Many supporters of Mayor Pete, myself included, describe an experience of “ falling in love” People in their 50’s - as I am- are surprised by an intensity of emotional investment in a political candidate we have not previously experienced- with the possible exception of Obama. Many of us wept with joy in response to his speech announcing his candidacy. We shed our own tears when we heard the cracking in his voice in the recent post-town hall media interview in South Bend. These are not responses one would have to a “technocrat” who lacks “emotional intelligence.”
5
I think Mayor Pete, who willingly offered himself up as a human punching bag in attending the protest and hosting the town hall, deserves high praise. Although he would have been harshly criticized if absent, that undoubtedly would have been the easier path for him to take.
He essentially admitted, when being interviewed following the town hall, that it might not have been the smartest or most strategic political move, but he needed to be there for his community because the people needed to be heard. He acknowledged that whatever factors led to the tragedy, it's him who is ultimately responsible.
So, here we have a candidate who follows his conscience, admits his mistakes, and seeks input from his critics and detractors in an astonishingly transparent fashion. And all this, at what is potentially an immeasurable cost to him politically.
How many politicians, if in Pete's shoes this past week, would have followed in his footsteps? He must have anticipated the stinging criticisms, the heckling, the profanity that would be hurled at him and then make its way to cable news. But he didn't hide.
It always appeared to me that he was a man of character and integrity. Now there's no doubt.
6
One thing I noticed this weekend, when he was confronted by black South Bend citizens angry about yet another death by police of an unarmed black person. Mayor Pete often stared down at a sheet of paper in his hand while speaking to the crowd, and his manner sometimes came across more cold than calm. It's as if Buttigieg understands the problem intellectually and truly abhors its existence, but can't or won't show that he feels their pain. Yes, a little Bill Clinton would go a long way for Mayor Pete. Perhaps that's why blacks there find it hard to trust him, especially when things like this are not changing.
At least he had the guts to admit certain missteps. But he has to explain why those missteps happened.
And the cold way he told one black woman: "I'm not asking for your vote"? What was that!!?? I think I know what he was getting at, but the way that came out sounded like "I don't care about your vote."
When you're younger, there are things you know intellectually that you haven't yet learned to feel in your gut, and the latter is how you need to know problems to begin to be able to appropriately address them. That is, when they're human problems.
I don’t understand the criticism here. What else was he supposed to do? I think there is some letting perfect become the enemy of good going on here.
I give him credit for putting himself out there and being willing to listen.
15
Wouldn't it be nice if that crowd could muster the same passion against Trump and the GOP as they can for their allies?
8
“A 37 year old former whiz kid, Mr. Buttigieg has never dealt with significant personal failure.” What exactly do you call losing your first bid for statewide office by over a million votes?
“In his fourth month on the job, he fired South Bend’s first African American police chief...a decision he admitted later was made on dry legalistic grounds, without concern for the human fallout.”
Chief Boykins knew he was under investigation before Mr. Buttigieg was sworn in and did not disclose that fact. So the mayor’s choice was either to leave Mr. Boykins in office, knowing Boykins would soon face federal wiretapping charges and a long and messy trial, or he could fire him. Two pretty bad choices.
That’s some sloppy reporting.
Look, there’s no question this is bad for Mayor Pete’s candidacy. So why do I still support him? Because I believe when he left the campaign trail it was because he felt he was needed in South Bend as mayor. Did he also think “I have to go back because the optics will be terrible if I don’t “? Probably. He’s very intelligent and an astute politician.
I think the most important thing he said over the weekend was on Friday night, when he said “I’m not going to promise you anything I can’t do”. How many elected officials have the guts to say that, especially when confronted by a large group of grieving, angry constituents?
13
“A 37 year old whiz kid, Mr. Buttigieg has never dealt with significant personal failure.”: what exactly do you call losing your first bid for statewide office by a million votes?
5
Buttigieg benchmarked South Bend.
You benchmark industrial processes or business logistics, not human beings.
Buttigieg addresses society the way an MBA or a McKinsey consultant takes care of business for a client, with a cold application of quantitative analysis to data.
Human beings mostly don't cotton to that treatment. They prefer to be treated as subjects and not objects, or chattels.
You'd think Mayor Pete, a member of a long-oppressed minority, would have a feel for such things. But he does not. Buttigieg is the quintessential Tin Man with a tin ear.
Buttigieg wants society to run on a clean application of the rational. Alas, we're only messy humans.
Watching the Mayor to answer questions from an overly emotional crowd, I feel sorry for him. He listened to them, admitted that it was his responsibility, and never lost his cool. I doubt that he would be able to overcome the racial problem. Other Dem candidates are lucky that a like incident does not take place under their wing.
8
@Michelle
It does take place, we just apparently don't expect them to discuss it. Police officer killed a person in Boston today, in Los Angeles in the past few days, there was a Police Officer settlement for killing a person in Burlington, VT this year.
Sens. Warren, Harris and Sanders have not been asked about these constituent deaths because we just don't view it as a Senator's job to actually solve this issue. Which is our error, and the error of national reporting as well.
1
It's getting rather tiresome reading journalists' comparisons of Pete Buttigieg's capacity to show empathy with that of Bill Clinton.
It's difficult to think of another nationally-known politician--including any of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates--who have demonstrated Clinton-level skill in demonstrating empathy.
6
I wonder what the headline would read if he'd put on a show?
It's not that I don't have my misgivings about Mr. Buttigieg and some of the positions he takes, or, rather, refuses to take. I do. And as a European, watching this election season devolve into the Democrats' quest to most efficiently self-sabotage is little more than an academic exercise in masochism anyway.
But if I had a vote, I'd certainly take a harder look at this partucular one now than two weeks ago. A great leader is one that resists the temptation to make it about himself. Mr. Buttigieg recognized when to be Mayor and when to be Candidate.
He pulled himself off the campaign trail no questions asked; presumably costing his operation tens of thousands. He bared himself to the community's immense anguish, wading through crowds of grieving citizens for days on end. He kept a solemn composure throughout. Even under the national media's magnifying glass, he didn't cave to the pressure to create yet another viral moment by letting his tears stream freely. He accepted responsibilty, and promised what he could promise in good faith.
All in all, the contrast is eye-watering -- not just with the White House's current E! network display, but with some of his Democratic competition. At least in moments of crisis, we'd be wise to value candor and authentic clarity more in a leader than splashy showmanship. Turns out that Mayor Pete might, ironically, be too straight for his own good with the electorate.
10
Name recognition that's all he should be thinking about. Forget the numbers. This is not his time.
I am disappointed that racial tensions, mistrust by African-Americans in police, and their concerns about safety/justice is being portrayed mainly as something that is exclusive to the community of South Bend and caused by its mayor. Consider the reports from across the country of African-Americans being confronted by angry White people and reported to police for engaging in everyday activities. Then there are the frequent reports of overuse of force against African-Americans by police. Many people appear comfortable these days expressing racist sentiments and there is the growing concern about White nationalists. Add income inequality, health disparities, etc, institutional racism.
It is disingenuous for us to be outraged at what has happened in South Bend without showing the same concern as it occurs across the country every day. I think this would be a great idea for an article in The NY Times.
Put any of the candidates in a situation in which they are being shouted at by people who were so angry/upset and would they have handled it better? I think it would have not gone over any better in this situation if he had said “I feel your pain.”
I appreciate that Mayor Pete takes responsibility but also recognizes that racial inequities and systemic racism are a huge national problem. That is not passing the buck, it is the truth.
I continue to support Mayor Pete.
15
@Lark
Thank you.
So do I.
4
@Lark I'm a black man, and I continue to support Mayor Pete. He did the right thing to come off the campaign trail, go back to South Bend, and address this tragedy.
4
A smart thoughtful intelligent person tries to do the right thing, actually tries to grapple the issue at hand. But that somehow is worth less in the eyes of some than pretending to care --"I feel you pain" fakery.
Its too bad that this is what is valued now. Fake " I feel your pain" instead of a somber relfective, realistic approach to the issues.
Trump truly has won.
Mayor Pete may be too good to be president. This is why we can't have nice things. I feel this country just will never select another sane president again.
23
@Gwen
Tell everyone you know to vote for Pete.
He can win.
7
For the folks who were yelling throughout the meeting, nothing Mayor Pete, or any white person could do, would be enough. That said, a lot of the ideas that came up were good ones, and I commend all those who kept their heads and tried to work this painful, difficult issue through - including Mayor Pete.
21
America now has two sets of standards for politicians that are light years apart: The GOP - no morals, no ethics, do whatever you can get away with, and the Democrats - crucify any one who has makes one politically incorrect more.
14
I never planned to vote for a 37 year old mayor of a small city. However, I would prefer a smart, able, non-charismatic president to one with whom I’d like to have a beer. Reagan, Clinton and Bush Jr were more personable but less able than Bush Sr and Obama
10
So.... when confronted with a roomful of people screaming at each other, the best course is to be something other than calm and quiet?
29
A deer in the headlights, Mayor Pete is.
A vanilla-white guy who is totally comfortable in his gayness shows himself to be out to lunch when it comes to dealing with people of color whose fellows are being shot by cops.
Mayor Pete needs to prove himself capable of dealing with real folks in the 301 largest city in the US before he presents himself as a candidate for President of the US of A.
If he serves in Congress or as a governor perhaps he can show he has the chops to seek the Presidency; right now that proof is sorely lacking.
1
@Mon Ray as mayor, he is required to address issues on the ground. As a Congressman, he'll legislate and vote. I prefer the former. His talent will attract talent and the Buttigieg administration will be staffed to the ceiling with qualified aides, cabinet members and advisors. Trump can't get that, but Pete will.
16
@Mon Ray
Do you really think Biden would've handled this eruption any better? Or Kamala Harris? Or Bernie? Or Cory Booker? Or Elizabeth Warren? Or Beto O'Rourke?
Ah...but they didn't have to leave their campaign trails to respond to a killing, did they?
To this African American woman's eyes and ears, Pete Buttigieg is showing crucial chops in a time of real crisis. Yes, he's white and gay. SO what? I'm Black and lesbian and I say this: I have been a supporter of Pete Buttigieg from the start of his campaign until now--and through this moment as well--because he's showing more integrity, principle, and resolve than I've ever heard come out of Trump's mouth when it comes to police killings like these. In fact, when has Trump ever commented on a Black citizen's life being taken by a police officer since he's taken office?
23
@Jackie
Bless you and thanks.
1
One of the better articles I’ve read about this event, capturing two uneasy, uncomfortable truths. It’s clear the gulf between law enforcement all over the country and a large swath of minority men is growing, not narrowing. Mayor Pete found himself right in the middle of that — indeed, he plunked himself down in it. He may not be Bill Clinton, over-emoting to make up for a lack of personal discipline, but he didn’t pander either. He didn’t make stuff up, didn’t make excuses. He is as he appears to be. He doesn’t appear to morph from audience to audience, community to community.
Personally, I’m in no mood to elect a phony claiming to be a saint. We’re faced with an undisciplined, emotionally unfit boor in the White House with the attention span of a distracted gnat and the intellectual curiosity of a potato. Mayor Pete is the antithesis of all that, and I’ve seen nothing so far that disqualifies him from the presidency.
34
If Mayor Pete had bothered to establish a working relationship and engender trust with his black constituents, he would have been able to weather this tragedy with them, even deal with their anger, in a far better fashion than what is unfolding now. He acts as though he is completely unfamiliar with his black constituents. Telling black people, anyone really, that he doesn't want their vote is not the thing for any politician to say. This crisis shows he is still too green to be president. I have said previously that attending Oxford and speaking five languages are not grounds to run for president. Watching Mayor Pete in action is like watching Spock attempting to deal with the humans aboard the Enterprise.
3
@Lynn in DC
If memory serves, Spock always came out on top.
@Lynn in DC
Really? You don't think he'd be attacked if he had said "I want your votes" in the face of this horrible tragedy? He'd be pilloried, clearly using it for political points!
You think he, a white gay man, wouldn't have been attacked as pandering or making the black experience all about him if he had emoted more?
Give me a break. There was no winning for him in this situation, but those are the tough face-to-face interactions our leaders owe us.
Also, your criticism of him as Spock-like merely suggests a distrust of all introverts, who despite being just as capable as extroverts, tend to clam up in the face of unpleasant confrontation.
3
All candidates, including Mayor Pete, deserve scrutiny and criticsim, when warranted. But here's a question: How do you think Trump would have responded if he were in the same position? With empathy and calm, or with a call to execute criminals after pounding their heads while placing them in a police cruiser? Let's keep some perspective and our eyes on the prize, folks.
27
Gosh.
'Diminutive'? 'former whiz kid'?
Especially as we approach the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, the words of Trip and Reid are deeply insulting.
And no one has said 'whiz kid' since Robert McNamara's era at Ford.
18
He needs to stop running for president and take care of his city. Then he needs to run for US. Senate for Indiana. Let’s see how much is moral seriousness and how much is ego.
8
@Mark
And no other Democratic candidate is baring large ego in this race?
Come on, Pete Buttigieg is as morally serious as any one else on the democrats' docket. Not least because--unlike any other candidate--he remains obligated to his day job called Mayor of South Bend. The rest of the Congressional candidates are lucky they can dodge a crisis like this because they operate at a "higher" national level.
11
African Americans and all of us will benefit from Pete Buttigieg in the White House.
33
Pete's record on helping the Black Community is dismal and this accentuates it. He is a very bright young man, but has a long way to go on racial issues.
3
We need to give Mayor Buttigieg an opportunity to address the recent events in South Bend before the media begins characterizing them as lacking in social intelligence. (Just because a person doesn’t emote doesn’t mean he is uncaring, and to report otherwise is just irresponsible!) The fact is this is a very difficult situation and the people most involved seem to believe the Mayor is being responsive. Moreover, the decision to remove the former police chief also was complicated. It was wrong for the police chief to record private conversations without a warrant or without permission. Perhaps illegal. And the police chief should have known that. Whether the Mayor should have done more after the firing to eliminate the sources of racial prejudice in the police force perhaps is an open question. But the lawsuits that followed the police chief’s firing may have had a role to play in that possible failing.
16
Imagine for a moment that Mayor Pete is not a Rhodes Scholar, is not a war veteran, is not a gay man in a committed marriage. What is left? Nothing. This is the problem with America (well, one of them.) We elect people on their stories, not what they can do. I am a gay man but Buttigieg has done absolutely nothing to convince me that he is our next President.
America -- get over stories! Ask candidates about their policies!
8
@GinNYC
Do you think being a Rhodes Scholar is just like wearing a purple hat? Do you think that leaving Wall St to actually serve in combat might teach done lessons or indicate some fundamental aspects of character? He also worked at McKinsey; does that count for something?
What do you want, exactly?
Obama was elected on character and did a pretty good job with the hand he was dealt.
9
@GinNYC
He always leads with his approach to problem solving, not a 'policy.'
This is far more substantive and meaningful than promises of trillions of dollars in likely-never-to-be-funded spending.
Pete doesn't pander.
3
@Dan
Pete's combat duty was brave and courageous for a number of reasons.
Yes, it still counts.
Yes, former President Obama was a pretty good President and would have been even more successful were it not for the malevolent Mitch McConnell.
1
I feel at this point we are asking not just for the perfect candidate, but the perfect person. He/she must be calm but emotive; brilliant but not elitist; policy wonk with a high EQ; as comfortable in jeans as in formalwear. We are electing a leader who needs to shepherd this country away from the chasm created by Trump. Mayor Pete is my current top contender of the democrats in the race, and while I do wish he seemed a little less mechanical sometimes, I think he would be a level-headed decision maker with his heart in and for this country.
In this particular instance, playing it cool and calm was likely the right choice. He couldn't cry and pretend to know what it must be like to be afraid of the police; he couldn't compare his stress of coming out to what the black community of South Bend is going through; all he could do was listen, and he did. He left the campaign trail and missed events to be with his city, and that shouldn't be ignored or underplayed. And if nothing else, he will not be cowed or flustered by Trump's impending bombast toward the eventual nominee. That's worth a lot right now.
31
Mayor Pete is exactly what we need, the opposite of Trump who plays to peoples fears and emotions, but does nothing to solve serious problems. I think those who were critical of mayor Pete are unfair, if he was Trump he would not show up to listen to the people and look for emotional rhetoric to blame someone.
25
What a stupid article. Trip and Reid need to study gay culture. You think being gay and being black are any different? The N-Word and the F-Word mean the same thing to me--you are different and we will belittle and dehumanize you so no one will complain when we marginalize you. Trans people are being murdered at a high rate--partially green-lit by our rabid racist President who was too coward to serve in the military, so now feels that trans folks shouldn't--he'll try and roll back gays in the military next. So, give me a break with will he feel their pain--the one white guy who cares about black people and who do black people back? Segratitionist Pal Toting Uncle (Tom?) Joe Biden.
10
@Daniel
Being gay and being black are absolutely not the same. White gays were neither enslaved nor subjected to the terrors of Jim Crow. I have yet to hear of an unarmed white gay person being shot by the police. White people are dominant whether they are gay or not and exercise that power over nonwhite people. Black people as a collective have zero power to exercise over anyone.
If Buttigieg cared about his black constituents, he would have the same relationship with them that he has with his white constituents. Black SB residents have said they barely see him and do not know him. That is obvious from his stiff interactions during the protests and town halls. It is clear that Mayor Pete has, at best, a disinterest in blacks. He even said he didn't want their votes. I give him credit for his honesty.
I don't believe black people support Biden but that is a topic for another day.
2
@Lynn in DC
I am Black. I am lesbian. And I support Buttigieg, along with the rest of my whole family--including my 84-year old (not gay!) father who grew up in segregated Louisiana.
If you watched Pete's official roll out for his candidacy, you would've seen and heard from the Black South Bend residents who support him, too.
And, the last poll I saw cited on CNN and MSNBC this weekend--at the height of this crisis and from the S. Carolina Democratic Forum--is that Buttigieg has climbed in the polls there from 0% to 8% favorable among African American voters in that state.
And that was during this crisis' unfolding and before this week's national debates.
It's not fair--or accurate--to assert that Buttigieg is "disinterested" in Blacks. If that were the case, he'd have stayed on the campaign trail and not let the tragedy of Eric Logan's murder bring him back to South Bend to weather the storm of pain, protest, and criticism he's facing right now.
12
@Jackie
Mayor Pete has a lot of devoted supporters.
I have said previously in comments that the polls seem to be an attempt to drive opinion rather than report/reflect opinion. The latest poll out of South Carolina that shows a boost for Mayor Pete among blacks is based on a sample size of 933 respondents of all races with no mention of how many are black. There are over five million people in SC, one million are black. The opinion of 933 people is hardly representative of the electorate, black or in total. That is the problem with polls. Apparently we have learned nothing from 2016.
Mayor Pete needs to spend time doing his job as mayor of South Bend instead of running around the country trying to drum up financial support from Hollywood stars and Silicon Valley moguls.
I think Mayor Pete, whose sole and very modest governmental experience is serving as mayor of tiny South Bend, Indiana, the 301st largest city in the US, is quite a stretch as far as qualifying for Presidential candidate is concerned.
Also, while his being gay is a non-issue as far as so many of us urban and Democratic voters are concerned, it may be a significant negative among non-urban and non-Democratic voters. (Not to mention the inevitable and distracting media chatter over whether Mayor Pete's husband should be called "First Husband" or "First Spouse.")
The NYT's earlier opinion piece on whether Pete is "gay enough" was too subtle a point for many; that he is gay at all, complete with husband, may be too much for many voters in fly-over land.
If Mayor Pete can successfully run for House or Senate or governor of his state, that will bolster his credentials and make him a plausible candidate in a later run for President.
I am a life-long Democrat and I sincerely hope the grown-ups in the party can take charge and find an electable candidate who will appeal to the great majority of American voters, especially those who felt their needs were ignored in 2016. Failure to do so will inevitably lead to four more years of Trump.
4
I admire Mayor Pete for dealing with the issue as a human being. A true leader without pretension. Sorry to see the story being shaped by the media.
39
I watched the march in real time, and the town hall as well. I saw a listener who cares about his fellow citizens, who is willing to take action to make things better. I saw empathy, determination, sensitivity, thoughtfulness, and focus. I don't know what the New York Times journalists were watching, if they did not see these things in his behavior. South Bend citizens seemed to see what I saw as well, even those who were most angry. I have been watching Buttigieg warily, because when someone seems too good to be true, usually they are. Pete Buttigieg continues to surprise me by not letting me down. Here's hoping he continues, and here's hoping that others see it too.
39
First, I am baffled that the authors pretend to know that Buttigieg has never experienced personal failure. That's a childish level of presumption that seems completely out of line with the usual sophistication of reporting in the Times. The authors seem to be trying to create a narrative of Buttigieg having to overcome his own weaknesses to deal with this crisis. But that's nonsense. The crisis is a dreadful one in itself. The crisis is the crisis of this dramatic present moment in our racial history. I'm very impressed with how Buttiegieg is handling the no-win, terribly emotional situation in South Bend. I can't even imagine how a Biden or a Bernie would cope with this level of responsibility and scrutiny in an officer shooting of a black citizen. What I am seeing is that an urban mayor must deal personally, every day, with the most difficult issues we face as a nation, and that such a mayor can indeed be highly qualified for the presidency.
40
@throughhiker Bernie would probably handle it about as well as Pete is doing. Biden... he'd probably fumble it but do so in a way that's "endearing" and make us all go "Oh, that's our Uncle Joe!"
1
Not one word about Mayor Pete's town hall in the Washington Post. Interesting.
I could tell by the rude, mean-spirited crowd that they had no interest in a constructive discussion. They were there to spew vile accusations at him and accuse him of not caring about the death in their city. I don't expect black voters to vote for Mayor Pete and I don't think he will get the Democratic nomination for president as a result of this fiasco.
I wouldn't stand for the hideous way he was treated for 5 minutes. They interrupted him, other questioners, and just shouted out hostile comments while other people were trying to ask questions and Mayor Peter was trying to answer the best he could with the information he had so far. People came to that meeting itching for a beat down and they gave him one. It seems that what the crowd wants is a black mayor, a black police chief, and an all-black police force -- as if that would solve the problem. Maybe they'll get a better mayor than Buttigieg. But I doubt it.
Hope everybody's proud of themselves and their belligerent behavior and got to see themselves on CNN TV. Congratulations.
27
According to a post by a SouthBender, there are two fringe AA groups, one of which objects to Mayor Pete's homosexuality on religious grounds.
11
@MA I don't think the black lady shown on CNN pointing her finger repeatedly at Mayor Pete and yelling at him, while a young child was standing with her, was a member of Alcoholic Anonymous. Why would reformed alcoholics be objecting to Mayor Pete's personal life? Religious grounds? Hateful grounds is what it is.
1
@gsandra614 Can we please not vilify the black community (or for that matter, treat them as one big monolithic group, they're just as diverse as the white community after all). I agree that the whole thing was a mess and didn't help at all, but these people have a right to be angry about how the police treat them and Pete handled this entire thing with grace and dignity.
Also, MA was using AA to refer to "African Americans" in case you didn't realize (I suspect you were being sarcastic, but its hard to tell with text).
4
I like Mayor Pete--he's smart, articulate, and doesn't talk down to people. As a gay American, I am thrilled that we've made it to the point where an LGBT person is a serious candidate. It's incredibly empowering to young LGBT youth to see someone like them taken seriously, visible in national politics.
I also don't think he's the best choice, because he seems to often lack specific policy points. I look forward to seeing how he performs in the debates.
However, the coverage of his town hall strikes me as the media signaling its "both-sides fairness" by taking potshots so soon after it showered him in (in my opinion) overly fawning praise.
What was he to do in that moment? It is a no-win situation, and sometimes the right response is to listen to people's concerns and take them to heart. They want to vent and to be heard, and he did that.
Should he have made a big speech about how he feels their pain? Then he gets criticized for being a self-important white man trying to make things about him.
Should he have lied and said things will be different when it is a complex problem with no easy solution? Apparently the New York Times thinks so. It worked for Trump, after all.
There are real concerns about Mayor Pete, and one of them is his history with race in South Bend. Those issues need to be addressed, preferably on the debate stage or by questioning media figures. But to indict him for how he behaved during this particular town hall is ridiculous.
19
The cop most likely acted appropriately. I’m at a loss as to how the mayor is to blame even if he didn’t act appropriately. Folks are just being nasty to him because he doesn’t stand up for himself.
5
@Ed
A police officer who is above board and acting appropriately does not turn off, or fail to turn on, his body camera.
Well I guess the assumption is supposed to be that the white cop did something wrong. From what has been reported, no one has any basis for having a strong opinion about this. Justice is not about picking a side based on identity. If that were the case people could rationalize always blaming the black man because so many black men have committed a crime. We would rightly call that racism. And for what it's worth, I could care less about a candidates ability to project great empathy. Trump relies on evoking emotional reactions. Is that any way to govern?
11
He's done a lot for SB - see local news reports and residents' comments and the history of SB from what it was to what it is now, and he knows there's more to do - but no credit for that? And he's showing up during this tragedy. Funny, Biden won't acknowledge or take responsibility for his "insensitive" comments but Pete takes full responsibility for all of his residents.
21
He has failed to convey empathy toward the South Bend citizenry? Seriously? Did whomever making those criticism watch the same footage I saw?
He was incredibly emotional when he dealt with the black citizens who were screaming back at his face on the street, and also in the town meeting when the crowd would not even let him finish his response.
We don't know what happened when this recent shooting occurred. It is indeed unfortunate that the officer's body cam was turned off. But I have seen black community members in other communities screaming for an officer's removal when the body cam clearly showed the officer was justified.
There will be an investigation, and the citizenry of South Bend should give their mayor the benefit of the doubt right now. Pete Buttigieg is hardly a politician having deaf ears to the people he is serving.
31
Mayor Pete is listening really hard and taking the tragic events very seriously. He demonstrated respect to all at the march and at the town hall.
39
One of the great things about our long-drawn out, crazy presidential campaign process is how it shows us who the person really is. (We knew in 2016 who Donald Trump was and many people voted for him anyway.) This week we learned that while Mayor Pete has transformed this dismal rust belt city in many ways, there are many who have been left out--especially in terms of feeling safe and secure. They have been given a national stage to voice their frustration. And, they are surely angry because he is showcasing South Bend's success and they are saying..'Wait a minute. That's not true for us." SB's issues are found in almost every community in America.
I believe that Pete is experiencing a deep transformation in his understanding of racial justice and appreciation of the daily reality of African-Americans. Post-Obama, maybe we now have to have someone who is white who can speak to the feelings, the history and how we have brushed this under the rug and can't do it any more. Pete's ability to communicate makes him so well-suited for this role. He's no Biden or Bill Clinton, but his calmness seems suited to our times. And, with the exception of deBlasio and, maybe, Bennett, I don't think any other candidate as deal with these issues. It's still 7months until Iowa casts the first votes . Candidates either fold up or embrace challenges and become better for it. For some reason, I have tremendous faith that Pete is at the beginning of his glide path.
21
Do we know what happened yet? Is there any evidence that the police acted illegally or used poor judgment? Is there any reason for breast beating or protesting? It seems that any time there is an interaction between police and African Americans, the assumption is that it was racially motivated and punishment is demanded before the facts are known.
12
Pete is just too young and too inexperienced—haven’t we learned that lesson.
But everyone says it’s a win win for him to run (except perhaps residents of South Bend, Indiana).
[It seems like there’s something wrong with that kind of template for our elections.]
@srwdm
He is not 'too young.' The Constitution says 35 years of age. He's 37.
It'll be a huge win for America when Pete Buttigieg is elected the 46th President.
Journalists: admit it. You are drama junkies. So, when one of the two sides in a dispute eschews drama, Do you perchance rush in to fill the void with your own dramatic renderings? Pshaw. He was listening. He is clearly empathetic.
34
I saw him in CNN yesterday.
A deer in the headlights is more alive and capable than this dude.
He just sat there, mouth moving, saying nothing, eyes wide open, looking around as if waiting for Rachel Maddow to come rescue him.
Is that it? is that all he's got?
Flunk.
Next contestant to the front please.
1
Mayor Buttigieg has identified himself as an introvert. Our American society is biased towards extroversion and against introversion. That's my take on the situation. Buttigieg seems very thoughtful even if he doesn't emote like that consummate extrovert Bill Clinton. He can probably ride this out because of his thoughtfulness.
(In my observation and opinion, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama are all natural introverts as well. Buttigieg isn't alone in battling the bias that exists in the US against introverts.)
Let's all examine our biases and consider what makes a good leader. It's not always extraversion.
30
This is the time to ask the question, how does the African American community in general regard gay people, specifically gay men? In California in November 2008, many black voters who voted for Obama also voted for Proposition 8, a ballot measure opposing same-sex marriage, one of the reasons why it passed.
I don't think it's unfair to say that a substantial number of black men who are straight (and straight Hispanic men for that matter) have difficulty in looking beyond their "macho" pride to show support for gay men. That is an element missing from this story.
17
@Scott
The AA community, like the country at large, is changing.
Pete is Pete.
That is what you get and frankly, those who meet him, think that's great.
His numbers in the black community continue to rise.
Stuff happens.
6
@Scott
Are people still blaming blacks for the passage of Proposition 8? Whites are sixty percent of California's population, blacks represent less than ten percent. The white vote split 50-50 on Proposition 8. I found that surprising, didn't you? Instead of scapegoating blacks as homophobic, why don't you examine the reasons why so many white Californians voted for the passage of 8?
The first step, Pete said, was to listen. The Town Hall organizers wisely let the fringe be heard too. I heard them, and I also heard AA folks who balanced their cry for help with their faith in a man they watched for 8 years. I’ll take a leader who knows when to keep quiet and listen. There will always be Drama Queens like Trump and those who thrive on his and their own chaos. This is. Man who cares deeply. Try listening to him.
23
I’d vote for Mayor Pete in a heartbeat and I think he truly wants justice for the black community. That said, he reminds me of Obama and Hillary Clinton, and the hundreds of academics I’ve worked with over the years in higher education. The left side of their brains is overdeveloped—they’re brilliant—at the expense of the warm and fuzzy side, the side that relates to the feelings and sometimes irrational behavior in all of us. They prefer rational decisions to thorny problems, to the point where they come off sounding clinical and unfeeling. Mayor Pete needs to take swift, decisive action that will leave no doubt that he’s in charge and that he represents all of the people of South Bend. The call for investigations to determine if an injustice had actually occurred doesn’t cut it. To a white man, the rules, The System, and the assumptions about what is just and proper that inform the rules and the system are considered corrupt, oppressive and unjust to the black community. This is a crucial test to see if he understands this.
15
Yesterday’s Town hall revealed exactly who Pete is: The Prince of PowerPoint... a McKinsey guy who talks a good game.
That was no leadership. Unless the standards of leadership have declined to the bare minimum that he didn’t literally run away from the questions. He calmed no one. He convinced no one. He just sat there and took it on the chin. He could have made it a moment by connecting. He didn’t.
Pete needs time. Lis Smith, his comms head, has done a phenomenal job of marketing Pete to the nation. Kudos to her for that. She’s a star!
I expect her damage control team, in abundant evidence here, will take offense to what I write.
But, Mayor Pete needs to own up to his inaction on poor race relations and racism in the police department that had festered for a while. In a 40% African American city, their proportion on the police force declined from 10% to 5%. That’s on him.
The optics of the town hall yesterday were terrible (slouched, defensive, people shouting over him). No doubt Trump’s team watched in glee and will replay it on repeat if he’s the nominee... I’ll vote for Biden before I vote for Pete - and I don’t care at all for Biden...
5
@Patrician
As a patrician you may be disappointed to learn that Biden will not be the nominee.
You will get to vote for Pete or Trump.
The choice is yours.
3
@simon sez
You obviously have not read any of my earlier comments on Biden... I can’t stand Biden.
You might be taking your own handle too seriously by giving me that choice... no amount of spin will convince me that what Pete has shown recently is: leadership.
Oh, and I have, and will always, vote for a Democrat.
@simon sez
I think Pete is great, but he won't make it to the top. I'd LOVE to see Warren get there. Pray God she will. I'm still afraid it's going to be Joe.
1
Ugh. Stop bashing the guy for having a level head. He waded directly into the situation and is clearly doing everything he can to help.
I'm really tired of talking heads finding fault where there is none. Picking nits regarding personal style when we have a federal government in utter chaos, run by kleptocrats who are slowly wasting our country... Just stop. Stop. Stop. Stop.
38
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but I understood that the man brandished a knife at the police officer....?
If that’s true, what’s the mayor got to apologize for, huh?
Give the police officer a thumbs-up for helping clean up the town....
I, for one, am tired of the guilty being projected as the victim!
Another reason Trump’s in the White House....
3
You are wrong, at least in the particulars. No body camera, so I guess we should take the officer’s word? And if you think summary executions are a good way to clean up the streets, be ready when they come for you and yours.
1
Buttigieg knew a town hall was going to be a no-win situation for him, but he went anyhow. Asking him to be overly emotive is like asking the town hall attendees to be calm. I respect the young man's courage and intellect, as well as the emotions of the attendees.
46
I think he faced the situation head on and bravely - maybe he suppressed real emotion at the town hall, because it wasn't about him. Maybe it wasn't appropriate when angry people needed to vent at him. He listened. He did seem very emotive at the press gaggle afterwards. I noted that the email he sent to supporters today left out the donation button at the bottom and focused on a response. He said his heart is broken along with his community. At the march Friday night, he said he'd sign a petition demanding for federal oversight of the shooting investigation, if the petition took out some language that he deemed prejudicial.
From my understanding, the city has not had as many applicants of color to become police officers in that community. As with all kinds of outreach programs, you can do what you can do, and the rest might not be up to you.
What's more important is that he recognizes the hundreds of years of systematic racism and would like to address it - from what I've read, his Douglass plan is a good one, but I'm not a person of color.
He does have policies if you read his website in depth and listen to all of the speeches. Overall, as a normally die-hard Bernie supporter, I'm in Pete's camp right now.
30
Mayor Pete's problem is that he has never had the support of his city's black community and some of his biggest accomplishments -- "modernizing" public works (by laying off workers in favor of automation), and "right-sizing" the city (by clearing out low-income housing) -- callously hurt the black community without really acknowledging the downside to these decisions.
He could get elected mayor of South Bend, or even governor of Indiana as a Democrat, maybe, with only tepid support from the African-American community. But he can't win the presidential nomination that way and his long record of nonchalance toward their concerns boiled over at this townhall and erased any chance he had of increasing the support of this critical group of voters.
5
@Chris Gray
Wrong.
He has had the support of his city's black community now for almost 8 years.
They overwhelmingly put him over the top when he was reelected by 80% a few years ago.
The local head of the NAACP, who was on the stage, his greatest critic in the city council, who is black, the black woman who wanted to take his place as mayor and lost, they all have come out in support for him
It seems to me that you are writing what you wish were true rather than doing any homework.
19
He did exactly what a leader should do by marching into a raw and emotionally fraught situation. He was properly obsequious, listened, and did not over promise. Did we expect him to solve racism? I was impressed. Would you ever see Trump anywhere near a town hall like that?
46
Why should he feel their pain? He and everyone else would be lying if they said they could.
16
@Rit I cannot fathom how anyone with a remote amount of intelligence would seriously consider Donald Trump as viable candidate for POTUS...
7
Is this a new article or an opinion piece? Words like this “appearing diminutive at times” are more suited to your opinion writers.
39
It takes real guts to suspend a campaign that has been rocketing from nowhere to a major seat at the table and to return to South Bend to provide leadership to a community that is hurting.
The black community in South Bend, like those in many other American cities, has been the victim of racist policies in law enforcement.
Pete has spoken about this since the start of his campaign. He has been meeting with many community leaders to have them work with him to craft a response that will actually make a difference vs the pat political talk that has come to date.
That is why the black community in South Bend overwhelmingly supports him in this tough situation. They know that he really wants to make a difference and that they are part of the team, not outsiders.
The head of the local NAACP, who was on the stage with him, praises him. One of his major opponents for Democratic nomination for mayor, a black woman, supports him. Even his most vocal city council critic, a black man, supports him.
But within the black community there are a small, vocal group that call him a racist, insult him openly and curse the city government which he heads.
He did something unusual during the hearings. He apologized in the name of the city for decades of racism and for not being more effective in preventing this tragedy. He asked for their help to change things. And they know he means it.
I have rarely seen such leadership displayed in recent years by anyone in his position.
Calm.
58
I like his smarts, intellectual depth, experience as a military man, and that he makes a lot of sense
So why not a young inexperienced person to be president when we have an inexperienced, morally corrupt and financially bankrupt one right now?
27
It was a no win situation for Mayor Pete. If he'd shown too much empathy or emotion, he had likely been criticized for presuming to think he knew what it was like and for shedding crocodile tears.
I give him tremendous credit for just being there and listening, taking responsibility.
I still much prefer him over flip-flopper, un-apologist Biden and the senators who certainly haven't done as much to solve these entrenched problems.
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@Concerned American He is gay, he knows exactly what it is like to be marginalized and targeted.
16
@Daniel
Excellent point!!
11
I cannot fathom how anyone with a remote amount of intelligence would seriously consider Mayor Pete as a viable candidate for POTUS when his only experience is running a small city which is far removed from running a country. Plenty of people have ideas that are appealing but that does not mean they are capable of actually running a country. He needs to run for Congress, the Senate or Governor first then maybe in a couple of election cycles after that run for POTUS.
9
Sixty some million peopl voted for Trump...
11
What a highly biased article. That town hall was bound to be a no-win situation for him. Those folks were naturally upset at yet another instance of police killing an African-American man, but the facts of the case as they now stand indicate that he was armed and threatening. The NYT would only have been happy if Pete had groveled on the floor for their forgiveness.
46
@Jeff
What facts indicate the man was armed and threatening? The officer's body camera was turned off. The officer's statement is subjective, hardly a fact.
This seems inappropriate in covering a gay candidate for office: "He came into office versed in data and analysis, and as a closeted gay man who kept his sexuality secret from the public for his first four years in office."
It's factually true, but interjecting it here makes it seem like you are saying that someone who is not "out" is therefore a flawed person to be faulted. Otherwise, what purpose does it serve to include this fact about his sexual orientation?
This behavior that you chose to highlight had as further background the fact that he was in the military, signing up initially at a time when he was actually directed to "don't ask, don't tell" (ie, don't come out) by federal law, and was in elected politics at a time when it was generally thought that gay people could not be elected in a red state.
Report on him on this current issue and bring in relevant political context from the past, but dragging in his sexual identity seems outside the bounds.
38
As a black millennium I can almost confidently say that the Democrats won't be getting the black vote in 2020. They always dance around the issue or apologize without holding anyone specifically responsible. Or the meet with Al Sharpton and Church leaders like it's still the 80's. In 2016 Trump said what else do we have to lose voting for him, white America has no clue how true those words rang. And while we didn't vote for Trump most people stayed home last election and sadly I think even more will stay home next election, because really what else do we have to lose at this point .
8
What else does the AA community have to lose if they don’t vote in 2020?
Further erosion of voting rights. Cuts to housing subsidies, food stamps, Medicaid, Medicare, education funding, and after school programs. Etc. etc.
15
Stop profiling a group of people like they're one.
5
Haven’t we all lost enough? By not voting you are voting for the worst candidate. The most important thing you can do is vote and drive a few friends to the polls. Vote your interests, vote your concerns.
9
I have been so impressed with everything about this man. Every time I've seen him speak I like him even more. He's been my top pick for some time.
That being said, I think his support in the African American community has been tepid at best. This may end up being the "nail in the coffin" for Mayor Pete.
12
I feel like the NYTimes keeps waiting for a "gotcha" to plant seeds of doubt in the minds of voters about each of the Democrats running for president.
44
@Sharon - Not if its Biden or Warren. Those two can do no wrong with this paper.
9
@Sharon, planting seeds of doubt about every candidate and officeholder is precisely what I want journalists to do, lest we think any of them is the one who will bring us Utopia. Every choice is flawed; we need to judge which is least.
1
If this was Trump, Guilliani, Sessions or pretty much any other Republican, the response would a press conference with shoulder to shoulder cops to tell everyone why the victim really did have it coming.
18
Mayor Pete is exactly the leader we need now. You want someone like Obama but will fight back? Well here he is-embrace him.
44
Deidre, he is not "exactly like Obama". Not, at all. Obviously, you weren't paying attention last time. Remember, the eulogy Obama gave at the Emanuel Church for those who had been slaughtered there? Think Mayor Pete can do that? Not on your life.
1
@Donna Bailey
You want decency or four more years of avarice, graft and greed? Democrats could run king kong and I would vote for him. I will vote the blue ticket all the way through because it is the less evil option. Don't let the enemy of the perfect be the downfall of what is good.
4
His priorities are in the right place, going back to South Bend, listening to the community. Pete admits we can do better - not only in South Bend, but in all of our communities across this nation. Change doesn't feel that it's happening fast enough, but with Pete I think we have a chance of moving forward and improving.
145
Just because Pete Buttigieg isn’t Oprah-like it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t care about and sympathize with the concerns of the AA community in S. Bend and elsewhere. On the contrary, he’s one of the most thoughtful candidates out there.
The way the NYT has handled this story is disappointing and frustrating. It lacks nuance, and objectivity, and could seriously damage Buttigieg’s reputation.
51
@adm3
I think you may hit on the New York Times' motive here. If it ain't Biden or Warren, then the gloves come off on anything that could be embarrassing or politically unhelpful.
22
@JSD - I just commented above (before seeing your comment) that the Times sees no wrong with Biden or Warren. That is obvious.
7
@tom harrison
Yeah, they don't seem to be very secretive about their electoral preferences.
8
I have to say that what I see is Pete Buttigieg trying to be conciliatory and sensitive to the concerns of the South Bend black community and open to communicate honestly about this issue of police violence against them. From them, I see yelling over him, screaming interruptions, calling names, and being generally rude and unhelpful in reaching any productive solution.
35
@JSD Msyor Pete would probably be the first one to tell you that their anger is justified and he doesn't hold it against them. Vilifying the AA community for being angry that they don't get treated fairly by police won't help any more than putting all the blame on Pete.
Mayor Buttigieg was my favourite among the candidates until this week. As I learned more about the South Bend police department during his tenure as the Mayor, I started to doubt his ability to solve problems. I think he failed as Mayor to straighten out his police department. It should be obvious to anyone based on his firing of the police chief that South Bend police force has serious problem with race-related issues. The question is what Mayor Buttigieg did to address this issue ? I understood that the minority representation in the police force has reduced to 5% from 10% during his time in office for a city of 40% minorities. What happened last week was the result of his failure to cultivate trust between the police and community it serves.
14
@Nagumumo
Yeah, how could we every support someone who hasn't solved racism or police violence?
45
@Nagumumo
If he truly was your favorite then why not give him the benefit of the doubt that he did the right thing and showed true leadership, which is what we desperately need in a President?
I am overjoyed that he did so well and that he is using this to grow and be a better leader.
I find it fascinating that many in the media and those who swear he was their fav, have now pulled out the knives.
39
@simon sez
As an Independent, I won't have a say in the primary in my State. However, I will vote for him if he is the nominee. I too hope that he grows to become better candidate.
9
Really ?
“ relatability”
Mayor Pete has the “ chops” to address institutional racism in Indiana.
He was a combat soldier and his command was full of a diverse soldiering battalion.
You cannot shout change in a street or auditorium or church.
He will methodically calm his populace and begin an awareness campaign and changes needed to bring sunshine to racial history and black and brown peoples disadvantages when confronted by police instead of peace officers. There used to be a difference.
Give mayor Pete a chance.
He is way better than trumps racist approach to our countries institutionalized racism.
You are biased in this story because underlying misgivings is his sexual orientation.
Unspoken and inferred. Denied I am sure.
33
Best solution may be to police neighborhoods by race. Black officers in predominantly Minority and white officers in Caucasian. Hopefully fewer shootings.
@clarity007 - Or, just hire black cops only and see if things change. I doubt they would.
2
I was supporting Mayor Pete when I heard him speak--he has a special skill for conceptualizing complex problems in a way that represents positive values without alienating those who disagree. He makes the Democratic position seem so reasonable, not personal.
Then I read his memoir. It was dull, technocratic, focused on him and his puzzle solving abilities, and lacked much evidence of an inclination to take initiatives to make fundamental changes that would help South Benders.
Then I watched his flat, passionless, submissive response to the citizens of his city who were angry about the shooting (i.e., racism and their fear of the police in particular). He looked small, detached, and robotic.
He would be my guy to solve a Rubik's cube, or a cabinet member/spokesperson, but I don't think that he has the genuine empathy or emotional range to be a good president or win a campaign (despite being vastly superior to our current president in so many ways).
15
@SHJ - Now picture Warren or Biden in the same position and what would be different? Biden claiming that he worked well with segregationists or Warren fumbling around trying to downplay her ethnic background?
22
@SHJ So, your criteria for a President is someone super emotive? You must have struggled during the Obama administration.
7
Donald Trump, obviously, does not have the empathy or emotional range to be president. The issue isn't what qualities a candidate has, it's what qualities his supporters care about.
2
After electing Trump, the ultimate 'conveyor of pain and all the feelings, especially anger', voters and media are again looking for someone who is the best on-stage actor. The reality is, we need someone who can propose executive actions and legislative agenda that help people on a practical level. For psychotherapy, there are scores of highly educated professionals who can provide services that no politician can give or should pretend to be able to give.
13
I liked Pete until he took that cheap shot at VP Pence. I don't see Rep. Omar cheering for Pete...I wonder what she thinks about gays! So Pete came across, to me, as being a petty person. Now, this may be Axelrod's influence, but Pete said the insult of Pence and, therefore, he owns it. Now he's being called weak and cold, boarding on a racist. Well Pete, imagine this times 1000. That's what it will be like if you're President. You clearly can't handle it, and this incident, I believe, is your Waterloo!
2
@J. G. Smith - Cheap shot at Pence? I believe Pence has taken the cheap shots and made it his career.
8
@tom harrison, and here we come back to the essential question of moral combat: Do we take the "high" road or the one our opponents travel?
Wow, shoddy journalism in this article.
Does he get courage points for being publicly beat up while the other candidates hung out at a barbecue?
62
I will take Buttigieg's cool calm demeanor (mixed with his unbelievable smarts and kindness) any day over, say, the likes of Bill Clinton's lip biting false I feel your pain bit. Buttigieg will do the right thing, not play too much (it is of course part of politics but proportion is everything) to the audience or cameras. I loved Obama's cool and love it on Buttigieg as well, because it is who they are - levelheaded and composed and deep thinkers, not rushing in with false emotion at every turn, for a vote.
202
@moosemaps Not to mention Buttigieg is likely to surround himself with a support staff equally as young and brilliant as he, yet mature and sensible enough to include some old school experts as well. He truly can and will attract the very best people. Unlike Trump who promised the best, attracted the worst, and IMO will cause a national emergency if he is re-elected. It mustn't happen.
38
@Just Sayin'
I completely agree! His email are such a refreshing change from all the others, including Warren, who waste my time with what I consider condescending invites to share a beer or win a ticket to dinner. Instead, Pete's and his team's emails are informative and respectful and they even get back quickly when I've emailed. That's what I consider an impressive administration!
18
The town hall meeting was so interesting; the point of view of the article is that Mayor Pete did a poor job of sharing the pain of those who spoke. I disagree. The only way to handle that situation is to remain cool, calm and collected. I grew in a low income neighborhood; the residents in these areas tend to active in a volatile, explosive manner, no matter the truth of their statements. A lot of what the speaks had to say rings true. In these situations, strength comes from listening, not becoming defensive.
the issue with the body cameras was telling; once they knew the cameras don't work, why didn't the Mayor or the Police Chief cancel the contract?
15
@Stanley pardon my poor typing skills... here are my corrections:
...the residents in these areas tend to act in a volatile, explosive manner, no matter the truth of their statements. A lot of what the speakers had to say rings true....
The issue with the body cameras was telling; once they knew the cameras don't work, why didn't the Mayor or the Police Chief cancel the contract?
1
Anyone who has watched (and the author of this article has clearly not done so) videos of the Town Hall and the other times Mayor Pete has faced citizens of South Bend, has seen people vomit their anger and frustration at the Mayor while he has remained calm and empathic, agreeing to the demands that are feasible (ask the DOJ for an independent investigation) and calmly explaining those that are not. I for one am hugely impressed how someone can meet such vituperation with so much grace and aplomb and be such a good, sympathetic listener. Shows leadership and solid character. Instead, the NYT portraits him as “struggling”.
78
he has a very blatant weakness of being unable to convey or elicit emotion. He has a similar problem to Tom Steyer, only he is admittedly much smarter than Tom Steyer, and a lot less evil--I doubt he would go so low as to attack a special needs kid---so I guess what I am saying is that he shares one of Tom Steyer's many weaknesses, but that that weakness is big enough as to make it impossible to win a national election. It is exactly what Trump excels at and one of many things that Tom Steyer is absolutely terrible at. I cannot wait until FBI arrests him for his crimes against humanity. Dems will be in a much safer position going into 2020 the faster the Tom Steyer issue is resolved---the closer it gets resolved to the election the bigger a liability he becomes. If only the NYT actually knew what was going on in the world---so out of touch. Bring investigative journalism back! That's the only way all news does not become fake news--in depth facts of stories that elite's try to cover up---not just analysis of what they are talking about on CNN. The whole industry has lost all credibility--and Tom Steyer not being investigated is living proof...
Let's hope that the mayor stands up for his police force. The facts appear to be that a criminal was confronted during the commission of a crime, and brandished a deadly weapon at a police officer. Unless these facts are shown to be wrong, then the officer was justified in using deadly force. Mayor Pete could easily lose support in middle America if he handles this wrong.
41
@Thomas - It would not make any difference to the black community if the criminal had shot 4 officers first, they would still be screaming that the police should have talked him down first or used a taser.
7
@tom harrison You make it sound like Black people are being unreasonable in that request. Why? White mass murderers are regularly treated with kid gloves and safely delivered to jail after committing atrocities. People of color would love the same opportunity. Instead, they are routinely killed before they even make it into the back of the squad car.
5
@tom harrison The "black community" is far from monolithic. If you have been following this story, it is very plain that many black people in SB have supported Mayor Pete and his measured approach. That being said, if the officer had kept his body cam on and he is telling the truth, he would not be in the position he is in.
5
wow, so many biases against Buttigieg in this article ! How many narcissistic, psychopathic politicians have we seen faking empathy in the past? now the authors of this piece, and people they interviewed are saying empathy is the most important qualification for someone running for president - ridiculous! and once again making image far more important than substance. How many of the 20 people running would have left the campaign trail and shown up in their city to address the shooting and deal in an honest and straightforward way with upset citizens?
more and more, he keeps looking like the person I hope is the next president.
87
@guilianna - Maybe he could wave his hands a lot like Beto when he apologizes. Or maybe he could watch Johnny Depp apologize on camera to the people of Australia for smuggling his dogs into the country and take a lesson from a professional actor. Or perhaps he could take a cue from Frazier, "I'm listening..."
4
I haven't decided who my favorite Dem is for 2020, but it seems ridiculous to judge the mayor on whether he can emote adequately to convince people he cares. Spare me the crocodile tears and the calls for prayers, and the breaking hearts. Just show that you are willing to do something. If you get it done, I don't care if it's done with zero display of emotion.
57
Seems like the entire thesis of the article, that Pete didn’t effectively empathize with those in pain over this shooting, was negated by the last several sentences when we actually got to hear what those very people thought. The author’s support for their thesis was based on their characterization of online criticism and quoting pundits and politicos thoughts on the matter. Then in the last couple sentences we learn that the people in the meeting and on the march with Mayor Pete, you know, the very ones that apparently he didn’t empathize enough with, felt that he was supportive and understanding in their conversations and expressed support for his leadership. Shaking my head at a job poorly done, NYT.
86
He would have been mocked as insincere if he had said “ I feel your pain.” He would have been derided and gay-baited as being weak if he had cried. He may well not be the best candidate for the presidency, but please judge him on qualifications and character traits that are relevant to that task, not how well he displays emotion publicly. Don’t assume that he doesn’t feel empathy because he doesn’t ham it up enough for the cameras.
47
Why is it (with a few notable and horrible exceptions) that when a person of color gets shot committing a felony and threatening an officer that confronts him that there is this hue and cry about “black lives matter”. It is way past time for all citizens to take responsibility for their actions. As the old saying goes “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime.”
10
It is becoming clear that Mayor Pete is not up to the task of becoming our next president.
Because, if you cannot handle a straightfoward problem in a small city in an effective manner, what makes you think he can handle the much larger and more complex problems that we see routinely see in the office of the leader of the free world?
11
@Mike M.
In what way is a police shooting straightforward? Really. If it was a straightforward issue, we'd have solved it by now. In many ways, it is the prime example of something a president would face. Unclear facts, emotions on all sides, confined by laws that you may personally disagree with, duty to due process balanced with grief, and in this case, an issue that taps into national outrage over long term racism and justice issues.
What is notable is this is an issue a senator does not have to deal with. Not on the personal level a mayor does. So to me, it shows senators do not have experience in the very real, very emotional and raw issues that come to play on the national stage and that the executive alone is responsible for.
79
@Lauren
Completely agree. It will be fascinating to see the multitude of senator candidates for the nomination attempt to show how they know what to do to solve these incredibly complex issues in this week's debates. And then to hear Pete Buttigieg respond as the only candidate literally on the front-lines who actually understands from experience how there is no simple solution. He has shown grace under pressure in the wake of tragedy, and continues to demonstrate a quality that is sorely lacking is so many politicians -- the ability and desire to listen, think, then respond. He definitely still has my vote 100%.
59
@Mike M. If Buttigieg were president, he would not have racists yelling at him from the back of the room.
7
Mayor Pete stood up in front of enraged citizens and quietly withstood their angry accusations. He did not deny his responsibility. He responded with honesty and humility in an attempt to find solutions. He apparently demonstrated real empathy to the family of the deceased person, according to their statements, and the statements of others who dealt directly with him. By the way, all this is very, very difficult to do while standing in a pressure cooker, with the media watching you every second. I think it is an excellent demonstration of exactly the kind of maturity we would get if this man was elected president.
Or maybe we'd rather have a president who claims all his mistakes are "fake news," who tells lies every single day, and has never taken responsibility for his own behavior. The president we have now is a man who dishonors and insults veterans, and disabled people, and women. We deserve somebody better.
240
This attitude that a politician has to emote to show that he takes an issue seriously is ridiculous. Buttigieg didn't show empathy? His job is not to put on a show, it is to problem solve. Give me a technocrat over a smarmy hugger any day. Keep it up people, we'll have another 4 years of Trump divisiveness and lunacy to look forward to.
224
@Maggie
Correction. Respectfully, Maggie. Don't blame "people." You SHOULD have written: "Keep it up, NYT; we'll have another 4 years of Trump divisiveness and lunacy to look forward to."
This is the NYT, and it is they who with "reporting" like this will be to blame for four more years of Trump.
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South Bend residents are holding Mayor Pete responsible for a cop shooting an armed suspect, it's absurd. OK be upset with the chief of police and the officers in question. The suspect had a knife. It is concerning that the officer didn't have his camera on, that should be a fireable offence. As for staffing - you can't leave positions open until you find a minority candidate willing/able/qualified/motivated to do the job, especially police work.
Sorry, upset residents of SB, but Mayor Pete has a chance to be a transformative President. Your long held negative views of the SB police department should't disqualify him from much greater things.
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@Midwest Josh well said
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"Mr. Buttigieg, a 37-year-old former whiz kid, has never dealt with significant personal failure."
Truly, one of the most thoughtless and jaw-droppingly stupid things I've seen printed in the Times. Aside from the writers having zero way of knowing this, it seems desperate to set up a narrative, true or not, to pay off the rest of the article.
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@G
The Times has really seemed to make a point of taking unfair potshots in this article.
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@JSD they seem adamant on tanking his campaign. There are some amazing, strong supporters in the African American community in SB, and the Times has made very little effort to share their voices. (that is, if this type of criticism makes it through their moderators)
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@G
Totally agree. Former whiz kid? Let's see, how can we denigrate someone who is both young and smart. Let's call him a former whiz kid. Oh and we can also say that he appeared diminutive. Where are the NYT editors?
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This is a horrific problem throughout US cities — to expect one mayor to solve it is not realistic. Heck, Obama didn’t solve it and he was president. It seems to me that the failure in south bend is not because they did not try to change the situation— under mayor Pete they implemented a lot of new bias trainings, body cameras etc., but rather, because implicit racism (black guy=danger) is so entrenched in this country. As for the emotion stuff — he’s not putting on a show but he clearly is distraught about this. In the videos I saw he seemed very much to be feeling the residents’ pain. To me this says more than a vacuous politician’s “show of feelings.”
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@Marcy Someone is always going to take the blame, but in this case, he's the Organized 'head' of the local police department. His explanation as to why the body cam wasn't working sounds unempathetic and contrived. Like he just doesn't 'get it'. It's obvious there are still systematic methods in place by the police to get away with certain types of killing of its citizens (i.e. how to disable the body cam when convenient but using another excuse for it). As a Democratic President, one thing the constituents expect is more fire in the belly in terms of addressing these types of authority figures that blatantly empower police actions that seem excessive and fitting of the narrative of racism driven trigger happy police brutality.
He's a self-admitted and proud nerd. I'm married to one, an Engineer, for 40 years. This is how they ARE. Mayor Pete is obviously extremely intelligent and capable. I'd take Him any day over a histrionic, bumbling, blubbering, Racist, misogynist Fool. But that's just me.
VOTE on 2020. Vote them ALL out.
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No city mayor can win this.
The police are a nearly intractable force in most cities. You could let their contract expire and then refuse to give them any of the countless concessions made over the years when re-negotiating, but you'd also likely wind up sued in court, possibly by the NLRB as well.
Plus the dirty secret is that most cities need their police forces for reality of day-day containment of crime, gangs and violence. Yes, 10x or 100x social welfare spending would be better, but it's not coming and voters will not tolerate a society that resembles Mad Max.
I also wonder how Pete Buttigieg's homosexuality plays out in the African American community. I'm sure among connected political operatives its not mentioned, but the African American community is often quite hostile to GLBT issues.
Worse yet, I'm sure there are competing Presidential political operatives fanning the flames of this situation, hoping they can make Pete "unelectable" due to his lack of support by African Americans.
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Surely everyone has the intelligence to know that this is beyond relatability and whether Mayor Pete feels their pain. This is the story around the country, not just South Bend. People have heard umpteen politicians voice their pain and prayers, say they understand. It's about, and it's high time, what is going to be done about the persistent perception that police forces are racist and/or use unnecessary force?
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Mayor Pete canceled political events and went back to South Bend. He showed up and that counts.
Until all the evidence is gathered, there is only so much that the Mayor can do to placate the African-American community, And if the conclusion is that the policeman was right in his actions, I hope he does what I right and supports law & order. Else Mayor Pete may rapidly lose middle-America.
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Baffling take. I saw the video of Buttigieg answering questions after the town hall and was impressed by the authenticity of his feelings and his full responsibility for the actions of the police department in his city. He didn’t say “the buck stops here” but he may as well have. People are hurting and they are allowed to express their anger. As the face of the city, he is the person they can express it to. He created an open forum in which a diverse and complex community could be heard. How is this anything but exemplary?
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@Amy
So true.
I love that this is being played out so that those who truly want to see how he responds under stress, as he did in Afghanistan, can understand that he shows the true leadership necessary to be the best President yet.
The man is a combination of so many wonderful parts, compassionate, truly interested in the person before him ( my own experience recently with him in DC), honest, answers questions fully, apologizes when necessary ( Biden, are you listening?), funny and did I say brilliant?
President Buttigieg.
Sounds better every day.
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Good and thoughtful article. We all have different takes on meeting Pete in person - for myself, I was relived to find a politician who is the same on TV, in person, in private.
The thesis of this article is about Pete not caring. But those that marched with him clearly felt he does care. Including the family members of Eric Logan. I know the Muslim members of his community felt loved by the letter he wrote to them too.
For my part, I've seen politicians, including our current president, never show up, pass the blame, and never want to take responsibility or face the music. While children are dying because of their policies. And the administration won't answer. And they have no emotion about it. We also see this all the time in congressional representatives who don't show up for town halls, ignore pleas about healthcare. This week, Pete showed up. He marched with his constituents against his police department, which I have never seen before. He answered questions and provided a chance for his constituents to speak and challenge him. I haven't seen another elected official do this after a police shooting, when many duck away rather then face the challenges of race in today's America. It was eye-opening. He showed us the leader he would be this week. A leader who shows up and listens, even, or especially, when its hard. That's a leader I want.
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If we all wait around for the perfect person to come along, then lo and behold that which rushes in to fill the void will be that person who gives a fig for what we were waiting for.
This is how you got Donald Trump and this is how you will get him again. Line up every single one of your candidates, find their weak spot, focus on that until they wither away. End up with a milquetoast compromise and hand the country over to another four years of what you have now.
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Agreed.
Your comment sounds like the NYT’s “journalistic” guidelines.
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I am not a partisan and I know very little about Buttigieg. But I do know that police abuse of citizens of all colors is a severe problem and that the main reason for the problem is that those politicians who have authority over the police department are more interested in serving the selfish interests of police than they are in protecting the public from police abuse.
Buttigieg may need to practice up on displaying emotion (real or contrived) in order to be a more successful politician. But it is clear that he has throughout his term in office been an utter and complete failure as a mayor to address the severe problem of police abuse of citizens. Expressing empathy is nothing more than an empty gesture engaged in for selfish political purpose. He should instead immediately get to work doing what he has failed to do since he was elected mayor.
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@Errol I'm curious why you think he has done nothing. He instituted racial bias training, and implicit bias training. He is the reason there are body cameras at all, and they are supposed to be on for all interactions, under the policy written. He also instituted an open data site on the South Bend Police Force, so every single use of force incident is visible to the public. Under Indiana law, he cannot fire any of the officers - only the Public Safety Board can. That board, nominated by Pete, is majority african-american. They also do all the police officer hiring. If you have an issue with that law, take it up with the Governor. or the former Governor, our current VP.
He has also put together multiple community events that have the officers interacting with the community - bbqs, big brother programs, youth athletic leagues. he has put together multiple tasks force of community groups that involve local leaders and young members to try and connect the groups. He has broken down the hiring process multiple times into minute areas - such as the recruitment flyers, and the actual step-by-step application process to see how they can recruit more minority officers. There is an April town hall in Boston where he discusses this in detail. He also took all responsibility this week for any failings. Refreshing to see one who does.
Institutional racism and distrust cannot be fixed in one year, or four years, or even eight years. It requires a national effort.
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@Lauren
Unlike many, I do not see the problem as racial. Persons of all races are victims of police abuse, and police officers of all races commit those abuses.
I do acknowledge that blacks are disproportionately victimized. But the solution to police abuse of citizens is not worthless "sensitivity training" since sensitivity is not the problem. The problem is that police officers who commit egregious abuses or kill unarmed citizens are not promptly fired and criminally prosecuted. Instead they get long periods of extra free paid vacation while a phony "investigation" nearly always excuses them for their abuse after public attention dimishes.
All the body cams and sensitivity training in the world mean nothing when the message is repeatedly delivered to cops that they will get away with repeatedly abusing citizens, that protecting their jobs is the government's top priority instead of protecting citizens from police abuse.
@Lauren
Did you see the photos of his five new police officers? All white males.
Unacceptable. His police department HR could not find ONE person of color??
Jeez, talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. With any luck they'll ensure Trump gets re-elected and we all know HE feels their pain. Stupid is as stupid does.
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@Leslie exactly
I like Pete. What a change - smart and hardworking. This situation will be one of many tests for him. American voters are always looking for the perfect leader - if he's not an emotive guy, get over it. Tired of emotive all over the place leaders whether they are consoling or ranting nonsense.
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How about holding derelict police officers accountable? If he had a body camera on why was it turned off? If this is against policy should he not be fired on that alone?
All lives matter but to poorly trained, derelict, corrupt or bigoted police officers this isn’t the case. I’m sick of police officers getting a ay with murder and acting like bully blowfish.
How about set the bar higher?
How bout policemen are trained a few years not weeks when they are responsible for another persons life?
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@J
Racists have no place in any police force. We must train and prepare officers for interacting justly and fairly with every race and with every kind of mentally ill individuals —to reduce tensions and avoid escalating them —but the police force will still be made up of fallible human beings who will still be placed under enormous pressure of potential life and death situations that can erupt in a split second. A split second to decide whether an individual is a lethal threat or not. Someone dead if the police officers is wrong— either the individual or the police officer. Too many people of color are dying due police over reaction and worse racism but we forget — police officers of every race are also dying too. We need to ferret out the bad cops but we need to support the good ones.
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@J
Do some homework before writing a comment.
The official policy in South Bend is that up until now, it was the officer's discretion to turn on the camera. This officer chose not to do so.
This policy has now been changed by Mayor Pete.
The SBPD is undergoing a major shakeup thanks to Pete. And he has taken full responsibility for things turning out as they have.
What more can anyone ask?
This is true leadership and what we want in our President.
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