Pete Buttigieg 2020 campaign megathread

[Tintrlvr]

I absolutely agree that it is more than just "blacks don't know him" or "blacks don't want to support a gay candidate." They don't trust him. He has no national record. He needs to go all in on making his case directly to black voters. He needs to have some uncomfortable conversations. If he really believes he can win these voters over, he never will until he gets into the weeds on issues that matter the most to them...by going directly to them.

I think he is doing exactly that. But it definitely takes a lot of time for black voters to be convinced. Once he wins Iowa (necessary if he is to have any chance at the nomination) and is more in the national spotlight, he will have some greater opportunity to take his case to black voters, though it's definitely a tight timeline. It's a tough balancing act when he also has to focus on winning Iowa decisively.

Separately but relatedly, I do think black voters prioritize experience much more than the average Democratic primary voter, which is not really a fixable problem for Buttigieg. Even a candidate like Sanders who had a lot of experience but not experience with which black voters were familiar was a tough sell.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

Are we all just saying Mayor Pete because we don't want to spell his acutal name and get it wrong lol

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Are we all just saying Mayor Pete because we don't want to spell his acutal name and get it wrong lol

Buttigieg is a lot of clashing letters that usually do not clash together. I can't think of how often I actually type "tigieg" (except referring to a member of Pete's family.)

[libertpaulian]

I absolutely agree that it is more than just "blacks don't know him" or "blacks don't want to support a gay candidate." They don't trust him. He has no national record. He needs to go all in on making his case directly to black voters. He needs to have some uncomfortable conversations. If he really believes he can win these voters over, he never will until he gets into the weeds on issues that matter the most to them...by going directly to them.

I think he is doing exactly that. But it definitely takes a lot of time for black voters to be convinced. Once he wins Iowa (necessary if he is to have any chance at the nomination) and is more in the national spotlight, he will have some greater opportunity to take his case to black voters, though it's definitely a tight timeline. It's a tough balancing act when he also has to focus on winning Iowa decisively.

Separately but relatedly, I do think black voters prioritize experience much more than the average Democratic primary voter, which is not really a fixable problem for Buttigieg. Even a candidate like Sanders who had a lot of experience but not experience with which black voters were familiar was a tough sell.

I think in a post-Ferguson era, African-American voters have become a lot more cynical and jaded about politics and "the system" in general.  Yes, they've been distrustful of politicians, police, long-revered institutions, etc. long beforehand, but Ferguson seemed to be the boiling point.  Probably a reason why Hillary lost (she couldn't earn enough black support in the general).

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

Clinton lost due to corruption, she also lost votes to Jill Stein and Gary Johnson votes. Blacks didn't come out to vote due to fact, they assumed she was winning.
The same polls show weakness in Biden's numbers in WI, due to corruption and Trump havent even unleashed any attack ads, and he is leading Biden, who supposed to win WI by 6 points, is losing

[Chancellor Tanterterg]

I absolutely agree that it is more than just "blacks don't know him" or "blacks don't want to support a gay candidate." They don't trust him. He has no national record. He needs to go all in on making his case directly to black voters. He needs to have some uncomfortable conversations. If he really believes he can win these voters over, he never will until he gets into the weeds on issues that matter the most to them...by going directly to them.

I think he is doing exactly that. But it definitely takes a lot of time for black voters to be convinced. Once he wins Iowa (necessary if he is to have any chance at the nomination) and is more in the national spotlight, he will have some greater opportunity to take his case to black voters, though it's definitely a tight timeline. It's a tough balancing act when he also has to focus on winning Iowa decisively.

Separately but relatedly, I do think black voters prioritize experience much more than the average Democratic primary voter, which is not really a fixable problem for Buttigieg. Even a candidate like Sanders who had a lot of experience but not experience with which black voters were familiar was a tough sell.

I think in a post-Ferguson era, African-American voters have become a lot more cynical and jaded about politics and "the system" in general.  Yes, they've been distrustful of politicians, police, long-revered institutions, etc. long beforehand, but Ferguson seemed to be the boiling point.  Probably a reason why Hillary lost (she couldn't earn enough black support in the general).

Can't really say I blame them tbh

[Tintrlvr]

I absolutely agree that it is more than just "blacks don't know him" or "blacks don't want to support a gay candidate." They don't trust him. He has no national record. He needs to go all in on making his case directly to black voters. He needs to have some uncomfortable conversations. If he really believes he can win these voters over, he never will until he gets into the weeds on issues that matter the most to them...by going directly to them.

I think he is doing exactly that. But it definitely takes a lot of time for black voters to be convinced. Once he wins Iowa (necessary if he is to have any chance at the nomination) and is more in the national spotlight, he will have some greater opportunity to take his case to black voters, though it's definitely a tight timeline. It's a tough balancing act when he also has to focus on winning Iowa decisively.

Separately but relatedly, I do think black voters prioritize experience much more than the average Democratic primary voter, which is not really a fixable problem for Buttigieg. Even a candidate like Sanders who had a lot of experience but not experience with which black voters were familiar was a tough sell.

I think in a post-Ferguson era, African-American voters have become a lot more cynical and jaded about politics and "the system" in general.  Yes, they've been distrustful of politicians, police, long-revered institutions, etc. long beforehand, but Ferguson seemed to be the boiling point.  Probably a reason why Hillary lost (she couldn't earn enough black support in the general).

See, I think the exact opposite. I agree that younger black voters feel this way to a significant degree, but turnout among younger black voters has always been dreadful, even during the Obama years, and the black vote is primarily driven by older voters. And I don't see older black voters having become more anti-system since Ferguson (or some other point in time), at least relative to everyone else. The entire country has become more anti-system over the past decade, and I actually think black voters have moved less in the anti-system direction than maybe any other group of voters (possibly Romney-Clinton wealthy suburbanites excepted). Certainly white Democrats are much, much more anti-system now than they were in 2004 or even 2008, but black Democrats (=black voters) are not, and largely vote for "system" candidates, whether Clinton in 2016 or Biden in 2020, at much higher rates than white Democrats do. The awkwardness for Buttigieg is that he is in some sense a "system" candidate (he's not part of the anti-system very left-wing group of candidates, in any case), but he's also low on experience and low on exposure to the black voters, which means he doesn't capture black voters' attention or trust the same way Clinton did or Biden does.

And I'm not just thinking about national politics, either. Look at the Tiffany Caban-Melinda Katz primary in Queens for DA earlier this year, which was seen as a major battle between establishment liberal Democrats and the insurgent anti-system very liberal Democratic groups and was certainly fought primarily on crime/police policy. Katz won 80+% of the vote in the heavily black areas of southeast Queens while getting demolished by Caban at equal margins in the white Democratic areas in western Queens.

Frankly, I think white Democrats who are increasingly anti-system on these types of issues want to think black Democrats feel the same way more than black Democrats actually do feel the same way.

[Rookie Yinzer]

https://twitter.com/politico/status/1197404374600953858?s=20

Pete had her face on the floor. *dead*

[libertpaulian]

Major props to Lis Smith for turning Pete into a national name.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

Major props to Lis Smith for turning Pete into a national name.

She's gonna have some huge job opportunities if Pete doesn't go all the way.

[Tender Branson]

Ipsos/538 says Pete won the debate.

[Queen Isuelt]

The online progressive media are starting to line attacks on Pete to help Bernie and Warren. I was wondering which are the most effective?

1) He lost to Richard Mourdock (rape apologist) by 25pts in Indiana. Very hard to find democrats who know this fact. He ran statewide once and got crushed unlike Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly. Is he running for president because he knew his career was over in politics because he knew he couldn’t win statewide?

2) Consultancy background at McKinsey.
Consultants are Trained to tell clients exactly what they want to hear. The results often differ from what was promised but consultants are highly skilled at managing expectations and pivoting when circumstances change. This is really coming through now. When he started he pandered to the Bernie wing and got free media. Then when the focus groups came in and he knew he couldn’t win through Bernie or Warren he moved to Biden/Klobuchar Wing. Every word he says is planned and scripted and he has no substance only rhetoric. The young Turks tribe have called him an empty suit and only appeals to white middle class elites.

3) Fake endorsements.
The left is furious with the media coverup on Petes campaign sending emails to democrats saying that if they don’t reply within 24 hrs they will endorse his plan. So democrats had to opt out of the email before having their name published as an endorser of Petes plan. Pete also listed the names of democrats that endorsed him for African Americans and it appears half the names were white and the black names that were listed got an email or phone call asking if they supported a policy idea not if it was endorsed by Pete would they be happy to sign up to it.

The lefts attacks are only beginning but the defeat to mourdock is a red flag. Lying to voters is a red flag and an empty suit politician is perfect for trump

[Amenhotep Bakari-Sellers]

We need to nominate Sanders or Buttigieg,  it turns out Biden is a crook and will be played out in a GE election campaign.  Biden and Warren numbers have dropped and Sanders and Buttigieg numbers have risen, this is before the voting begins, unlike last time Sanders rose after voting.

[Tender Branson]

His defeat in 2010 doesn't count, because 2010 was an extreme GOP year and especially in IN, where Republicans gained the Senate seat in this election and had a swing of 9% in their favour in the combined US House vote, while Dems lost 13%. They also dominated all other statewide offices.

He ran statewide once and got crushed unlike Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly.

You are also comparing apples with oranges: Bayh and Donnelly didn't run in 2010.

[Queen Isuelt]

His defeat in 2010 doesn't count, because 2010 was an extreme GOP year and especially in IN, where Republicans gained the Senate seat in this election and had a swing of 9% in their favour in the combined US House vote, while Dems lost 13%. They also dominated all other statewide offices.

He ran statewide once and got crushed unlike Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly.

You are also comparing apples with oranges: Bayh and Donnelly didn't run in 2010.

He’s getting a free pass from the media.
He lost by 25 points. Name me a democrat that is running for higher office that lost by 25 Pts??? Name me one Democrat
What about the lying ads and fake endorsements? You approve sending emails and if they don’t opt out it counts as an endorsement? Again not covered by the mainstream media.
What about editing and copying photos of black children with Pete again not real but photoshopped.

[Warren 4 Secretary of Everything]

His defeat in 2010 doesn't count, because 2010 was an extreme GOP year and especially in IN, where Republicans gained the Senate seat in this election and had a swing of 9% in their favour in the combined US House vote, while Dems lost 13%. They also dominated all other statewide offices.

He ran statewide once and got crushed unlike Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly.

You are also comparing apples with oranges: Bayh and Donnelly didn't run in 2010.

He’s getting a free pass from the media.
He lost by 25 points. Name me a democrat that is running for higher office that lost by 25 Pts??? Name me one Democrat
What about the lying ads and fake endorsements? You approve sending emails and if they don’t opt out it counts as an endorsement? Again not covered by the mainstream media.
What about editing and copying photos of black children with Pete again not real but photoshopped.

Well Biden got like 1% of the vote in the last election he was the primary candidate for back in 2008.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

It's not his fault that he can't win statewide in Indiana, and it should not be considered a knock against him for that being an objective fact. Also, Mourdock's rape comments came after his race against Pete.

The latter two comments are fair criticisms, but I think dismissing Pete as an "empty suit who will not deliver on his promises" is a bit of an unfair shake to him, though I agree he absolutely should address these concerns and do more to make the case that he's not just some focus group politician.

[Queen Isuelt]

We need to nominate Sanders or Buttigieg,  it turns out Biden is a crook and will be played out in a GE election campaign.  Biden and Warren numbers have dropped and Sanders and Buttigieg numbers have risen, this is before the voting begins, unlike last time Sanders rose after voting.

20% of the Democratic Party will never vote for Bernie sanders because of his vile supporters.

Amy klobuchar is far more credible than Pete; proven on the ballot, right age, understands Washington and how congress works. Pete doesn’t even understand how congressional committees work or how laws are passed and come into law. He’s a total novice and way out of his depth but the media won’t challenge him. If you don’t want a female to run against Trump then you have Biden or Booker. We have alternatives. Booker was mayor of Newark and a senator. Klobuchar would clean buttigieg up in a head to head.

[Queen Isuelt]

It's not his fault that he can't win statewide in Indiana, and it should not be considered a knock against him for that being an objective fact. Also, Mourdock's rape comments came after his race against Pete.

The latter two comments are fair criticisms, but I think dismissing Pete as an "empty suit who will not deliver on his promises" is a bit of an unfair shake to him, though I agree he absolutely should address these concerns and do more to make the case that he's not just some focus group politician.

Evan Bayh was an ex-Governor and senator from Indiana. He was in the final 3 (Biden, Bath and Sebelius) to be VP. Bayh was a coin flip from being Obamas vp.

Jon Tester (Montana), Bob Casey Jr (Pennsylvania), Sherrod Brown (Ohio) and Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota) have consistently outran every democrat in their states and when they win pundits brush it under the carpet. It shows how skilful they are as politicians that they can build coalitions of different voting groups.

Pete should run to be governor of Indiana. The democratic field has so much choice and I do understand Pete buttegieg support - lobbyists have given him cash, he’s spending 10 to 1 in Iowa according to Bernie sanders campaign

[Pollster]

What is perplexing about his 2010 run is not that he lost but that he underperformed every other statewide Dem. Mourdock was the only Republican to break 60% and was the state's top vote getter, though I'm sure third parties had something to do with this. This was before he was mayor and before he came out publicly.

What is more damaging (in the Democratic primary, at least) about his run was that he ran as an unapologetic fiscal conservative. Necessary given the political environment, but would not look good in today's campaign.

Regardless, I doubt he takes any hits about this other than the "not a tested candidate" barb.

[GeneralMacArthur]

Pete was all of 28 years old in 2010.  It's not like that loss is much of a testament to his appeal.  He's not the same politician today.  Obama lost his first election by a 2-1 landslide.

Also the notion that consultants tell people exactly what they want to hear is the opposite of reality.  Attacking McKinsey really isn't going to work.  NEET twitter progressives may not have heard of it, but among real adults it's well-known as an extremely prestigious company.  You might as well attack him for working for Google.

[Arizona Iced Tea]

His defeat in 2010 doesn't count, because 2010 was an extreme GOP year and especially in IN, where Republicans gained the Senate seat in this election and had a swing of 9% in their favour in the combined US House vote, while Dems lost 13%. They also dominated all other statewide offices.

He ran statewide once and got crushed unlike Evan Bayh or Joe Donnelly.

You are also comparing apples with oranges: Bayh and Donnelly didn't run in 2010.

He’s getting a free pass from the media.
He lost by 25 points. Name me a democrat that is running for higher office that lost by 25 Pts??? Name me one Democrat
What about the lying ads and fake endorsements? You approve sending emails and if they don’t opt out it counts as an endorsement? Again not covered by the mainstream media.
What about editing and copying photos of black children with Pete again not real but photoshopped.

Well Biden got like 1% of the vote in the last election he was the primary candidate for back in 2008.

And he got destroyed in Deleware to an rather unknown Senator from Illinois.

[Continential]

Buttigieg was like 28 in 2010, and the Dem candidate got 40% for senate and he was a CONGRESSMAN.

[💥💥 brandon bro (he/him/his)]

Also the notion that consultants tell people exactly what they want to hear is the opposite of reality.  Attacking McKinsey really isn't going to work.  NEET twitter progressives may not have heard of it, but among real adults it's well-known as an extremely prestigious company.  You might as well attack him for working for Google.

Consulting is a joke of a profession and even many people who do it are aware of this. It's a great way for upper middle class failsons/daughters to maintain a shred of their parents social status and a great way to pay off college loan debt but to act like working for McKinsey is indicative of anything but social capital and good backpatting is hilarious.

There's a small constituency of people in the primary who will see it as an asset but for many working a cushy DC consultant job where the tangible benefit is murky and ill-defined is so far from what the current moment wants. The left is starting to catch up with the right in terms of its sneering towards elites and its critique of "meritocracy". It's an insincere line of work that's reserved for people from elite schools. This won't be a deadly blow to Buttigieg but it will reinforce people's bad perceptions of him rather than help him in any way.

The endorsement bungling will reinforce the image among people on the left that Buttigieg is opportunistic and inauthentic. The campaign already has an image among much of the primary electorate as being held up by elites and donors and having to fabricate grassroots support won't help that image, especially when the left has candidates (yes, note the plural) doing the actual walking in addition to the talking.

The critique about losing to a rape apologist is so intellectually dishonest that I want to discount it, but for a party base that's terrified of its own 2016 "electability" shadow it could have some pungency. Even still anybody who follows politics even fractionally should understand why this complaint is dumb.

And he got destroyed in Deleware to an rather unknown Senator from Illinois.

Barack Obama was not "unknown" by the time people were voting in 2008.

[This user has not been convicted of 34 felonies]

another one from The Onion:

https://twitter.com/TheOnion/status/1197951405836951555