# 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:** 3
**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:** [March 16, 2019, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/41 "2019-03-16T05:04:00Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > For weeks, I have been very confused as to why anyone gave any credence to a presidential run by the mayor of the fourth largest city in Indiana. But then today I heard on the 538 podcast that he is openly gay, and that was a lightbulb moment. This sounds really dismissive and makes me wonder if you have read what others have posted in this thread: Rhodes scholar, decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan, held in high regard by Democratic Party regulars AND the local Chamber of Commerce, turned around the local economy, young, charismatic speaker and comes across very well on television and interviews. Most of those are things that would give credence to a run for president even if he wasn’t gay. Odd that’s the only part of his story you picked up on. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/42 "2019-03-16T15:59:06Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Those already distinguish him from the crowd. Also a Rhodes Scholar and he earned a commendation for his counterterrorism work in Afghanistan. Those are fine achievements, especially the military service, but does he have a signature issue that he wants to enact if elected? And especially something that distinguishes him from the dozens of other Democrats, many of whom are equally academically accomplished and some of which have military experience. > [@](#): > > Apart from getting elected at 29 and then re-elected, which are achievements unto themselves? His website says “Under his leadership, South Bend has reimagined its role in the global economy with job growth and major investment in advanced industries, with a focus on data and technology.” I don’t know what that means… That’s kind of what I mean - his own website doesn’t say anything specific that couldn’t be said about many other mayors. > [@](#): > > But as I said, we live in odd times politically and given that Republicans have pretty much forfeited the right to accuse any other presidential candidate of inadequate experience, who know what may happen. I wasn’t thinking about Republicans - is there anything about him that would tend to work against accusations of inexperience from other Democrats? Or would tend to attract votes, more than for other candidates? IOW he should be nominated by the Democrats because [ul][li]he’s young, [_]he’s a veteran, [_]he is openly gay [_]he got elected mayor of South Bend twice, AND [_]_fill in the blank here._[/ul][/li] Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/43 "2019-03-16T16:32:25Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > IOW he should be nominated by the Democrats because [ul][li]he’s young, [_]he’s a veteran, [_]he is openly gay [_]he got elected mayor of South Bend twice, AND [_]_fill in the blank here._[/ul][/li] > Regards, > Shodan Your lack of a clearer picture of his candidacy is not surprising, and I’m not taking a swipe at you there, Shodan — he’s a bottom-of-the-second-tier candidate at best, and hasn’t gotten a lot of coverage. (He’s still fundraising on the “give me $3 so I can qualify to get in the debates” message, I believe.) Here are some reasons he’s near the top of my list, and that I gave him that three bucks this morning: 1. he sounds smart and honest when he speaks, especially when interviewed. (Low bar? Maybe, but people have trouble clearing it.) He’s a natural born vote-winner in the way Obama was, IMHO. Shallow reason? Sure. 2. He’s thoughtful and open-minded in discussing policy. Vox interviewed him at SXSW — Apple link here [‎The Weeds: Live Weeds with Pete Buttigieg on Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/voxs-the-weeds/id1042433083?mt=2&i=1000431633038) or look for The Weeds podcast on your platform. Answers on policy questions seem nuanced, not programmatic or calculated. 3. He’s future-oriented. Concerned about automation-\>job loss and climate change. 4. He’s willing to look at bold solutions. For example, he and Warren are (I believe) the strongest anti-filibuster voices in the field — which, if you’re serious about making big policy, is the right stance to take. 5. he seems like a fundamentally decent person. See his letter to local Muslims after Christchurch: [https://twitter.com/petebuttigieg/status/1106694962501042177?s=21](https://twitter.com/petebuttigieg/status/1106694962501042177?s=21) 6. if he gets the VP nod, I’d love to see him debate Pence. So, Shodan, I look forward to not hearing about how he’s just an identity politics candidate anymore. (NB: in the DemocratIC Party, “gay white man” is not an identity that is going to swing the biggest vote blocs.) ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/44 "2019-03-16T16:51:13Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Those are fine achievements, especially the military service, but does he have a signature issue that he wants to enact if elected? And especially something that distinguishes him from the dozens of other Democrats, many of whom are equally academically accomplished and **some of which have military experience…** > > Regards, > Shodan Emphasis mine. Among declared candidates, you are talking about Tulsi Gabbard and no one else. Seth Moulton is also a veteran, and might run. [Who’s Running for President in 2020? - The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/us/politics/2020-presidential-candidates.html) Did I miss somebody? Because both Gabbard and Moilton would be running anti-DemocratIC Party candidacies (in different ways). PS: how many “dozens” of Democrats do you think will run? It looks to be about two, at most, and that’s including people like Andrew Yang and Marianne Williamson. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/45 "2019-03-16T17:46:15Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > BTW - the best bit of that Telegraph article: OK! Thanks, **Gyrate**! The hidden d of dajāj explains it! Dajāj means poultry in Classical Arabic. Please cancel what I said above. Maltese has somehow [devoiced the initial d- into a t-](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/ti%C4%A1ie%C4%A1a#Maltese). That was the piece of the puzzle I’d been missing. So Classical Arabic أبو الدجاج Abū al-dajāj ‘Father of poultry’ becomes Maltese Bu-t-tiġieġ. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/46 "2019-03-16T17:54:30Z")
So it’s just the Maltese for ‘Chicken-farmer’? ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/47 "2019-03-16T18:25:01Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > Your lack of a clearer picture of his candidacy is not surprising, and I’m not taking a swipe at you there, Shodan — he’s a bottom-of-the-second-tier candidate at best, and hasn’t gotten a lot of coverage. (He’s still fundraising on the “give me $3 so I can qualify to get in the debates” message, I believe.) > Here are some reasons he’s near the top of my list, and that I gave him that three bucks this morning: > > 1. he sounds smart and honest when he speaks, especially when interviewed. (Low bar? Maybe, but people have trouble clearing it.) He’s a natural born vote-winner in the way Obama was, IMHO. Shallow reason? Sure. > 2. He’s thoughtful and open-minded in discussing policy. Vox interviewed him at SXSW — Apple link here [‎The Weeds: Live Weeds with Pete Buttigieg on Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/voxs-the-weeds/id1042433083?mt=2&i=1000431633038) or look for The Weeds podcast on your platform. Answers on policy questions seem nuanced, not programmatic or calculated. > 3. He’s future-oriented. Concerned about automation-\>job loss and climate change. > 4. He’s willing to look at bold solutions. For example, he and Warren are (I believe) the strongest anti-filibuster voices in the field — which, if you’re serious about making big policy, is the right stance to take. > 5. he seems like a fundamentally decent person. See his letter to local Muslims after Christchurch: [https://twitter.com/petebuttigieg/status/1106694962501042177?s=21](https://twitter.com/petebuttigieg/status/1106694962501042177?s=21) > 6. if he gets the VP nod, I’d love to see him debate Pence. > > So, Shodan, I look forward to not hearing about how he’s just an identity politics candidate anymore. (NB: in the DemocratIC Party, “gay white man” is not an identity that is going to swing the biggest vote blocs.) A week or so ago I turned on the radio in the car and heard an interview in progress, not knowing who it was talking. Dang, I thought, who is this guy? Impressive! Then I found out that yes it was Mayor Pete. Again, dang, I thought. This time about the shame that he has no chance. ---
**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:** [March 16, 2019, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/48 "2019-03-16T18:25:57Z")
For what it’s worth, Google Translate does have Maltese, but it can’t do anything with “Buttigieg”. In fact, it considers it English, no doubt due to most instances of the word being on English-language pages. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/49 "2019-03-16T18:42:36Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Again, dang, I thought. This time about the shame that he has no chance. Really? Could he not be the American Trudeau? He’s older than Pitt the Younger when the latter became Prime Minister. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/50 "2019-03-16T19:48:59Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > Again, dang, I thought. This time about the shame that he has no chance. My two cents? If you like him, support him (just by talking about him as a good candidate). And don’t get committed to him (or anyone else) to a degree where you’ll be devastated that they don’t get the nom. Moderation in all things. PS: according to his Twitter account, he has enough small-dollar donations, as of today, to get in the debates. I don’t expect him to win, but I’m glad he’ll be there, because he brings a lot to the table. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/51 "2019-03-16T20:02:39Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Really? Could he not be the American Trudeau? He’s older than Pitt the Younger when the latter became Prime Minister. Conventional wisdom says he has no chance at winning the “invisible primary” (fundraising, support from current/former officeholders) or the expectations game (media attention to the candidates who “have a chance”). Unless something changes. We have a weak party system in the US, so voters choose presidential candidates — we are also an absurdly large country to have such a system, which means most of us won’t learn much about most of the candidates unless they have some kind of institutional support or gain attention in some way (eg Trump’s outlandish performative racism). But that traditional dynamic may be changing. Sanders’s candidacy in 2016 was a long-shot protest bid when he announced — he ended up doing quite well. It wasn’t all due to the Russians, either. :dubious: One thing’s for sure: Mayor Pete\*’s not going to win the nom by following Pitt’s or Trudeau’s lead, because our system is very different. - after his Christchurch statement yesterday, I’m just gonna start calling him “America’s Mayor.” ---
**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:** [March 16, 2019, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/52 "2019-03-16T20:46:46Z")
> [@Kolak\_of\_Twilo](#): > > This sounds really dismissive and makes me wonder if you have read what others have posted in this thread: Rhodes scholar, decorated veteran of the war in Afghanistan, held in high regard by Democratic Party regulars AND the local Chamber of Commerce, turned around the local economy, young, charismatic speaker and comes across very well on television and interviews. Most of those are things that would give credence to a run for president even if he wasn’t gay. Odd that’s the only part of his story you picked up on. I think it would be great to have an openly gay candidate make a serious run, maybe get tapped for VP. But it should be someone like Tammy Baldwin who has reached a higher office. If we were to even consider a mayor as a presidential contender, it ought to be one who presides over one of the largest cities in the country. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2019, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/53 "2019-03-16T22:35:37Z")
> [@SlackerInc](#): > > I think it would be great to have an openly gay candidate make a serious run, maybe get tapped for VP. But it should be someone like Tammy Baldwin who has reached a higher office. If we were to even consider a mayor as a presidential contender, it ought to be one who presides over one of the largest cities in the country. De Blasio, Garcetti, Emanuel … well, at least they’re all Democrats, I guess. Of course, none of them is running (yet?). ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/54 "2019-03-17T01:48:49Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > So it’s just the Maltese for ‘Chicken-farmer’? Think. “Father of chickens”—what could that mean but… rooster? Bu means ‘father’, not ‘lord’. I’m grateful to the _Telegraph_ for giving us the clue to “tiġieġ,” but I criticize their mistranslation of Bu. > [@Chronos](#): > > For what it’s worth, Google Translate does have Maltese, but it can’t do anything with “Buttigieg”. In fact, it considers it English, no doubt due to most instances of the word being on English-language pages. It couldn’t do anything with the name as is, because the way the different words are compounded to make a surname isn’t going to be found in any dictionary. The dictionary does have _tiġieġ_ translated as chickens. \*Bu \*is North African Arabic for ‘father’, but isn’t a word in standard Maltese, in which the word for father is \*missier \*(from “monsieur,” via Italian). The things Google Translate can do are dwarfed by the things it hopelessly can’t do. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/55 "2019-03-17T01:59:42Z")
\*I was kidding about “rooster.” The Arabic \*kunyah \*is a naming convention where the word \*abū \*‘father’ or \*umm \*‘mother’ is compounded with a following noun or proper name. Generally, it uses your kid’s name N to literally call you ‘father/mother of N’. Figuratively, “Abū/Umm X” can mean ‘the person who has/owns/is characterized by X’. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2019, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/56 "2019-03-17T05:55:02Z")
I am impressed by something I learned today, that he speaks seven languages, including Norwegian–which he learned because he read a book translated from Norwegian, and the author’s other works had not been translated into English. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2019, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/57 "2019-03-17T06:19:50Z")
> [@Johanna](#): > > \*I was kidding about “rooster.” The Arabic \*kunyah \*is a naming convention where the word \*abū \*‘father’ or \*umm \*‘mother’ is compounded with a following noun or proper name. Generally, it uses your kid’s name N to literally call you ‘father/mother of N’. Figuratively, “Abū/Umm X” can mean ‘the person who has/owns/is characterized by X’. I fucking love the SDMB. ---
**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:** [March 17, 2019, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/58 "2019-03-17T06:22:11Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > De Blasio, Garcetti, Emanuel … well, at least they’re all Democrats, I guess. Of course, none of them is running (yet?). Garcetti has dropped out. De Blasio is sniffing around New Hampshire. Emanuel who? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2019, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/59 "2019-03-17T06:34:31Z")
I’m getting ads on Facebook for Buttegieg, while I haven’t seen any ads for any other candidates. Is this because I live 10 miles away from South Bend, or are people elsewhere in the country also seeing them? ---
**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:** [March 17, 2019, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032/60 "2019-03-17T06:59:55Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > …IOW he should be nominated by the Democrats because [ul][li]he’s young, [_]he’s a veteran, [_]he is openly gay [_]he got elected mayor of South Bend twice, AND [_]_fill in the blank here._[/ul][/li] > Regards, > Shodan To your fill in the blank - \*\* He gives thoughtful answers to the questions he is asked.\*\* IOW, there is a genuineness to him not seen in some time and he actually appears to consider his answers before he opens his mouth. Given our present circumstances that should get him declared President by acclamation. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-pete-buttigieg/831032.md?page=4)