# From Mayor Pete to President Pete: It's gonna happen **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [July 20, 2022, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276 "2022-07-20T19:55:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/41 "2022-07-22T21:01:56Z")
Pete won’t be another Obama. And that’s not what we need. I see Pete getting the White House within 20 years. Agree, he’ll have to be a governor of Senator or Sec State first, and I see that happening in the near (ish) future. Pete will be a very good president. ---
**Author:** ![flurb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/42 "2022-07-22T21:31:12Z")
> [@Dahnlor](#): > > This is the third time you had posted this “what has he accomplished” crap. Presidents are elected based on what they promise for the future. Extremely few are elected on past accomplishments. I think it’s legitimate to ask what experience or background he has that shows he will be able to deliver on those “promises for the future.” A stirring vision of the future is great, but as we’re seeing with Biden right now, a President faces all sorts of obstacles to enacting that vision. And Biden has 40 years of legislative experience and long-standing relationships with nearly everyone in Washington to draw on. Buttigieg’s lack of relevant experience was a weakness for him during his Presidential campaign. I don’t know if Buttigieg will be President someday – he seems bright and well intentioned, I certainly don’t have a problem with him. His time as Transportation Secretary will help address the “no governing experience” charge. But I just don’t have the same sense that, “this man is destined for the White House” that others do. He kind of reminds me of Julian Castro, another young, bright rising Democratic star that was given a Cabinet post to help build his resume, and who dropped out of the 2020 primary before the first vote was cast. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Anconia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@D\_Anconia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Anconia)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/43 "2022-07-22T21:47:54Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > I think it’s legitimate to ask what experience or background he has that shows he will be able to deliver on those “promises for the future.” Thank you. I agree it’s a legitimate question in a thread about a potential candidate for President. ---
**Author:** ![Dahnlor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dahnlor/32/533_2.png) [@Dahnlor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dahnlor)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2022, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/44 "2022-07-22T23:38:29Z")
> [@D\_Anconia](#): > > Thank you. I agree it’s a legitimate question in a thread about a potential candidate for President. It was a legitimate question the first time you asked. You received an answer, but then you replied by simply repeating the same question again. But since you pigeon-hole the question with “as Secretary of Transportation”, it’s clear that you’re more interested in repeating the question than whatever the answer is, especially considering that Secretary of Transportation isn’t exactly the most glamorous cabinet position. Secretaries of Transportation don’t negotiate peace deals or trade agreements, they just make sure our roads, highways, and other modes of transportation continue to be properly maintained and regulated. It’s the kind of job that gets attention only when things are going bad. Since we haven’t been hearing such things, there’s no reason to believe that he’s been anything other than competent in his role. But perhaps you could scrutinize that more fairly by comparing Buttigieg’s accomplishments with those we have seen from Secretaries of Transportation before. I haven’t been following the DOT very closely myself, so perhaps you could share with us the accomplishments of past Secretaries of Transportation that Pete should aspire to? ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/45 "2022-07-26T20:57:57Z")
> [@flurb](#): > > He kind of reminds me of Julian Castro, another young, bright rising Democratic star that was given a Cabinet post to help build his resume, and who dropped out of the 2020 primary before the first vote was cast. I thought of the exact same comparison! I remember when Castro was the next big thing and a massive rising star in the Democratic party. I predict Buttigieg mostly bounces around Cabinet positions and does some non-profit work, and maybe runs for the House here and there. I don’t think he wins election to be a Governor or Senator anytime soon. Maybe when he’s up there in years and seen as an elder statesman whose turn it is to be Senator. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/46 "2022-07-26T21:25:34Z")
I loved Buttigieg in the primaries. Very well spoken; gave actual answers rather than tap-dancing around. He will not be President in the near future. The Dems love him; I can see him getting the nomination. The fact that he is gay will be used as a “get-out-the-vote” on the right. You will absolutely have the Religious Right screaming “Don’t vote for him - he’s teh GAY!”, but you’ll also have whispering campaigns. Remember Hillary? Remember how a competent administrator, a Washington insider, one of the most qualified people to run got beat by a racist gameshow host? “She’s not likable.” (So?) There was so much little crap out there; enough of it stuck. They’ll find something. Candidate DeSantis won’t come right out and say “Don’t vote for him because he’s gay!”; he’ll say something like “We need someone strong to lead our country!” No matter how much Pete screams “Look at my military service! Look at my strong leadership”, I fear the dogwhistles will be heard too loudly. I don’t think he’d lose on any merit, other than his being gay would bring out votes against him. ---
**Author:** ![Akaj](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/akaj/32/145_2.png) [@Akaj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Akaj)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2022, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/47 "2022-07-26T22:25:17Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Candidate DeSantis won’t come right out and say “Don’t vote for him because he’s gay!” Actually I bet he would. The way the MAGAts have been lapping up the “grooming” bullshit, that might be just the issue that takes their mind off DeSantis not being Trump – and that forces Buttigieg to turn his entire campaign into proving that he’s not running for President just so he can indoctrinate America’s schoolchildren into homosexuality. I would not trust a majority of voters in purple states to not fall for it, either. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/48 "2022-07-27T06:09:30Z")
All likely true. Since “full acceptance of homosexuality” is more age-related than most things, crossing party lines to a rather large extent, this would make “getting out the youth vote” even more important than it usually is — and we all know how that nearly always disappoints. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/49 "2022-07-27T18:47:56Z")
I agree. A lot of the perception of the ignorant out there is basically that gay men are effete and effeminate, and that they’re automatically perverts. I’d think that a gay man who was traditionally masculine and has a family that’s identical to many others, save being same-sex, would be an eye-opening revelation to a lot of people. It’s the ignorance driven by lack of exposure that causes a lot of the more stupid bigotry to take place- if you actually _know_ some gay men, you’ll know they’re no more interested in children than you are (assuming you yourself aren’t a pedophile). And in a lot of cases, having “gay” mannerisms doesn’t at all mean you’re also not manly. I mean, I know a gay guy who can out build/renovate/etc… all the straight guys I know. He’s a fucking stud at that stuff- makes me feel like a complete amateur. And he’s quite the whiskey connnoisseur. No chance of actually confusing him with a straight guy though. ---
**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/50 "2022-07-27T19:35:38Z")
> [@ISiddiqui](#): > > > [@flurb](#): > > > > He kind of reminds me of Julian Castro, another young, bright rising Democratic star that was given a Cabinet post to help build his resume, and who dropped out of the 2020 primary before the first vote was cast. > > I thought of the exact same comparison! I remember when Castro was the next big thing and a massive rising star in the Democratic party. > > I predict Buttigieg mostly bounces around Cabinet positions and does some non-profit work, and maybe runs for the House here and there. I don’t think he wins election to be a Governor or Senator anytime soon. Maybe when he’s up there in years and seen as an elder statesman whose turn it is to be Senator. Yeah, Castro faced the same problem in Texas that Buttigieg faced in Indiana, namely that he could probably never win a Senate seat or a governor’s race there. The most he could really hope for was getting elected to some cushy house seat and finding some pet issue for which he could garner a lot of publicity. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/51 "2022-07-28T00:05:08Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > He’ll elected president no later than 2032. …I’m really struggling to imagine any circumstance where democracy _as you know it_ even exists in 2032, let alone Mayor Pete would be running for President. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/52 "2022-07-28T01:46:37Z")
If the Dems keep control of the Senate and the House in 2022, and even pick up a few seats, and the Dems win in 2024 , we have an excellent chance. And to do that all we gotta do is get out the vote. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/53 "2022-07-28T02:45:07Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > And to do that all we gotta do is get out the vote. …but that doesn’t end in 2024. If by some miracle the Dems win the House, the Senate and the Presidency, they still have to do it again and again in the face of increasing radicalization and hostility from both the right and the courts. I can’t see how such a milquetoast candidate like Mayor Pete would stand a chance of even getting the nomination, let alone winning the presidency. Charisma, enormous name recognition and tremendous fund-raising ability isn’t really going to cut it against a rising tide of authoritarianism. It’s literally a different playing field now. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/54 "2022-07-28T04:20:17Z")
> [@Banquet\_Bear](#): > > …but that doesn’t end in 2024. If by some miracle the Dems win the House, the Senate and the Presidency, they still have to do it again and again in the face of increasing radicalization and hostility from both the right and the courts. It does, since we will pass a Voting rights bill, and all those Jim Crow laws will go bye-bye. And bit by bit those far right Judges will die or retire. ---
**Author:** ![Banquet\_Bear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banquet_bear/32/373_2.png) [@Banquet\_Bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banquet_Bear)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/55 "2022-07-28T04:45:16Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It does, since we will pass a Voting rights bill, and all those Jim Crow laws will go bye-bye. …it doesn’t. Because (maybe) passing a voting rights bill won’t magically make millions of people stop worshipping MAGA, it won’t stop SCOTUS from continuing to do what it’s doing. It will take a Herculean effort to win in 2024. And then it will be battle after battle after battle every year after that. The Democrats have to keep winning. The foot can’t come off the accelerator. Ever. Because the other side isn’t giving up. I just can’t imagine Mayor Pete being up to the task. He’s like a perfectly affable Sunday School Teacher when you are needing a Fire and Brimstone Preacher. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/56 "2022-07-28T16:54:11Z")
This poll isn’t a good sign for Mayor Pete. > **[New Poll Reveals Who Democrats Want on the Presidential Ticket in 2024](https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/poll-reveals-democrats-want-presidential-011524727.html)** > > Sitting President Joe Biden is not on the minds of Democratic voters, who are looking for a new leader in the next presidential election, according to a new poll released Wednesday The question was about support for candidates other than Biden for the Democratic nomination in 2024. Mayor Pete is tied for 3rd with Gavin Newsom, and behind both Kamala Harris and Hillary Clinton 😮 😱. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/57 "2022-07-28T17:17:20Z")
If its a sign of the democrats actually getting it and realize that while it shouldn’t be, the presidential election is basically a high school popularity contest, then I’m all fine with it. You need to choose a candidate who can actually inspire people, sure it shouldn’t matter but thats the way it works. Though I’d say he’s only really inspirational compared to the kind of dull candidate the democrats have been fielding of late (Biden, Clinton or Kerry) That said unless Biden decides not run himself, it would be a really bad idea to try and choose a different candidate for 2024. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2022, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/58 "2022-07-28T17:43:21Z")
Polls like this mean nothing. People are basing their opinion on name recognition and vague memories. None of us can know whom we want because no one is pitching to us yet ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2022, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/59 "2022-08-01T17:33:48Z")
What about Pete for VP? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2022, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276/60 "2022-08-04T14:17:45Z")
I’d be down for that. ETA: _ahem_ we got a full ticket set up! > [@Jon Stewart for president](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jon-stewart-for-president/967669): > > Jon Stewart for president? I know the criticisms to this idea already: We don’t need another TV personality with no political experience in the White House. We don’t need a political virgin running their first campaign for the highest office in the land; get some experience at lower offices first Someone with as long a history in the entertainment world as Stewart has too many potential skeletons (drugs, women, controversial statements, etc.). But, [read this article from Politico.](https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2022/07/08/jon-stewart-2024-democrats-00044146) It… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/from-mayor-pete-to-president-pete-its-gonna-happen/968276.md?page=4)