# Who is Pete Buttigieg? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 12, 2019, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032 "2019-03-12T21:59:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 23
**Author:** ![Aescwynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Aescwynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aescwynn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/441 "2019-06-23T18:09:08Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I haven’t heard anyone be impressed with his House election (other than beating an incumbent in the primary, which is pretty good whether it’s AOC or Beto who does it). They are impressed by his losing a Texas election for U.S. Senate by only two and a half points. The margins for the other Senate elections in Texas over the past twenty years: > > 2014: R+27 > 2012: R+16 > 2008: R+12 > 2006: R+26 > 2002: R+12 > > So two and a half points is amazing by comparison. > > But wait, you say. 2018 was a different kind of year. Texas has been changing demographically, and nationally this was a “blue year”. Okay. So how come the Republican candidate for governor won his race by 13 points? Both Beto and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lupe Valdez were on the same ballot. (And that name suggests to me that you can’t mark Beto’s good showing up to Hispanic turnout.) Both races garnered about eight million votes total. The difference was that at least a half million Texans refused to vote for Valdez but voted for Beto. That’s **huge.** The Democratic party is weak in Texas and continues to put forward weak candidates, Lupe Valdez being a good example. ---
**Author:** ![Aescwynn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/73ab20/32.png) [@Aescwynn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aescwynn)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/442 "2019-06-23T18:19:07Z")
Pete stands out from the crowd by being able to answer questions articulately and not beat around the bush. Most of the others have been infected by politician-speak that causes them to hem and haw and sound very inauthentic. Pete and Bernie have a sound grasp of what they’re proposing and are masters of sticking to the point. ---
**Author:** ![betonbill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@betonbill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betonbill)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/443 "2019-06-23T23:54:25Z")
CNN showed his town hall meeting in South Bend. I’m a huge fan but have to admit to being a bit disappointed in how he handled a crowd of angry, mostly African American constituents. He seemed very detached. Maybe he’s not really ready for prime time. We’ll see how he handles the debate. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2019, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/444 "2019-07-01T14:27:30Z")
Buttigieg raises 24.8 million for the second quarter. That’s very impressive. Remember he’s a small town mayor that’s only serious political junkies had even heard of just a few months ago. He also wouldn’t have the email supporter list that a US senator would have that’s already ran a major campaign. [Pete Buttigieg seizes on top-tier status by raising $24.8 million in second quarter | CNN Politics](https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising-2nd-quarter/index.html) I’m glad it shows me that I’m not living completely in a social media bubble. I also found it interesting that there were lots of either Bernie Bros or trolls/bots that were quick to criticize Pete’s fundraising as not being ‘authentic’ and grassroots enough. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/445 "2019-07-13T01:18:09Z")
> [@](#): > > **Aescwynn** > Pete stands out from the crowd by being able to answer questions articulately and not beat around the bush. Erm, are we looking at the same Pete Buttigieg? Because all he seems to do is talk in a dramatic scripted flourish devoid of any meaningful content. > [@](#): > > The Democratic party is weak in Texas and continues to put forward weak candidates, Lupe Valdez being a good example. This is why Beto should have campaigned for the Senate and not the Presidency, but his massive ego got in the way. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/446 "2019-07-13T01:58:15Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Buttigieg raises 24.8 million for the second quarter. That’s very impressive. Remember he’s a small town mayor that’s only serious political junkies had even heard of just a few months ago. He also wouldn’t have the email supporter list that a US senator would have that’s already ran a major campaign. > > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising-2nd-quarter/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising-2nd-quarter/index.html) > > I’m glad it shows me that I’m not living completely in a social media bubble. I also found it interesting that there were lots of either Bernie Bros or trolls/bots that were quick to criticize Pete’s fundraising as not being ‘authentic’ and grassroots enough. Unfortunately, he’s been stuck at 5% for a while now. It’s early yet, but he’s not gaining. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/447 "2019-07-13T02:37:03Z")
He is not just stuck, he is declining. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/448 "2019-07-13T02:41:27Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > Erm, are we looking at the same Pete Buttigieg? Because all he seems to do is talk in a dramatic scripted flourish devoid of any meaningful content. I don’t know what Pete Buttigieg you’re looking at, and I’m not the person you 're directing this comment to, but I can assure you that when I heard him speak in person last summer his talk was certainly not “devoid of any meaningful content.” Quite the contrary, in fact! For the record, he’s probably not my top candidate at this point, and I recognize he’s having some difficulties attracting voters beyond a certain smallish pool (again, at this point). Doesn’t change my perception that he has interesting and valuable things to say. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/449 "2019-07-13T03:05:46Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > Buttigieg raises 24.8 million for the second quarter. That’s very impressive. Remember he’s a small town mayor that’s only serious political junkies had even heard of just a few months ago. He also wouldn’t have the email supporter list that a US senator would have that’s already ran a major campaign. > > [https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising-2nd-quarter/index.html](https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/01/politics/pete-buttigieg-fundraising-2nd-quarter/index.html) > > I’m glad it shows me that I’m not living completely in a social media bubble. **I also found it interesting that there were lots of either Bernie Bros or trolls/bots that were quick to criticize Pete’s fundraising as not being ‘authentic’ and grassroots enough**. Bolding mine. I hadn’t seen this comment when I posted above. Interesting to look at it now that Sanders’s own fundraising totals for the quarter have been released, given that Sanders’s figure was about $7 million short of Buttigieg’s despite well-oiled fundraising machinery and near-universal name recognition. Looks like these folks might have had reason to launch a pre-emptive strike. ---
**Author:** ![Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kolak_of_twilo/32/73_2.png) [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kolak_of_Twilo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/450 "2019-07-13T05:17:20Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > Bolding mine. I hadn’t seen this comment when I posted above. Interesting to look at it now that Sanders’s own fundraising totals for the quarter have been released, given that Sanders’s figure was about $7 million short of Buttigieg’s despite well-oiled fundraising machinery and near-universal name recognition. Looks like these folks might have had reason to launch a pre-emptive strike. Sanders supporters need to seriously fuck off. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/451 "2019-07-13T05:31:59Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > Sanders supporters need to seriously fuck off. He’s literally old enough to be Mayor Pete’s grandfather. Pete, at least at this time, might be a possibility for vice president, but I personally think he’s too YOUNG for the job. Maybe in 4 or 8 years? ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/452 "2019-07-13T11:58:02Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > He’s literally old enough to be Mayor Pete’s grandfather. > > Pete, at least at this time, might be a possibility for vice president, but I personally think he’s too YOUNG for the job. Maybe in 4 or 8 years? I think his bigger problem is that he’s mayor of a city that’s still perceived as having problems with race relations. I think rational people understand Pete’s not racist and it’s not Pete’s fault that South Bend is dealing with these issues, but there are questions about how he’s responded to some of the controversies, and “I didn’t get it done,” as admirable as his integrity may be, is not necessarily the answer that people want to hear. ---
**Author:** ![Ryan\_Liam](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ryan_liam/32/3965_2.png) [@Ryan\_Liam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryan_Liam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/453 "2019-07-13T12:23:31Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > I don’t know what Pete Buttigieg you’re looking at, and I’m not the person you 're directing this comment to, but I can assure you that when I heard him speak in person last summer his talk was certainly not “devoid of any meaningful content.” Quite the contrary, in fact! > > For the record, he’s probably not my top candidate at this point, and I recognize he’s having some difficulties attracting voters beyond a certain smallish pool (again, at this point). Doesn’t change my perception that he has interesting and valuable things to say. So what position he has stands out for you? For Bernie, I can roll off a few of his positions straight away Medicare for all Student Loan forgiveness $15 minimum wage Progressive tax rate ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/454 "2019-07-13T12:27:22Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > So what position he has stands out for you? > > For Bernie, I can roll off a few of his positions straight away > > Medicare for all > Student Loan forgiveness > $15 minimum wage > Progressive tax rate And you’ve thus accurately illustrated why Bernie has been so successful at campaigning - far more successful than perhaps even he ever imagined. Even if at the risk of redundancy, there’s clarity. Even if you’re not a Bernie Bro, you know what kind of change he’s talking about. There’s a lesson there for the Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/455 "2019-07-13T14:08:19Z")
> [@Ryan\_Liam](#): > > So what position he has stands out for you? For me: national service, focus on foreign relations, public option (which I think is a more realistic solution for the US than Medicare for All). ---
**Author:** ![Lamoral](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lamoral/32/16078_2.png) [@Lamoral](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamoral)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/456 "2019-07-13T19:32:10Z")
The New Republic just published a horrific hit piece on Buttigieg so full of explicit language and sexual references that my jaw hit the floor when I saw it. They immediately pulled it down, but someone on FB screencapped it and posted it. [Here](https://postimg.cc/fk3P8ZXw) is a link to an image of the text - be warned though, it’s sick. The writer clearly wrote it in the spirit of “I’m gay too, so I can get away with talking like this”, but that does not make it right. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/457 "2019-07-13T21:05:31Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > The New Republic just published a horrific hit piece on Buttigieg so full of explicit language and sexual references that my jaw hit the floor when I saw it. They immediately pulled it down, but someone on FB screencapped it and posted it. [Here](https://postimg.cc/fk3P8ZXw) is a link to an image of the text - be warned though, it’s sick. The writer clearly wrote it in the spirit of “I’m gay too, so I can get away with talking like this”, but that does not make it right. You’re right - that’s sick. I don’t care what ANY presidential candidate does with their genitalia, as long as it’s with consenting partners. NOMB. ---
**Author:** ![SlackerInc](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slackerinc/32/275_2.png) [@SlackerInc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlackerInc)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2019, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/458 "2019-07-13T21:42:04Z")
I think it completely misses the point to choose a nominee based on their specific “issue positions”, other than being somewhere in the Democratic mainstream. We need to choose based on who can win! ---
**Author:** ![pjacks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@pjacks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjacks)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2019, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/459 "2019-07-14T20:36:15Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > The New Republic just published a horrific hit piece on Buttigieg so full of explicit language and sexual references that my jaw hit the floor when I saw it. They immediately pulled it down, but someone on FB screencapped it and posted it. [Here](https://postimg.cc/fk3P8ZXw) is a link to an image of the text - be warned though, it’s sick. The writer clearly wrote it in the spirit of “I’m gay too, so I can get away with talking like this”, but that does not make it right. If anyone wants to read the article in full to see for themselves how far the ctrl-left will go to tear down a promising Democratic politician, [here it is](https://archive.is/Tz45f) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2019, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/460 "2019-07-14T22:44:21Z")
Is “ctrl-left” a code phrase for “alt-right”, or am I misunderstanding which side New Republic is on? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=22) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=24)