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*** Official Pete Buttigieg Thread *** (1 Viewer)

This turn of phrase works on several levels - would it not be funny if you had said "poker him"?  :oldunsure:
i was saving "poker him" for when i suggest the Bootyjudge started banging dudes for DemCred™. i was gonna use "backdoor solution" and maybe even work "taint" in there somewhere, but now you gone & spoilt it

 
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I think Buttigieg has done a great job campaigning to this point - they are very clearly ahead of their goal.

He took advantage of a lull in the campaign between the time of announcements, and when everyone is tripping over each other criss-crossing Iowa and New Hampshire, to get his name out there.

That was the hard part.

Now, comes the really hard part - people will start hitting back.  Up to now, he has not really faced adversity from other candidates - but as the threat rises, so too will the attacks. 

Buttigieg has gotten the press to buy into his generational change mantra - but when the debates hit in June/July, you can be sure that Sanders, Biden - and even Warren, Harris, Klobuchar, and Booker will turn the table and try and show that they are not "too old", but that Buttigieg lacks enough experience in the world outside of South Bend.  I think Buttigieg will have to be ready to prove that he can lead on the international stage - maybe by pointing out that the other candidates, for all their experience, have not been able to effect change and/or leadership.

 
Related to Sinn's comments:  can he take a punch?  Can he throw a punch? 
Depends on the style of fight he wants to engage in, I'd imagine.

My guess is that he wants to do more a 2008 Obama-style campaign which was light on punches rather than a 2016 Trump campaign.  Could be a refreshing change from the past few years, that plays to his strength.

 
Sinn Fein said:
I think Buttigieg has done a great job campaigning to this point - they are very clearly ahead of their goal.

He took advantage of a lull in the campaign between the time of announcements, and when everyone is tripping over each other criss-crossing Iowa and New Hampshire, to get his name out there.

That was the hard part.

Now, comes the really hard part - people will start hitting back.  Up to now, he has not really faced adversity from other candidates - but as the threat rises, so too will the attacks. 

Buttigieg has gotten the press to buy into his generational change mantra - but when the debates hit in June/July, you can be sure that Sanders, Biden - and even Warren, Harris, Klobuchar, and Booker will turn the table and try and show that they are not "too old", but that Buttigieg lacks enough experience in the world outside of South Bend.  I think Buttigieg will have to be ready to prove that he can lead on the international stage - maybe by pointing out that the other candidates, for all their experience, have not been able to effect change and/or leadership.
You know, this might be naive, but I still have a feeling that the Democratic debates this time around are not going to feature a lot of attacking each other. There will be some policy differences but I don’t believe there will be much in the way of personal attacks. 

And that’s not because these people are saints. It’s because they realize the voters aren’t going to tolerate it. They want them to attack Trump and not each other. 

 
You know, this might be naive, but I still have a feeling that the Democratic debates this time around are not going to feature a lot of attacking each other. There will be some policy differences but I don’t believe there will be much in the way of personal attacks. 

And that’s not because these people are saints. It’s because they realize the voters aren’t going to tolerate it. They want them to attack Trump and not each other. 
I don't think it will be "nasty" - but I think we are already seeing indirect attacks on the contenders.  I think most of the "hit" pieces you see in the media are oppo research leaked to the press by opposing candidates.  

And, I think that when it comes to the debates - there are so many similarities - candidates will be looking for something different to distinguish them from the others.  For Buttigieg it is about the age difference - and, without being direct, his implication will be that the others (Sanders and Biden in particular) are too old.  And the others have spent too much time in Washington.

So, I expect the others to focus on experience as a plus - and directly, or indirectly, point out that Buttigieg does not have experience on the national (or international) stage.  The inference being that experience is critical to the job.

Buttigieg just needs to be ready to counter those points - and show that he is the person who can lead and unite the country

 
 and show that he is the person who can lead and unite the country
He can certainly lead the country. But unite it? Don’t know if anyone can do that. And given what many rural and conservative religious areas continue to believe, I have serious doubts that a gay man can do it. Some people are always going to hate him no matter what. 

 
He better bring a lot more than so and so is to old. All the polling is saying primary voters don't care about age.

 
He better bring a lot more than so and so is to old. All the polling is saying primary voters don't care about age.
He will.  But I don't think your read of the polling data is very accurate...

I think the question you should start to ask:  "Why has Bernie lost so many supporters since 2016?"

And, "What does he need to do to win them back?"

 
He better bring a lot more than so and so is to old. All the polling is saying primary voters don't care about age.
I really don’t think age is going to come into play. Certainly it shouldn’t. Bernie is as energetic as they come. 

It strikes me that it takes more energy to run for President than it does to be President. 

 
Obviously, more policy details need to and will come, but man, every time I hear him speak, I'm more and more in. 

Whatever his specific policy stances end up being, he strikes me as the sort of thoughtful leader this country desperately needs. 

You're always wary of someone that sounds like superhero candidate that seems too perfect, like he was cooked up in a politician incubator. But when you hear him speak, it seems he's a decent person that's fair and compassionate, that he actually listens and tries to fully understand the issues, that he would try to understand the downside to each issue, and would admit/change course when he's wrong. 

It's so early, but he seems so refreshingly different from the super Type A "I'm going to make a decision without any thought and just yell it louder than everybody else" style we have right now. 

As a politician, I think his style will be highly effective. If he can get people to pay attention, they'll like him. And his background will certainly get people to pay attention. The nerdy, subdued tone, I think, will actually make him stand out. 

And oh man, the young vote? He will drive that maybe like no one we've ever seen. 

 
:coffee:

Good morning!  My older daughter and I are off for a little road trip today - driving up to South Bend.

Thankfully they have moved the announcement indoor, because it is supposed to be mid-30s and rain this afternoon.  I am not really sure what to expect, but it will be some good father-daughter bonding time if nothing else. 

Kentucky is not really a hotbed of campaign activity, even as it gets close to its primary, so I figured this was as good a chance as any to see/hear Buttigieg speak in something other than a YouTube video.  My younger daughter, who is as politically aware as any 12-yo should be, already had plans, but my older daughter surprised me by saying she wanted to go - so off we go!

 
IMHO Bootyjudge is another perfect VP candidate. If they choose a centrist candidate, Booty will have a shot at a VP, choosing a progressive, not so much

 
Is the timing with the Masters relevant at all? Would it be fair to say there's not a GOP heavier sports audience than Sunday at the Masters so maybe it doesn't matter at all? 

 
IMHO Bootyjudge is another perfect VP candidate. If they choose a centrist candidate, Booty will have a shot at a VP, choosing a progressive, not so much
They said that a lot about Obama before the primaries.  But he exploded in popularity and was the one picking the VP instead.

 
Is the timing with the Masters relevant at all? Would it be fair to say there's not a GOP heavier sports audience than Sunday at the Masters so maybe it doesn't matter at all? 
I don’t think it matters. 

But the Masters is one of those unique sporting events that can make everyone feel good (if something like today happens.) I even feel generous toward the President- he and I were both rooting for the victor. 

If I were sitting next to Trump watching Tiger pull out that win I imagine I would high five the President, maybe even hug him. And then I would say, “Mr President can we put all of this crap aside and work out something humane and reasonable on the migrant issue that everybody can agree with?” And who knows? Maybe in that single moment it would be possible. That’s the beauty of what sports can do. 

 
Great announcement speech. I mentioned earlier one of the boxes that Pete still needed to check was his ability to deliver his message in a larger speech setting. Box checked. 

I don't know if it's intentional (it's probably intentional) but he's mimicking a lot of Obama's cadence and language, and he makes it work. 

 
It's this kind of stuff in the campaign, from using technology in innovative ways, to bringing together a quality team, to handling adversity politically and pulling through, to changing the tone of a campaign....these are things that i'm looking for in a candidate.  We'll see if he can deliver, but if he can it'll bode well for his chances.

 
It's this kind of stuff in the campaign, from using technology in innovative ways, to bringing together a quality team, to handling adversity politically and pulling through, to changing the tone of a campaign....these are things that i'm looking for in a candidate.  We'll see if he can deliver, but if he can it'll bode well for his chances.
I think clearly he'll do this kind of stuff. This doesn't surprise me at all. I'd expect the same from any super smart 37 year old. 

 
I think clearly he'll do this kind of stuff. This doesn't surprise me at all. I'd expect the same from any super smart 37 year old. 
I'd hope so.  Those are most of the things I look for to confirm the judgement of a 37 year old who could handle this position.  Pick a good team, handle adversity, utilize the best that's out there to reach your base, and do it all while engaging civilly and calling us to a higher standard.

Still unlikely he'll win.  

I don't sense the progressives as mobilized behind him as they were for Obama.  But it's still an impressive team.  In 2008, many folks were watching the announcement speech Obama gave, but I don't get the same sense right now.  

Looking forward to see how he does over the next few months and I truly hope he has the political instincts and judgment necessary to succeed here.  A person like him, with the right set of skills and judgment, would be a great thing for our country (imo).

 
I'd hope so.  Those are most of the things I look for to confirm the judgement of a 37 year old who could handle this position.  Pick a good team, handle adversity, utilize the best that's out there to reach your base, and do it all while engaging civilly and calling us to a higher standard.

Still unlikely he'll win.  

I don't sense the progressives as mobilized behind him as they were for Obama.  But it's still an impressive team.  In 2008, many folks were watching the announcement speech Obama gave, but I don't get the same sense right now.  

Looking forward to see how he does over the next few months and I truly hope he has the political instincts and judgment necessary to succeed here.  A person like him, with the right set of skills and judgment, would be a great thing for our country (imo).
It feels like the next logical step from President Obama's campaign. He had the Shepard Fairey "HOPE" that was cool and hip. But Fairey's royalty in the graphic world. This is more "open source" with the idea like "give kids an iphone and see what kind of movie they'll make and I guarantee you there's undiscovered talent out there that just needed the tools". That kind of breaking down barriers has been fun to watch in other areas. I'll be surprised if it's not effective here. We'll see. 

 
IMHO Bootyjudge is another perfect VP candidate. If they choose a centrist candidate, Booty will have a shot at a VP, choosing a progressive, not so much
Nate Silver did an analysis of prior elections in 2016 showing that, at most, the VP can help win his own state. Maybe Kaine helped keep Virginia for the Dems in a close race. I do get the feeling that Bernie as VP could've made a difference in the very close states that Trump won. The dems have little chance of winning Indiana, so Mayor Pete may not be the best choice for VP.

 
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Just stopping for dinner now - I’ll post more later - but a great day even if we could not get in the building. Pete came outside to talk for a few minutes after the introductory speeches - when he was done my daughter turned around with tears in her eyes and just said “Thanks for bringing me”.  So that made the whole trip worthwhile for me. 

I think he has “it”, and I was impressed with the professionalism of the event - even if we were out side in freezing rain!

 
Just stopping for dinner now - I’ll post more later - but a great day even if we could not get in the building. Pete came outside to talk for a few minutes after the introductory speeches - when he was done my daughter turned around with tears in her eyes and just said “Thanks for bringing me”.  So that made the whole trip worthwhile for me. 

I think he has “it”, and I was impressed with the professionalism of the event - even if we were out side in freezing rain!
Watching the video of the event and his speech, I was impressed.  He rose to the occasion and I liked his framing of key platform topics as “security” related: healthcare security, climate security, etc.  I think that could cause the discussion of those issues to take place in an area of strength for him if they take root.

Overall, it was a great launch with a very good speech. 

Looking forward to to see what comes next.  Hope to see some longer format convos with him...even with potential opposition like Ben Shapiro...find myself looking forward to those type interviews more than the typical ones.

 
Here is a quick video of the end of Pete's speech outside the Launch Rally - this was just before he took the stage inside

(It looks better on my phone, but the audio is still good.  I just caught the end of his few minutes outside)

ETA - here was the full quote that I cut off in the beginning:

"I am impressed by the people standing inside," he said, the rain hitting his uncovered head. "I am moved by the people standing outside because this is what the beginning of a new American spring looks like."

 
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Lis Smith‏Verified account @Lis_Smith

Some news: since delivering his announcement speech, our grassroots supporters have invested more than $1m in @PeteButtigieg’s campaign. C’mon- let’s keep it going for #PeteForAmerica

4:04 PM - 14 Apr 2019 from South Bend, IN

 
SoBeDad said:
Nate Silver did an analysis of prior elections in 2016 showing that, at most, the VP can help win his own state. Maybe Kaine helped keep Virginia for the Dems in a close race. I do get the feeling that Bernie as VP could've made a difference in the very close states that Trump won. The dems have little chance of winning Indiana, so Mayor Pete may not be the best choice for VP.
If Pete can get young people to vote, that is a game changer.

 
“This time around it’s not about winning an election. It’s about winning an era.” 

What a great line. Kennedyesque. This guy is special. 

 
If he gets close to Orlando I’m gonna have to go an appearance of his...how could chanting “BOOTY!” with a large crowd not be fun?

 
He will.  But I don't think your read of the polling data is very accurate...

I think the question you should start to ask:  "Why has Bernie lost so many supporters since 2016?"

And, "What does he need to do to win them back?"
Really? Because he's expanded his base. He leads every 2020 possible contender with Latinos. He is more popular with women than he was in fact he is slightly more popular with women than men now.  And he is only behind Joe Biden among African Americans while he has twice the support of Kamala Harris amongst that group. He has attracted 1 million volunteers and is approaching 1 million donations. So his support seems both robust and diverse. 

 
“This time around it’s not about winning an election. It’s about winning an era.” 

What a great line. Kennedyesque. This guy is special. 




 




 
I know little about the man besides what everyone else has mentioned here. Clearly hyper-smart and charismatic. But I hope we don't get into this kind of fawning. 

 
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If Pete can get young people to vote, that is a game changer.
How are you defining "get young people to vote?". As in how they did for President Obama?

I'd have to think getting young people to vote would be one of the givens he'd be able to do. 

 
Ok, a few ( :lol:  ) thoughts on Buttigieg in general, and yesterday in particular

I first started paying attention to Buttigieg around the same time as everyone else - about a month ago after the CNN Town Hall.  I had known of him before that - but never really paid attention to him until Mid-March.  I have tried to learn as much as I can, watching interview after interview.  The three words that come to mind first are: Intelligent, Thoughtful and Uniter. 

As I have watched - there just seems to be something special about this guy - and when I knew he was going to have his launch rally, I thought this could be one of those moments when you look back, and say: "Remember when...?"  So, a week ago I made up my mind to make the trip to South Bend, and fortunately, my daughter was also up for the adventure.

Over the last month, even as I have really come to appreciate Buttigieg, and his message - I had a nagging feeling about whether he could take a small-town mayoral campaign, and turn it into a national campaign.  I had my doubts - but, ironically it was a lesson from Trump that should have opened my eyes.

When Trump was running for President, and particularly after he won, I thought that the gravity of the position would weigh on him, and would impact how he governed.  But, when someone tells you, and shows you, who they are over the course of months (years) - believe them.  Trump is exactly what he advertised himself to be - there should have been no surprises.

So - as I wondered whether Buttigieg could build a credible national campaign - I ignored what Pete was saying and doing.  Again - the impression he leaves after every conversation:  Intelligent, Thoughtful, Uniter.  That is who he is.  And, if you listened to any interview where the question came up about when Pete was going to announce - the answer was always the same:  "You only get one chance to launch a campaign, and I want to make sure we get it right."

When Pete announced the launch rally - it was originally set to take place in a park in South Bend (I think everyone else with a launch rally has done it outside).  Outside is the best venue for something like this - because it allows for both a big crowd, but also avoids looking like a disappointing crowd if it only half-fills a venue.  I RSVP'd but was also keeping my eye on the weather - and all week the forecast never changed - cold and 100% rain.  Sure enough, by Thursday, the campaign moved the rally indoor - into an old Studebaker factory, that is being transformed into warehouse style offices for tech companies.  Email from the campaign confirmed the move, that they had my RSVP, and gates open at 12.

I did a quick google of the building, and it is quite large, so I assumed it had capacity for everyone....

We got up early on Sunday, and left by 7, and we were in South Bend by 12.  We decided to get a quick bite to eat, and then parked, and walked about 15 minutes to the site - got there a little after 12:30.  Along the way, we passed people who said the building was full, and they were turning people away - but we just drove 5 hours, and i had RSVP's damnit!!  Sure enough when we got to the building police outside are not letting anyone in the building unless they had Press credentials.  Apparently RSVP did not count as credentials.

But, we soon discover they have set up a big screen behind the building, and they have a viewing area set up - so we head in, even had to go through airport-style security just to get to that area.

At this point, a few things have already dawned on me - first, we should have come up on Saturday, second, this was a pretty popular event, and third - the campaign knew exactly what it was doing.  The campaign knew, by the RSVPs, it would have an overflow crowd for the venue, and that meant a packed house inside, which is good for visuals, but they also were prepared for the overflow crowd - in more ways than one.  Obviously they had the big screen set-up, but they also had a dozen or so porta-potties set up, and significantly, they had a merchandise tent set up selling t-shirts, and giving away buttons.  They did not run out of shirts in any design, or any size - and every purchase meant collecting an email address.  In other words - they were prepared, and expected the turnout they got.  That is a sign of good organization.

The crowd outside looked a lot like the crowd inside - except we were all wearing jackets and hats.  But, it was predominately white.  It reminded me of a Bernie rally - with one subtle distinction.  The crowd had a pretty normal distribution age-wise - saw a lot of college age on up to "older" voters.  I would guess most would be considered "educated" - obviously a number of ND gear, and also saw a few Harvard sweatshirts out to support one of their own.  But, the mix of men and women was pretty equal - whereas when I saw Bernie, there were some, but fewer, women in the crowd.

Outside there was a real buzz about the crowd - it could have been just trying to stay warm, but you could feel the energy.  We got a chance to talk to a number of people, we had driven the furthest - but we met several who drove up from Indy and Chicago, and a few from Ohio.

A funny moment from when the rally started - the preacher was on, and the speakers outside were not working - I wasted my youth on rock concerts and loud music, and thus now have the hearing of an 80-yo man - so my daughter turned to me and said: "Don't worry, the speakers are not on - its not just you dad!"  :lol:

They got the speakers fixed - and even I could hear at that point.

Seeing the stage inside - my impression is that it was well designed in appearance, I thought the campaign logo was fantastic as a backdrop, I thought the large flag hanging on a sidewall of the building was very well placed - visually, everything looked professional.  These are all small, yet important details - and is a sign that the campaign was aiming for a national launch, not a small local campaign.

The choice of introductory speakers was very well planned: 

Minister - to connect Pete to faith
Mayor of Dayton - female, connected Pete to importance of mayors in the rust belt, as they rebuild towns/cities for the future
Mayor of West Sacramento - another mayor, gay, descendent of immigrants - very energetic speaker
(I missed who the 4th speaker was - other than a NBC news alum, and I think a well-known news figure from Chicago - who happened to be a 2nd mother to Pete - so she knew him personally, but I did not think she was the best in terms of rallying the crowd).

My only quibbles with the pre-rally line-up - the National Volunteer coordinators - they both seemed a little out of their depth.

Then the campaign had prepared for Pete to speak to the outside crowd - had the mike and sound system in place - and he came out and spoke to the crowd for a few minutes - Seemingly spontaneous, but quite clearly planned and well executed.

So, my take-aways - Pete has been telling us who he is:  he does not do anything in a knee-jerk reaction.  He is smart and thoughtful.  If he says he is ready to lead - believe him.  

 

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