# 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:** 27
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/521 "2019-07-26T15:52:56Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Are there any House districts in Indiana where Democrats have a shot but are not basically reserved for the Congressional Black Caucus? I think he may be a very talented politician who is tragically stuck in the wrong state. House district 1 is a D+8 and held by a white guy, district 7 is D+11 and held by a black guy. Not sure if it was reserved for him. > **[Indiana's congressional districts](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana%27s_congressional_districts)** > > Indiana has nine congressional districts. They were last redrawn after the 2020 census and took effect in 2023, following the 2022 elections. > List of members of the House delegation, their terms in office, district boundaries, and the district political ratings according to the CPVI. The delegation in the 118th United States Congress has 9 members: 7 Republicans and 2 Democrats. > Table of United States congressional district boundary maps in the State of Indiana, presented chronologically. Al... ---
**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 26, 2019, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/522 "2019-07-26T17:25:01Z")
Of course winning a statewide election would be difficult. So is winning the Presidency. I want someone running for President to be the kind of extraordinary politician who can win even in a constituency that’s tilted against him. On the other hand, his unsuccessful Presidential run might boost his name recognition enough for a successful gubernatorial or Senate run. And after a term or three of that, then maybe he would be ready for a real run for the Presidency. He’s young; he’s got time. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/523 "2019-07-26T17:43:26Z")
I’m very active on Twitter and I’m really impressed by the behavior of the vast majority of Buttigieg supporters. It seems Mayor Pete’s call for decency really is trickling down. I’m still seeing the same nastiness from Sanders supporters and the small group of Yang supporters is more a cult that has to comment on every political tweet with references to Yang. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/524 "2019-07-26T23:46:29Z")
> [@Lamoral](#): > > I certainly intend no disrespect for your daughter, but only disagreement with that statement, especially if her reasons for seeing it that way were motivated by his very savvy comment regarding Chik-Fil-A. Disrespect away. Like father, like daughter, she’s a crank. ---
**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 27, 2019, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/525 "2019-07-27T09:44:59Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > House district 1 is a D+8 and held by a white guy, district 7 is D+11 and held by a black guy. Not sure if it was reserved for him. > > [Indiana's congressional districts - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiana%27s_congressional_districts) Interesting, thanks. Looks like the district that contains South Bend is impossible given that Trump won there by 23 points. And although District 1 looks like it would be fine, that would involve moving—in which case he might as well go to Illinois and run statewide as asahi suggested. I do think it’s a shame to waste his talents, so I would be interested in hearing potential strategies to pull this off without being tagged as a carpetbagger. Chronos thanks if he’s such a good politician, he can just do it in Indiana. But there are plenty of states where even the most talented Democrats would not be able to win statewide. And Indiana has become one of those. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/526 "2019-07-27T10:31:41Z")
As far as the US House, Senate and governorships go, successful Indiana Democrats have been Republican light: Evan Bayh, Frank O’Bannon, Pete Visclosky, Joe Donnelly. Donnelly (defeated in 2018 as an incumbent Senator) held H Dist 2 (South Bend) prior to its current occupant. H Dist 2’s borders have since been redrawn, making it very difficult for a D to claim that seat. With this presidential bid giving him name and facial recognition, Mayor Pete could give Rep Walorski a run for her money - she’s really not all that popular. I could also see him doing well running against Governor Holcomb, but not well enough to win. ---
**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 27, 2019, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/527 "2019-07-27T17:36:08Z")
[Krystal Ball’s radar takes a look at the opioid crisis and Pete Buttigieg’s connection.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G11eWbKNoBk&feature=youtu.be) ---
**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 27, 2019, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/528 "2019-07-27T20:37:12Z")
Personal, O’Donnelly’s loss in a “blue wave” year suggests to me that Indiana has, like Missouri, moved out of reach for Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2019, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/529 "2019-07-28T09:56:17Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Are there any House districts in Indiana where Democrats have a shot but are not basically reserved for the Congressional Black Caucus? I think he may be a very talented politician who is tragically stuck in the wrong state. Maybe the Ninth District. It includes Bloomington, New Albany, and Jeffersonville. Bloomington in a liberal college town while Democrats can compete in New Albany and Jeffersonville. Currently, a Republican has represented the Ninth, but that has not always been the case. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2019, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/530 "2019-07-28T13:27:22Z")
> [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](#): > > Maybe the Ninth District. It includes Bloomington, New Albany, and Jeffersonville. Bloomington in a liberal college town while Democrats can compete in New Albany and Jeffersonville. Currently, a Republican has represented the Ninth, but that has not always been the case. You sound local but they changed the boundaries after the last census so the historical winners are less meaningful. On the wiki link above, they list the lean of the 9th as R+13. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [July 28, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/531 "2019-07-28T17:01:26Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > Personal, O’Donnelly’s loss in a “blue wave” year suggests to me that Indiana has, like Missouri, moved out of reach for Democrats. I don’t disagree that it’s improbable that Pete would win a House seat. He would not win Indiana in the general. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2019, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/532 "2019-07-30T01:55:19Z")
I’m hoping that his alleged “unpopular with people of color” problem is exaggerated and here is someone that agrees with me. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aTRSgmQI3Lg/hqdefault.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEmCOADEOgC8quKqQMa8AEB-AHmAoAC6AKKAgwIABABGGUgVyhNMA8=&rs=AOn4CLDZrJri-V3CxaDDwZrRNM_7qNgRxw "This South Bend, iN Woman of Color Supports Pete Buttigieg") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTRSgmQI3Lg) ^ A woman of color making the case for Pete. She sees the same things in Pete that I do. He’s calm and smart and kind. A welcome antidote to Trump. ---
**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 30, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/533 "2019-07-30T02:17:37Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I’m hoping that his alleged “unpopular with people of color” problem is exaggerated and here is someone that agrees with me. > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTRSgmQI3Lg&feature=youtu.be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTRSgmQI3Lg&feature=youtu.be) > > ^ A woman of color making the case for Pete. She sees the same things in Pete that I do. He’s calm and smart and kind. A welcome antidote to Trump. One “people of color” problem that Pete may have is his being gay. This is strictly anecdotal but my own experience is that there are a lot of African Americans and Hispanics who are socially conservative and might have issues with a gay candidate. ---
**Author:** ![Gymnopithys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/fbc32d/32.png) [@Gymnopithys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gymnopithys)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2019, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/534 "2019-08-13T19:50:07Z")
My colleague\* in Malta says _tigiega_, plural _tigieg_ is the name for chicken. So the correct meaning of Buttigieg is “papa-chickens” as **Gyrate** (post 34) almost had it. \*Natalino Fenech, author of _Birds of Malta_ is on facebook. See his superb bird photos **Johanna** , you certainly know Maltese is a dying language. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/535 "2019-08-14T10:38:53Z")
I saw a report yesterday, but now I can’t find it again to cite it, but Pete polled very well in Iowa. He and Warren were almost tied at the top of the list. Also, Jonathan Capehart was on MSNBC talking about having just returned from his family reunion in South Carolina and he was very surprised at how much his older relatives really like Mayor Pete. I gather they still sort of prefer Biden, but they are not against the idea of Pete. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/536 "2019-08-14T21:41:14Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I saw a report yesterday, but now I can’t find it again to cite it, but Pete polled very well in Iowa. He and Warren were almost tied at the top of the list. I couldn’t find that either. But maybe you meant the [Monmouth poll](https://www.monmouth.edu/polling-institute/reports/monmouthpoll_IA_080819/) where he polled at 8%? It’s not his highest polling number, but it’s up there. In the [same poll](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2020/president/ia/iowa_democratic_presidential_caucus-6731.html), Sanders polled at 9% and Warren at 19% in Iowa. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/537 "2019-08-14T21:58:54Z")
No, it was a poll that showed Warren at 18. something and Pete at 18. something, but I can’t find it again. ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/538 "2019-08-14T22:15:19Z")
[538’s poll roundup](https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/polls/president-primary-d/iowa/) doesn’t mention it, so either it’s super recent or not a credible poll. I do note that July 11 poll which somehow has him leading Iowa with 25%, which is…not consistent with other available data. ---
**Author:** ![Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heffalump_and_roo/32/7691_2.png) [@Heffalump\_and\_Roo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heffalump_and_Roo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2019, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/539 "2019-08-14T22:15:33Z")
Ah OK, I think I found it at the [Pete subreddit](https://old.reddit.com/r/Pete_Buttigieg/). It’s an Iowa State Fair [straw poll](https://whotv.com/2019/08/08/cast-your-kernel-results-4/amp/). It has Pete at 17% and Warren at 16%. It has the Republicans winning 51/49. It looks like Pete had a great time at the Iowa State Fair. There are pictures of him [riding a giant slide](https://old.reddit.com/r/Pete_Buttigieg/comments/cq83lp/not_everyone_enjoys_the_giant_slide_as_much_as/), [riding the Sky glide](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/elections/presidential/caucus/2019/08/14/iowa-caucus-pete-buttigieg-sky-glider-state-fair-soapbox-food-pork-chop-fried-oreo-bacon-ball-2020/2003380001/) and [eating a bunch of food](https://www.eater.com/2019/8/14/20805052/pete-buttigieg-eats-iowa-state-fair-food?utm_campaign=eater.social&utm_content=eater&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook). ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/540 "2019-09-02T17:34:12Z")
> [@](#): > > When Pete Buttigieg walked onstage at this month’s Iowa Democratic Wing Ding dinner, the crowd exploded into perhaps their loudest cheer for any of the 20 presidential candidates there that night. > > He still commands attention, and inside that room there was real affection from voters who will matter soon. > > But six months have passed since Buttigieg’s breakout moment at a CNN town hall briefly propelled him from obscurity to serious contender, and this summer, he seems stuck in fifth place. Now, after a fundraising period in which he led all rivals, including former vice president Joe Biden and several senators with national followings, his team is working to build Buttigieg into a sustainable force capable of winning the Democratic nomination. > > “The first phase was just getting people to understand how to pronounce this impossible to pronounce Maltese last name,” Lis Smith, a senior adviser to the campaign who has been with Buttigieg from the start, told BuzzFeed News. “The second phase was to blow everyone out of the water on fundraising — everyone out of the fucking water. Done. Done. Now the third phase is blow them out of the water with our organization and our organizational abilities.” I’ve been wondering where he’s gone. Had to ride through a wave of negative press following the police incident in South Bend but he’s got a lot of money behind his campaign now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=26) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=28)