I'm switching to Buttigieg because he is a game changer.

[marylandblue]

After Trump, I am firmly convinced that there is no disqualifying characteristic anymore. Trump showed that. All these holier than thou evangelicals don't really care about your sex life. They never did and they never will.

If the oldest, dumbest, most morally corrupt, least experienced, craziest candidate ever, a fat cat New Yorker no less, can win the rust belt, then why not a young mayor actually from the rest belt?

Buttigieg won 82% of the vote in a rust belt city that's 60% white. I think that's proof he has wide appeal.

Sure, they will cynically use his orientation against him. But it won't work with him. Because he answers so calmly, so clearly, and, when needed, with a sharp barb. Only a few politicians in America have shown they can do this. Buttigieg is the only one of them running for President.

My position has the advantage of being testable. If he isn't shooting to the top after 1 or 2 debates, then he isn't the one.

[California_Republic]

1. Welcome!

[monmouth4]

2. Love the guy..n/t

[Qutzupalotl]

4. The debates will be a good testing ground.

Buttigieg will do well. Another one to watch is Jay Inslee — very skilled and energetic. They both come across as good-natured and likeable.

The downside is we have so many good candidates, it will take several debates to hear enough from each.

[marylandblue]

7. I switched from Inslee, I still like him, but Mayor Pete has something special.

[sellitman]

18. Yes he does.

He is as bright as anyone who has ever run yet so down to earth anyone listening to him , really listening must be impressed.

[katmondoo]

57. I like Inslee and now I like Mayor Pete but I still like Inslee

What shall I do ?

[BlueWI]

90. It's ok to like Inslee.

I am with you though - Warren and Mayor Pete are awesome!

[msongs]

5. pls make donations direct to pete not that blue dataminer. his address is

on his website. dataminers skim 4% off the top

[Glimmer of Hope]

6. Do you mean ActBlue? I used the link on Mayor Pete's site to make a donation and it

looks like the donation went through ActBlue.

[patricia92243]

8. Me too. And I have donated more than once and each time ActBlue was involved.

[Glimmer of Hope]

11. I would rather not give them a 4% cut if that is the case!

[calimary]

33. Neither would I. Besides, I made a few donations through Act Blue and then

all of a sudden I started getting flooded with email appeals for contributions to every Tom, Dick, and Sherry running for everything from the US Senate and Governor all the way down to Hall Monitor in Never-Heard-Of-It-Before city in Fill-In-The-Blank-Here state.

They sell your info to anybody who’ll buy it. I DO NOT transact with Act Blue anymore, and will NOT do it again, EVER.

[calimary]

60. Yep. If I see "ActBlue" on there anywhere, I run the other way.

That’s a good way to describe it, too, Rainbow Droid. “Like fighting a hydra.” Terrific description, and accurate as well. I’ve even unsubscribed to some of these folks. But sometimes they pop back up. And it doesn’t even end there!

The floodgates then get thrown wide open for people I never heard of - either running for something somewhere I never heard of, OR (get THIS!) theyMAY BE running in a future election for some minor job. Or they AREN’T EVEN running - they lost last time but they’re just trying to keep their name in the public eye or maybe pay off their campaign debts.

Look, I’d like to help all Dems. But I’m not exactly made of money. I have to donate judiciously and if it really means something to me. But if ActBlue is the gateway, NO THANKS!!!

[SWBTATTReg]

76. Thanks for the warning on ActBlue...I'll go directly to their inhouse website to donate. NT

[TwilightZone]

27. Credit card companies charge a fee for processing.

The 3.95% is more than likely covering that, at least in part.

The fee the CC companies charge varies depending on the vendor. ActBlue isn't just keeping 4% of the donations.

[Bettie]

9. I'm almost there too

He's so smart, so well-spoken, and he answers questions clearly and directly.

[murielm99]

10. I'm almost ready to switch to Mayor Pete.

Almost.

[IndianaDave]

12. I Concluded Pretty Much the Same Thing Earlier This Month

I first heard him at his town hall meeting on CNN, on or around March 10th, I think. I was so impressed with his intelligence, insight, personability, and his concern for the people who were asking him questions, that I decided to follow him. And the more I saw and heard him, the stronger my commitment to him became. He is now my candidate, and I will continue to support him and contribute financially to his campaign until the end.

[somaticexperiencing]

13. He certainly is way impressive. As you say, it's testable, through the debates and campaign.

I love empirical evidence.

Unlike some or many, it seems today. Especially our reputed/disputed President and others who are known as Republicans.

By the way, support for Bernie is mostly because I supported him last time. Made way more sense to me. Am less enthused right now.

I'm open to anyone in the field who can win, but especially Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Beto O'Rourke. But seriously, anyone who can win, and I think our chances for a great President/VP combination are especially wonderful!!!

[TNNurse]

14. Our opinion of him grows

every time we hear him speak. And it was pretty good to start.

[defacto7]

15. I'm seriously considering it.

[pdsimdars]

16. ActBlue -- donate (back him)

[Ilsa]

17. I'm close. I've eliminated some of the candidates,

so I'm narrowed down. I'd like Buttigieg to be the VP or nominee, but there are other great candidates, too.

[zentrum]

19. Thanks. Interesting post.

Not clear on why Buttigieg over Beto. Beto seems like a game changer too and he did raise that 6M in one weekend.

Personally I'd love to vote for Warren but I don't think she can beat Trump. The past media demonization of her seems to have worked and her numbers are low.

[patricia92243]

30. I know this is petty, but Beto is too hyper for me. I like Pete's calm

demeanor and clear way of speaking.

[marylandblue]

35. I think Buttigieg has a few advantages over Beto

First, this is going to be a negative campaign. Beto has talked about staying positive, but I don't think that will work. Being a snarling anti-Trump won't work either. Then I saw this perfect tweet from Mayor Pete:

"When a president (who faked a disability in order to avoid serving) attacks a departed war hero, it’s for attention.

We should honor the late Senator McCain, and also follow his example by focusing not on the behavior of the president but on the future of our country."

He takes Trump down without snarling and pivots to what we really need to talk about. That's exactly how to do it. He can actually tweet better than Trump, and that is essential today. When they attack Pete, I know he will give perfect defense on Twitter.

Second, Buttigieg has much more substance in his answers. He gives real answers with real ideas, not just fluff and not too much detail. And it seems he can give a concise but substantial answer on just about any subject.

[zentrum]

39. Very helpful. Thanks.

[Autumn]

64. Pete is very relaxing, clear and concise. He can answer and expound on any question and doesn't

veer off. When he talks you know it's not bullshitting. He actually knows what the problems are and is able to get across in great detail what has to be done, or what can be done to fix the problem.

[Boomer]

20. I'm sooooo torn...

I've been waiting YEARS for Elizabeth Warren to run, but the first time I heard Pete Buttigieg I was so impressed with him. He's the first candidate has rocked my steadfast allegiance to Warren. I'm not quite at the point where I would vote for him over Warren, but he's second by only a hair.

[Boomer]

21. About that gay thang....

I still don't believe that a gay man can be elected to the presidency. It just doesn't seem even remotely possible to me.

But I would have sworn that the right to marry would never happen in my lifetime, and I'm now married to my partner of 30 years.

So I guess the takeaway is: Don't listen to me. I was born in a much different era and maybe I just haven't caught up to modern times. I'd love to be proven wrong.... but we'll see.

[Boomer]

43. Ain't that the truth!

I'm 65 years old and in my lifetime I've gone from "the love that dare not speak its name" to living openly as a gay woman, legally married to my wife. I don't even have to worry about employment; my company has strong commitment to diversity and I belong to an LGBTA employee group.

There are times I still have to pinch myself. lol.

[BlueWI]

91. There's a point where we stand up for our values.

If the Democratic party is truly opposed to sex and gender discrimination, it needs to nominate the best candidate of any gender.

If we can't do that, then professing to be non-discriminatory is just for political cover.

[defacto7]

93. Well, it's not like he'd be the first gay president. He'd be the second.

[cstanleytech]

22. I am supporting whoever wins the nomination because the most important thing

is saving this country from Trump.

[Karadeniz]

23. I'm emotionally for Buttigieg, but I don't know how to change my DU affiliation.

[patricia92243]

25. Go to top of the page where candidates are listed. Click my preference. Then

change to Buttigieg.

[louis c]

49. Buttigieg has as much of a chance of beating Trump...

...as I do.

That's the point. Who is the strongest candidate in the General Election. Not who makes you feel good. If we need a candidate to win your vote or my vote in the General Election, we're cooked. We should be on board with who can get us the swing vote.

In 2020 we must defeat Trump as a priority. We can experiment with candidates after that.

[radical noodle]

51. I'm about to pick Mayor Pete

because I think he's more likely to win in the general election. He has something that reminds me of JFK. And people thought JFK couldn't win because he was Catholic.

Mayor Pete has no baggage from past political actions/votes. I think he can win over a lot of independents who don't want career politicians. I see him as a people's president.

I didn't consider him at all in the beginning but seeing him interviewed just a few times has changed my mind.

[louis c]

70. You mean Senator Kennedy (D-Mass). A WWII Hero...

...with a political legacy that dates back 3 generations. Who was nearly chosen as the Democratic VP candidate 4 years earlier.

Oh, ya. an unknown Mayor from a little town in Indiana really reminds me of JFK.

I'm from Boston. I was a young boy of 8 years old when Kennedy was elected. And, as the saying goes, Mayor Pete is no Jack Kennedy. Please don't make me laugh.

[radical noodle]

71. I said he has *something*

that reminds me of JFK. Something. I did not say that he is like JFK. Not to mention that being in Boston likely made you more familiar with JFK before his run for president than, say, a person in the midwest.

The condescending attitude is unnecessary. I certainly apologize if I ruffled your feathers.

[marylandblue]

59. There's a once in a generation political shift going on beneath our feet.

The last one was under Reagan, and we've been living in his shadow ever since. He won because he was good on TV and the New Deal coalition was dead. The one before that was FDR. FDR won because he was already doing the New Deal in New York State and he was good on radio.

Buttigieg is good on TV and Twitter and is already implementing new ideas as mayor. Inslee is doing new things in Washington too, but Buttigieg is much better with the media, and running on a broader, almost spiritual, set of ideas.

I can understand the attraction to Biden. He represent a return to normalcy. But we can't go back to normal any more than we can redo 2016. We can only create a new normal.

Part of that new normal is that how you deal with the Internet is essential to winning. Biden can't tweet, but Buttigieg can. The other Internet candidate is O'Rourke, but he doesn't have the ideas, and I think selfies in your car will get old pretty soon.

[patricia92243]

66. "We can only crate a new normal." Excellent!

[secondwind]

104. I think you go to your profile or account. The edit lik is there

[USALiberal]

24. No federal experience is a big concern IMO. nt

[marylandblue]

37. Normally experience would be an issue for me, but this is not a normal election

We need the person who can run the best campaign, which is different than who has the best experience.

Also, he does have a sort of federal experience, he was an intelligence officer in Afghanistan. I know it's not the same as a being in Congress, but it does give perspective. He didn't make the sausages, but he did have to eat them.

[USALiberal]

38. Good points!! nt

[SWBTATTReg]

75. I agree. I also would stipulate that rump had zero experience when he ran and crowed about it. ...

As it turned out, it was a joke (he is/rump) and any experience he has as a so called business leader was learning how to rip people off w/o giving up anything of value in return. A scam artist.

[louis c]

87. "Trump had zero experience when he ran..."

Ya, and look how that turned out. I wouldn't use that line is support of Pete.

[marylandblue]

89. I think the point relates to that elusive "electability" factor.

What exactly disqualifies someone for president? Arguably, Trump proves there is no disqualification. That said, Buttigieg has more executive experience and more experience in government than Warren or O'Rourke.

[SWBTATTReg]

109. And what makes you think I would? Mayor Pete is actually mayor of a city, and deals w/

multiple entities. A much much better candidate than rump was or is now.

[radical noodle]

52. This guy is super intelligent

and has common sense. He WILL pick people who know what they're doing and he's also the type to ask for and take advice.

[left-of-center2012]

31. Most of his haters on DU seem to be supporters of one candidate

It's as if they want to destroy him before the debates.

[Dem2theMax]

32. I saw him on Colbert weeks ago,

and I was beyond impressed with him. He reminded me of Obama, in the way that the first time I saw Obama on the national stage, I sat there and looked at the TV and said out loud 'that man is going to be our first black president.'

And I figured it would be eight years before he was president, but he surprised me, and in the best of ways.

Buttigieg feels the same way to me. I see intelligence, I see an extremely good communicator, someone who has a lot of confidence in himself. I see someone I could easily vote for, and will vote for if he gets the chance.

[calimary]

36. I like him a lot, too. Not quite ready to abandon Inslee though.

The climate crisis is tops with him. Buttigieg has it on his list, but it isn’t tops.

It’s just the survival of this planet and all the life forms on it. No biggie...

On edit - we may have to wait longer than the 2020 election for “the gay” not to be off-putting to large segments of the electorate. More young people (millennials) have to age a little more, and the generation after them (the teens out protesting inaction on the climate crisis) has to move up - into and beyond voting age. These younger folks aren’t hampered by the prejudices and gay-hatred that older voters still have. And as the elders AND their hang-ups die off, I think the younger generations moving in and taking over will bring in their non-judgmentalism and lack of prejudice into power and the majority of the electorate with them.

I’ve watched with great interest how the younger they are, the less they’re hung up about skin color or sex. I think that’s because more families have seen their members come out, or marry someone of a different race or background, or they have friends in school or with whom they grew up who don’t look like them (or date like them).

And THOSE are the ones who will reach adulthood and start taking over in leadership positions - in business, government, and other parts of daily life, and THEY will be the ones shaping public opinion. And they so far show themselves to be much more inclusive and less judgmental or prejudiced, generally speaking. Yes, there are pockets of continued weirdness and bullshittery and Neanderthal thinking. But that seems, to me, to be increasingly in the minority.

Meanwhile, Buttigieg is YOUNG! He’s still young enough to be a viable presidential candidate in a few more election cycles, when a more liberal and tolerant mindset becomes dominant, and only a few old rigid-thinking Bible-thumpers remain viable and able to shuffle into the voting booth.

Just my opinion, but one thing that’s long been fascinating to me is demographic studies.

[marylandblue]

40. I hesitated switching from Inslee too because of climate change.

The time is now for a transformative presidency. Inslee maybe can still do it based on climate change. But we need a transformation in our politics to get there, and Buttigieg seems to see that part very clearly.

Are we really ready for a gay president? I've given up trying to predict that. I didn't think we were ready for an actor, an African American or an idiot, but we were. I thought we were ready for a woman, but we weren't.

[calimary]

61. Yep. I totally get that.

[True Dough]

34. MORE! MORE! MORE!

Bring on the hordes of Buttigieg supporters!!!

[FreeState]

41. I just did as well

I could still change to Inslee or Harris, but I'm liking Buttigieg a lot.

[bhikkhu]

42. I have been hugely impressed by him

I can't even imagine being that articulate and informed on the issues, he's blown me away every time I've heard him.

I think he brings up the level of the whole field, and would love to see him win the nomination. One thing I think though, at this particular time, is that the most optimal candidate would need to be able to deal with the most pressing problem. Which I see as a general level of criminality in politics and industry, a basic culture of corruption. Obama was a great president but (to over-simplify) he didn't fix it. He worked within a screwed up system and didn't overly rock any boats. I really think we need someone to straighten things out, and there's a whole list of people who should be in front of judges instead of holding office or running corporations. The same was the case in 2008, but didn't happen. I'd bend my choice to someone who I thought could take that on seriously and apologetically, as it has only gotten so much worse.

[highplainsdem]

45. He is impressive.

[Capt. America]

46. I'm leaning Buttigieg. He is whip smart and human.

[louis c]

48. Ya. Buttigieg should have no trouble beating Trump.

Please. Can we get real?

The only polls that matter during this whole nominating process is how well the Democratic candidate does, head to head, against Trump in the battleground states.

South Bend is far from a good example. The Mayor of my home town of 50,000 people won his last election by 85%. That certainly doesn't qualify him for President or give us the best chance of beating Trump.

And, by the way, South Bend is a college town. It is as much indicative of the "Mid-West" as Austin Texas is of the "South".

[marylandblue]

50. What qualifies him is his presentation on TV and twitter

He gives the best answers of any politician in my lifetime. In the age of Trump, it's the main thing that matters. It may be the only thing that matters.

He's still too small to be in head-to-head polls with Trump. If I'm wrong, people will say he's too young and gay, so forget him. If I'm right, people will listen to him, get blown away, and he will run away with the field and Trump's schoolboy antics won't touch him. There won't be a middle ground.

Stranger things have happened. A punchline became a President. The fact that it happened reflects a major shift in our politics and our perceptions that we are still feeling our way through. A similar thing happened in 1976-80, when one improbable President followed another.

Look at the rest of our field. The top leaders are a two time loser, a socialist, a black woman, and a woman who first entered politics at age 62. Even stranger is that the two women are running on the socialist's platform. The hotshot phenom candidate is a guy who took a selfie at the dentist and people didn't think he was nuts.

Look at what other strangeness going on. The most influential member of Congress is a freshman 29-year old whose previous job was bartender. She said "Green New Deal" like once and half the candidates are now running on that. But the two-term governor whose been talking about it for 10 years is polling at 2%.

One of the Democrats' biggest fears is that the inventor of overpriced coffee may actually be able to screw them.

This is not your father's election year. Think outside the box. Everyone else is.

[mr_lebowski]

53. Hear, Hear!

As I said on another thread, I don't think just ANY gay person could be elected, but I do think he can. He's by any measure pretty much the 'model' gay candidate.

He's religious, he's a war vet/ex-military, he's married ... and perhaps most importantly (sadly this is important) ... he's not overtly gay. He's not, say ... Nathan Lane. A person can very easily forget he's gay while watching him speak. I do think, in 2020 America that is important. I think it SUCKS, but it's current reality. I'm not saying everyone won't 'find out' if he were to become the nominee, but I think enough people will be able to look past it because of all his positives that he's actually totally viable as our candidate.

He has impressed me GREATLY, I gotta say. At this moment, I at least want him on the ticket. Not 100% on POTUS, but VP for sure.

Many don't recall that Bill pretty much came outta nowhere (very low recognition and low polling numbers early on) to win 8 years in office.

[louis c]

63. We just have to figure out how we can get a candidate with 10% of the vote elected.

Last edited Sat Mar 23, 2019, 05:31 PM - Edit history (1)

[crazytown]

100. Louis c, you know

elections are not won on facts, they are won on emotions.

[louis c]

101. You make my point for me...

...I am focused on the General election and I believe polls.

In 2016 the polls were off by one point in Trump's favor (Hillary by 3, was actually Hilary by 2).

Biden is the strongest Democrat against Trump. If Biden is nominated, Schultz in more likely not to run. Those two probables are more important than anything else.

[marylandblue]

106. Polls this early out are of limited value.

Biden does have an advantage as an early front runner, but it is not a lock. As soon as he announces, he will become a target for the others. He may falter, as he has in past runs, which will scramble the race. And a lesser known candidate with good media skills can attract attention, especially during debates.

Let's see where we are in 3 months. The race may look very different by then.

[louis c]

107. Of course they are. Especially when your candidate is at 1%.

I'm for Biden because the numbers are demonstrably in his favor.

The only polls that matter to me at any point, now, 3 months from now, or October 2020 are the head to head matchups against Trump. If Pete can show me a 10% lead against Trump in National Polls and demonstrate that lead in Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, as Joe Biden does now, I'll change my mind.

But in the mean time, Pete's a fine candidate for an At-Large Council seat in a big city.

[marylandblue]

108. Clinton had a 10 point lead in October 2016.

Ambitious mayors don't typically move to bigger cities to join city councils, so at least you should qualify him for a job he actually might want. Otherwise it just sounds like a gratuitous putdown, and I'm sure you wouldn't do that.

[Hortensis]

54. No one SAW his presentation on TV. Very few watch

this stuff.

Does DU being flooded with propaganda ring no bells with those reading these posts? Scarborough and the Koch alliance are pulling together. Buttigieg is a very good and admirable man, but that is NOT why they're pushing him at the Democratic electorate.

It's about undermining and diffusing enthusiasm for those candidates who can become our nominee. Scarborough thinks Buttigieg is the new Obama. Uhuh. Last week it was Beto. Personally, I think Kamala Harris is the new Obama. But both Beto and Kamala frighten the right. Enter Mayor B.

Over the next year and more, most candidates will drop out, Sanders will refuse to drop out, and we'll consolidate behind a few genuine contenders. And Mayor Buttigieg will hopefully greatly strengthen his support in his state and create national name recognition.

But right now it's just painful watching people being lead around by right-wing manipulators without understanding what's happening.

[mr_lebowski]

65. So, is that a 'No, I've not watched him'?

I'm as skeptical of a soul as you'll ever meet, and ever-wary of manipulations as you discuss.

Is it POSSIBLE he's, like, being 'foisted' on us, to f*ck us up? Maybe. I'll give you that as a possibility. But I don't think so, that's not the feeling I'm getting.

Look, I don't trust Scarborough all that much, but he does seem to have changed quite a bit over the years, esp. since Mika. I think he might legit like Mayor Pete.

Now, if Faux starts pimping Mayor Pete ... THEN I'm gonna get sketchy.

As I've said, Clinton came basically outta nowhere, too. Granted, AK Governor is loftier than Mayor of a small city in Ohio, but he was a nobody still at this point in the campaign.

[Hortensis]

86. Mayor B? Yes. A few times. His name started being

put forward significantly last year. Seems I heard of him before that, maybe in something like governing.com, but probably last year's when I first noticed him in a one-on-one video interview.

The issue isn't whether he has the "right" ideals and appears well on the screen. He seems to be made of the right stuff as far as I'm concerned. And I think reaction here proves he's as talented as attorney Michael Avenatti, another "Oh, he should run for president!!!" exciter. Those who look farther of course know Buttigieg's far more principled and impressive and wouldn't be mentioned in the same sentence as Avenatti except for discussing appearance (not performance) in front of the cameras, where I think Avenatti actually has the edge.

But neither will be our nominee. Not this time anyway. Just look at who else we have running.

2024 will be the second term for whomever we elect in 2020. We hope 2028 will be Democrat also, but Republicans will probably pick that up. That would leave 2032 as a possibility if the Republicans elected a one-term problem, but 2036 is the soonest REAL possibility for Buttigieg, after he's had a couple terms as governor of Indiana and perhaps as a senator or in a cabinet post, or VP. He'd be about 56 at that point and a very, very impressive candidate.

And now, my crystal ball from Amazon gets put away while I tend to the pork chops. And the Russians can go fuck themselves. They're not winning this election.

[marylandblue]

85. You've already decided certain people can win and certain people can't

Last edited Sun Mar 24, 2019, 07:06 PM - Edit history (1)

So when someone in the "can't win" category gets positive press from the "wrong" place, you conclude it must a plot because they must also know he can't win.

But you don't know who can or can't win and neither do they. Pundit predictions are wrong more than half the time. Strategists are wrong a lot too. I don't know who will win either. I've never been big on Beto, but I've been watching Buttigieg for a while now, and I considered him a potential(not certain, nothing is certain these days) winner long before he was on Scarborough or Fox. I don't watch cable news at all.


I've been watching his twitter feed. That got me interested. He's great on Twitter, which IMO is critical these days. The tweet in my OP defending John McCain put me over the top. How did Scarborough, who I never watch, manipulate me into liking a tweet? How did he get me interested in Pete's twitter feed months before he appeared on his show?

[dalton99a]

62. The Mozart who speaks twelve languages and gives perfect answers on every topic

will not beat Donald Trump. 2020 will be a brutal year.

The mayor should venture out of his protective bubble to get some campaigning practice among the general populace and get his metal tested

[mr_lebowski]

67. It's 'mettle', not 'metal' :)

What's with saying the dude's in a 'protective bubble'? Where you getting that? He's been stepping onto pretty big national stages with CNN Townhall and his recent lengthy interview on AM Joe.

I have no doubt he'll be getting out onto the campaign trail, but he's gotta raise some dough first.

[patricia92243]

68. He has a year and a half to campaign with the general populace If he or anybody

else can't get it by then, they should not run ever.

I agree that it is going to be brutal. If he or anybody can't stand the heat - get our of the kitchen.

[radical noodle]

72. South Bend is a college town

but that university is Notre Dame, which is considered a pretty conservative school. I suspect South Bend is a closer fit to Indiana and the midwest than Bloomington, which is quite a bit more liberal.

[defacto7]

95. Not exactly. Notre Dame may have a catholic background

but it's an outlier just like South Bend. South Bend is probably the most liberal town in Indiana. I have friends who are professors at the university.

[radical noodle]

99. I don't think so

Bloomington is the most liberal city in Indiana.

https://www.roadsnacks.net/most-liberal-cities-in-indiana/


South Bend is more middle of the road.

Here are statistics for Notre Dame. 51% Republican and 64% conservative.

https://www.niche.com/colleges/university-of-notre-dame/students/

[defacto7]

110. I'm just going by liberal professors who live there. That's how they feel.

[radical noodle]

111. Maybe that's a good sign that

things there are changing. I hope so! They did elect Pete.

[AlexSFCA]

55. I did too, a week ago.

He is once in generation and eclipses Beto. He is not VP material, he is presidential material that can take down Biden in a primary. Ohio is very important state. Pete is antidote to Pence and the only candidate that knows how to connect to midwestern trumpheads. Biden can never do that as he is viewed as Obama and Clinton clone with identical views.
Mayor Pere is a democratic capitalist and will take down Sanders for good.
Please don’t forget to donate to his campaign.

[sellitman]

56. I want the smartest person in the room to be President

Especially after having the child that's in there now. it's going to take a genius to fix what the orange idiot has ruined.

[yodermon]

58. He's very well spoken, but I hope he can SOCK it to trump

if he's the nominee.

[Power 2 the People]

69. Definitely a bright light of the party.

[Indyfan]

73. Pete is what America needs and desires!

I saw him on tv and was utterly thrilled to see such a nice looking young man.. I felt I had to put in a good word for him on line to let my family and friends on fb know about him...
I know deep in my heart that he will win the party nomination to replace the terrible and irresponsible leader who was put in place by Russia.
Pete seems to have a level of intelligence and understanding of the world that is far beyond his years... and most definitely higher than any other candidate even Joe Biden who I know is very experienced (but makes a lot of mistakes!)
Pete is also unique in that he is the only candidate out there who has served in the military.... he has pictures to prove it... this is extremely important to me and to my family ...
His performance on tv can only get better and better... and with his fame he will be able to attract more donations to spread his message..
I have given him a donation and will be giving him some more in the future... I look forward to many more tv appearances to come... Pete will win back the White House for us and for every American!

[salin]

74. Welcome to DU!

I am guessing by your name that you are either a hoosier (as am I) or connected to the state - forgive me if I am wrong. I, too, am really impressed with him.

Also - on a really petty note - as a hoosier I relish the idea of a President-elect Mayor Pete and his husband ushering out a soon-to-be expres Pence and his "mother". As in: what was bad for Indiana has been horrible for the country, while what has been great for South Bend would be great for the country.

[Irishxs]

77. Too early for me to decide on anyone.

[marylandblue]

79. I'm not decided either, he just impresses me most.

I'm not really big on any of the better known people, so I'm seeing this as a 1976 situation, when an unknown Jimmy Carter came from nowhere.

[Buzz Lightyear]

78. I predict zero delegates

For Buttigieg.
He's a good guy though.

[marylandblue]

81. You could be right, smart money usually doesn't bet on the long shot.

But if you see that the crowd is underestimating the long shot, then maybe he really is a good bet.

[Mike Nelson]

80. I was gonna...

… vote for Harris in the CA primary... but now I'm more undecided than ever. I am now leaning toward Pete in the primary...

[chia]

82. Kamala Harris is my senator and she's been my first choice from the beginning... BUT -

I've been very impressed by Buttigieg. Very impressed.

[BannonsLiver]

83. He's at 1 percent nationally

That’s no game changer, it’s a blip. I think you have gotten caught up in the DU hype. That’ll fade, though.

[marylandblue]

84. I may be wrong, but it has nothing to do with DU hype.

I decide who to back based on my own criteria. It's not about where they are in the polls right now, because that will certainly change. It's about what I think the candidate needs to do over the 20 months to win, and why I think he needs to do it. I've been watching him closely since my first choice, Brown, dropped out. He didn't poll well either Since Buttigieg is doing these things right now more than any other candidate, I am going with him.

Since he is doing these things, I expect him to attract attention over the over the next 3 to 6 months and rise to the top tier. If this doesn't happen, I'll probably switch to another candidate who fits my criteria best at that time.

On edit: I see that Mayor Pete shot up to 11% in Iowa. This is consistent with expectation that he will start rising and get more attention,, but obviously it's not enough to prove me right yet.

[mobeau69]

98. You're very Buttigiegish!

I would have said something like "Fuck off with all your negativity! That's why we have primaries and, btw, they're not national primaries."

[artislife]

113. I am with you on the fact that he has momentum

I am going to watch and hope the best for him. He is young, INTELLIGENT and a fighter. Certainly concerned about the next century and all we face.

[BlueFlorida]

92. I find it curious

that many Bernie supporters are also supporting Buttigieg.

Is it some sort of a plan to have him in the front as an alteranative to Beto, dividing Beto's millennial vote and then when he loses, he endorses Bernie?

I may be wrong but do wonder.

[marylandblue]

94. I don't think there is any such plan, rather Mayor Pete is building a new coalition.

Last edited Sun Mar 24, 2019, 11:34 PM - Edit history (1)

Listen to him very carefully. He does not sound like any Democrat over the last 40 years. Both Democrats and Republicans have been living under Reagan's shadow. But in 2016 Trump showed the Reagan coalition is falling apart.

Sanders showed that a new liberal coalition is emerging, but he is too much of a economic progressive and not enough social progressive (though he is trying to fix that).

Buttigieg is a more natural blend of social and economic progressive, along with more moderate appeal. The new coalition will look something like that. So he is appealing to a broad array of constituencies, overlapping with Sanders and others. Even if Buttigieg does not win the nomination, he is pointing the way.

[BlueFlorida]

96. Who will he endorse if he loses?

Where will his followers go?

[marylandblue]

97. No clue. Who will still be in the race at that point?

[RLG]

88. He is a dream candidate, but it is still early.

He truly hasn't been vetted as much as the other candidates. I'm sure someone will find a "flaw".

He's enjoying the honeymoon period. Let's wait for the first debate..

[madaboutharry]

102. I have been confused for weeks.

I switched to undecided because that is what I have been for weeks now. I was back and forth between Harris, Klobuchar, and Booker. I like these three candidates. But now I have seen Buttigieg several times on television and I am so impressed with his intellect, his demeanor, his overall knowledge and presentation.

There is a worry that homophobia will well up once he starts to break through. The one positive is that the majority of Americans support marriage equality, but there are elements that could get loud and ugly.

[marylandblue]

105. This will be an ugly campaign no matter what.

Most of our candidates will subject to sexism, racism or ageism. I'm looking for the one who can respond best to the attacks, not the one who is least vulnerable. I think Buttigieg's candor, media skills and quick wit is the answer.

[secondwind]

103. He's the real deal!

[Indyfan]

112. Pete is in the news on CBS! Such a cute couple!!!