendam]

51. Don't underestimate Trump's ability to ding people for things that incriminate himself...

We still don’t know enough about Buttigieg (or his policies) to know how all the attacks will come down, but I definitely can see many possible avenues. Some of those positives can easily be turned into negatives (e.g., speaking foreign languages as ‘smarter than you, elite snob, aloof, arrogant, catering to foreigners’).

I’ve already seen the Right showing comparisons of his New Yorker cover with the movie poster of the 40-Year-Old-Virgin. Fallon had a skit last night poking fun of his youth as being from his “hit series, ‘The Boy Who Became Mayor’ only on Disney Channel.” It’s not a stretch that he could get caricatured as some Dothraki-speaking, avocado-toast-loving goober.

It’s important to know how well he can take a punch. Can he punch back? Does Trump paint him as a weenie if he decides to take the high road and not get in the mud?

No one should forget how the GOP swift-boated John Kerry. There doesn’t have to be anything true or fair about it.

[customerserviceguy]

56. You've summarized it well

The comment from Pete about when he will be the same age as the current occupant of the White House made it clear that this could well be about "passing the torch", as what happened when JFK took over after Eisenhower.

[USALiberal]

7. Wow, tell us who that is!!!! I would love to hear your guarantee win!!! Nt

[babylonsister]

10. We have no idea who can win yet.

Meanwhile, I will focus on Mayor Pete and other candidates.

[marylandblue]

11. I like Pete's chances for his communication and strategic skills.

He knows exactly where he wants to go and how to get there. I don't think there is another candidate who shows his level of strategic thinking, except possibly Harris.

And he knows how to handle media. People think the media likes him because he is a shiny new object. Not true. He's aggressively pursuing interviews and acing them. When you do that, everyone wants to talk to you.

[KPN]

31. What, you don't think we all are?

[J_William_Ryan]

34. Exactly

And that may or mat not be Pete.

[Rainbow Droid]

37. So because the establishment candidate failed in 16, lets try the same again in 20?

Because surely that had nothing to do with it.

[Perseus]

18. It is hard to ignore how intelligent he is. He is someone who is comfortable in his own skin.

Has done more than many "manly men", he fought for his country and did not claim "bone spurs", he has political experience, and he is alarmingly well spoken and smart, he also seems to have a clear plan.

[cstanleytech]

19. Well if he fails to win the nomination then whoever wins it should consider him for the VP slot.

[DoctorJoJo]

21. I've Been Contemplating a Harris/Pete Ticket--Fills a Lot of Squares

[cstanleytech]

23. I will vote for just about any ticket as long as Trump ends up out of office and in prison.

[Celerity]

48. +1 or flip it, either way works for me

If Pete were a 2 term VP and then a 2 term POTUS, he would only turn 55 on his last full day in office (January 19, 2037). That's younger than Kamala Harris would be the day she was first sworn in on January 20, 2020, lolol. 31 and 32 years younger, respectively, than Biden or Sanders would be on their last day of a two term Presidency, 23 years younger than the monster on his last day if (dog forbid) he won re-election.

Buttigieg would have a shot at breaking Carter's record for longest post presidency and that is with 12 more years in office (16 years of VP and then POTUS versus Carter's 4).

Crazy numbers, lolol

[Recursion]

62. Oh yeah

A combination of those two would be quite powerful.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

27. Niiice!! Good to see Mayor Pete doing so well!! (Not surprising either.)

Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[BannonsLiver]

65. Bernie has slid to 4th on the DU leaderboard

[crazytown]

66. Bernie was never higher than third.

[Auggie]

29. Comes from "out of nowhere" ... kind of like Jimmy Carter, no?

I remember what a breath of fresh air Carter was on the campaign trail.

[Bradshaw3]

33. Is that a good thing?

I went to his website. Nicely done, a lot about him personally. But there were no details about the issues we face as a nation, much less practical ways as to how he would solve them. Some large type posts about his beliefs and how we need a new generation of leaders. Where does he stand on the issues?
By contrast here is Warren's stands, and actual accomplishments on key issues like economic inequality (with embedded links to articles and other information):
https://elizabethwarren.com/issues/


Right now it seems to be a candidacy based on personality. He is impressive in many ways but does that mean we want someone who has only been mayor of a small city and has never run even on a statewide level to be our nominee? In 2020 democracy in America could very well be at stake. We need to make a sober choice to take on the devil. Pete may be it, but right now I don't see it.

[wildflower]

57. I like that heading on her page

"What Will Elizabeth Warren Do?" Direct and the essence of what voters want to know.

[Bradshaw3]

59. That's a good way to put it n/t

[duforsure]

35. He has the intelligence we're sadly missing in the White House, and very impressive,

While the puppet in the White House now has the IQ of a potato, and is still struggling with the English language.

[Celerity]

50. you are insulting potatoes

[Blue Owl]

38. Love Pete!

But I also love Kamala too -- wish there were some way they could BOTH be president (or one as VP)!

No matter who wins the primary, I will be voting for them...

[Blue_Tires]

41. He gives good copy, I'll say that much

Obviously the presidency is less than a million-to-one shot, but here's hoping this dude can find a nice, long term in the senate...

[Chakaconcarne]

43. Though still undecided, I feel like he's our best candidate to beat Trump....

and the imminent, nasty rhetoric from the right....

They will look real bad if they go after a fellow person of faith.

[Cary]

53. He is winning me over, but...

I will not commit yet. My motto: anyone who will deliver us from evil.

[Recursion]

61. I'm in the Pete Fleet and I also absolutely adore Senator Harris

I think either of them would be an outstanding nominee who will beat Trump like a drum.

[True Dough]

63. Maybe a great ticket, Buttigieg/Harris?!?

Pete Fleet. That's great, by the way!