# January 23 2019: the remarkable rise of Pete Buttigieg **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 23, 2020, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861 "2020-01-23T19:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/41 "2020-02-17T23:22:46Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > A very long, but excellent, article on Buttigieg written by one of his college professors. > [Reading Buttigieg | Commonweal Magazine](https://www.commonwealmagazine.org/reading-buttigieg) That was an extremely good article. I had to use a speed reading app to get through it all since it was 8000+ words but it was a very good picture of what Buttigieg actually stands for. I’ll vote for whomever the democrats nominate, but if Buttigieg actually gets the nomination I’d say I’m more excited to vote for him than I was before reading that. But, I must say, that Buttigieg is right that we’ve basically been put into a bind where the democrats are basically just neo-liberal republican lite and lots of democrats do not like that choice, and they don’t like the lack of a positive national vision from democrats. But that is why Sanders is so popular. Sanders is presenting this narrative as an alternative to the neoliberal republican-lite politics most of us have come to expect from the democratic party. I can understand why Pete did a major paper on Sanders because of this, but with Sanders already as the transformative candidate rejecting neoliberalism I guess Buttigieg had to present himself as the voice of a new generation instead as that lane was taken by Sanders and Warren. I voted in the 2010 Indiana elections. I don’t remember voting for treasurer, but I tend to vote pretty much straight democratic so I’m sure I voted for Pete in 2010, despite not remembering him from that election. I hope he has a meaningful role in the future of the democratic party. However there is no future for him in Indiana, which is basically a southern state in the north (senators, governors and other statewide office all tend to go republican here). He may want to focus on behind the scenes work with narratives and how to portray the party on a national level, being involved in executive level cabinet positions, etc. if his plan to run for president doesn’t pan out. ---
**Author:** ![Socsback](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Socsback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Socsback)\ **Post date:** [February 17, 2020, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/42 "2020-02-17T23:56:08Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > [Source](https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/1226565174007648257). > > Dear Mayor Pete: > > Jimmy Carter shrunk the deficit. (Before Buttigieg was born.) > Reagan blew up the deficit to pass tax cuts. (Ditto.) > Bush the Elder raised taxes, and all but got drummed out of the party because of it. (When Buttigieg was in elementary school.) > Clinton not only shrunk the deficit, he _balanced the freakin’ budget for four years straight._ (This happened when Buttigieg was in high school. He should at least have some dim memory of this.) > Dubya cut taxes on the rich and blew up the deficit again. (While Buttigieg was at Harvard.) > Obama, despite having to deal with the worst recession since the Great Depression, reduced the deficit on his watch. (While Buttigieg was mayor.) > Trump cut taxes almost entirely on rich people, and blew up the deficit again. (Ditto.) > > Over and over and over again, Dems don’t spend money on stuff that would actually make people’s lives better, because they’re cleaning up after the elephants. > > There’s a motherfucking _ **reason** _ why it’s not ‘fashionable’ for progressives to talk about deficits. It’s because the Dems have been the more fiscally responsible party for _forty freakin’ years_, and all it gets us is handcuffing ourselves from doing other things that might actually benefit people, and losing elections. > > If Mayor Pete wants to take us through yet one more cycle of this absurdity, he can go fuck himself. With good old Midwestern heartland farm implements. It might be helpful to consider the entire context of this statement, rather than just spewing rage all over the internet. His point is that we need to find money to provide social services, which will be more manageable if we control the debt. He also points out that Democrats have historically done a better job of controlling the debt than Republicans have, and blames the current debt entirely on Trump. He’s right. We SHOULD be discussing this, and if a Democrat is going to be in the White House, they will have to address it. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/43 "2020-02-19T03:16:58Z")
Buttigieg is head and shoulders above Sanders and Klobuchar in the townhall. Always smart. Always consistent. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2020, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/44 "2020-02-19T19:18:17Z")
I saw a clip of him being asked what if the president brings up “family values”? he said hes never cheated on his husband or paid someone to keep quiet about an affair. Good for him! > **[Pete Buttigieg hits back at Trump saying his marriage never entailed sending...](https://www.businessinsider.com/buttigieg-trump-limbaugh-gay-guy-marriage-hush-money-porn-star-2020-2)** > > Buttigieg criticized Limbaugh, who is in his fourth marriage, and Trump, who has been married three times, for effusing "family values." ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/45 "2020-02-24T14:58:27Z")
I saw Mayor Pete speak at a suburban Cleveland library about a year ago and liked what I saw - smart, funny, low-key, quick on his feet. His best line: asked about his electability, he said, “I think I have the ex-Navy small-town-mayor gay Episcopalian Maltese-American lane pretty much locked up.” That said, moving from South Bend city hall to the White House is quite a leap, he has serious problems with black Democrats, and I think most Americans in the secrecy of the voting booth aren’t going to go for a gay President. I think he might be best as HUD Secretary in the next Democratic Cabinet. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/46 "2020-02-24T14:59:54Z")
This was a good moment for him out on the campaign trail recently, BTW: ['I want to be brave like you': 9-year-old asks Pete Buttigieg to help him tell the world he's gay | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/23/politics/pete-buttigieg-denver-rally-moment/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/47 "2020-02-24T15:24:37Z")
Head and shoulders above the rest of the field. If this is not his time to be POTUS, I hope to see him back in the ring. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2020, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/48 "2020-02-24T16:33:49Z")
> [@Socsback](#): > > It might be helpful to consider the entire context of this statement, rather than just spewing rage all over the internet. > > His point is that we need to find money to provide social services, which will be more manageable if we control the debt. He also points out that Democrats have historically done a better job of controlling the debt than Republicans have, and blames the current debt entirely on Trump. > > He’s right. We SHOULD be discussing this, and if a Democrat is going to be in the White House, they will have to address it. Some of the candidates **are** discussing it. Warren’s got a wealth tax proposal which pays for an astounding amount of stuff, and IIRC Sanders has a similar proposal. Maybe Buttigieg should **discuss** it, rather than just going around saying we _ought_ to. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/49 "2020-03-02T00:27:55Z")
And not really a fall as Pete drops out. He beat Biden in IA and NH as well as beating Amy and Warren in every single race. It was a remarkable rise and I’m so proud to have be associated with this campaign. I’ve met some truly amazing people over the last year or so. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/50 "2020-03-02T04:57:46Z")
Here’s more: [Buttigieg drops out of presidential race - POLITICO](https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/01/buttigieg-dropping-out-of-presidential-race-118489) Too bad. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2020, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/51 "2020-03-02T12:33:06Z")
Nice piece by The NY Times’ Frank Bruni: > **[Opinion | Mayor Pete Flew Sky High (Published 2020)](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/01/opinion/Pete-Buttigieg-speech.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage)** > > The youngest of the Democratic candidates did the grown-up thing and dropped out. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2020, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861/52 "2020-03-02T23:35:24Z")
I think it’s great that some Pete supporters are making plans to go to South Bend Pride for a bit of a reunion and also to support the nominee. And, I’m even happier that Pete gave the staff a month of severance pay as well as their health insurance. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/january-23-2019-the-remarkable-rise-of-pete-buttigieg/846861.md?page=2)