Why assume that there has never been a gay president? While there has never been an "out" gay president, there was speculation about James Buchanan. Sexual orientation should never be an issue for anyone, except to the people one is dating or with whom one is a partner.
9
Besides being unqualified to lead this nation, the fact is most Americans don't cotton to having a gay president and a spouse who would be... the 1st husband?. No, thank you! That said, while he's very educated and can articulate his views, no one as yet has really challenged them. His platform is too left of center. If the economy keeps growing, no one is going to beat President Trump. Certainly, above all, no one who wants to tax the beans out of all of us.
4
It may well be the case that Mayor Pete's homosexuality will deny him the presidency at this time. But then many of us thought that our country was too racist to elect a black president in 2008 and 2012. Barack Obama proved that belief wrong by conducting an exemplary campaign that emphasized his intelligence, eloquence, competence, and vision. I think that Mayor Pete shares many of the same qualities that President Obama demonstrated, and I hope that those qualities will in his case as in Obama's triumph over bigotry.
7
I love Mayor Pete. But here's the thing: a major factor in Hillary's defeat was black folks staying home. The Democratic ticket must have at least one candidate who is a person of color and cannot have a white candidate who will cause black voters to stay home. If Mayor Pete's sexual orientation does that, then I'm sorry, we have got to look elsewhere. And I am truly sorry because I consider Buttigieg by far the brightest star to come down the road since Barack. But we have got to keep our eyes on the prize -- which is tossing the criminal in the White House onto the dung heap of history. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- can get in the way of that.
6
Cool guy. Too inexperienced!
6
62 YO white guy here. I'd vote for Mayor Pete without hesitation.
No hesitation in 2019, but I reflected on the evolution of my views over the years. Would I have voted for a gay man in:
2016? Sure.
2012? Yep.
2008? Hmm.
2004? I, uh...
2000? Nope.
The times, they are a changin'. Good on us.
12
The percentage of people willing to vote for Mayor Pete is just as dishonest as the percentage who said they'd vote for a woman. People are liars and they are certainly lying to these pollsters.
4
I did like Mayor Pete at first but it seems the more he talks the more he appears to just be mouthing the words. I particularly did not like what he said to Beto in the last debate and I found it perplexing that he was saying the "time for action is now" but he did not have any plan of action on guns and Beto did. So, no, he can't be trump and if he can't beat trump he doesn't have my vote.
4
I am a lifelong Republican who plans to vote for Pete. Since FL has closed primaries, I am going to change parties so I can vote for him in the primaries. I've literally spent hours watching his old clips on YouTube. He's very impressive, and able to make quick connections with an audience. He's the kind of intelligent, caring and moral leader we need to recover from the current nightmare.
He's not as progressive as some, but it's important to remember that Trump won because lots of Democrats jumped ship. I actually do want to keep my healthcare, and appreciate that he will give me a choice. He has laid out several plans to detail his stance on important issues, and he also is open-minded enough to actually listen to people and take advice. He was in military intelligence and has a good grasp on global issues. He believes in diversity. You might wonder if the country is ready for a gay, but what about a Socialist? I'm sorry, but that's also a problem for a lot of voters, all respect to Bernie aside.
I hope all Democrats will just vote for the party candidate, even if he or she is not their first choice. We can put some of the blame for Trump on all the anti-Hillary purists, who did not vote in 2016, which led to the current disaster in office. Knowing that, will a Democrat really stay home from the polls, if the choice is Pete or Trump? We cannot repeat that mistake. Pete is my first choice, but any Dem will be better than Trump.
25
Democrats need the African American vote, and prominent African Americans have said they couldn't support a gay candidate because it goes against their strong faith based values. So yes, it does matter what a candidate does in bed to voters who vote their strict interpretation of the most common translations of the Bible. An older, some think more accurate translation of the bible says something like "man shall not lie with boy".
3
I'm an 80 year old WASP, religiously active and a centrist democrat and my preferences are either Klobuchar or Buttigieg. Both need political managerial experiences beyond managing their staff--and B has some with being mayor of South Bend. Both are bright and accomplished. Getting a gay man elected may be a step too far at this point, but perhaps the country is ready for it. Not sure it is more difficult than getting a woman elected. Neither being gay or a woman is relevant to the job they could do; each would bring some sorely needed perspective to to the presidency.
8
Frank brings up Buttigieg being on the “glide path to greatness”—Harvard, Rhodes scholarship and other baubles that brighten a résumé but, in presidential candidates, are somehow anti-qualifications. How odd. In presidential candidates, we want someone we could have a beer with or relate to or be neighbors with. But a Harvard-educated Rhodes Scholar? Oh goodness gracious no!
So, my fellow Americans, next time you wind up in a hospital after an auto accident or a heart attack, check the surgeon’s qualifications—and disqualify him or her if the words “Harvard” or “Rhodes” appear on the CV. I dare you.
As for me, I’m voting for Pete. No idea if he drinks beer, haven’t the foggiest if I could relate to him, and I don’t know if he mows his lawn every week. But he’s bright, articulate, thoughtful, measured—and I won’t hold his Harvard degree or his Rhodes against him.
17
If Mayor Pete became the democrat nominee. it would guarantee Donald trump another 4 years.
Mayor Pete is not qualified to be President:
1. He is a Mayor of a VERY small city
2. He cannot garner any African American/Latino support which is crucial to beating Trump.
3. More than 50% of Americans will not vote for a male President who is married to a man. This includes many democrats.
4. His military serve is minimal at best.
5. We have had enough on the job training with Trump, it is time to give the control back to those who know how to Govern.
43
@PeaceLove Which candidates have a stronger military service record? I can only think of one possibility. (HiIt isn't Trump)
34
@PeaceLove
6. He had to Google "Alfred E. Neuman" to find out who he was, after The Donald gave him that nickname (there is a considerable resemblance !) That makes Mayor Pete Too Young for me, as a child of Cold War One I think we need someone with at least a passing understanding of the terrors and tensions of that age. MAD Magazine was one of the few places young people could turn for validation of their feelings about topics (like Mutually Assured Destruction) that adults simply refused to discuss.
And "What, me Worry" Alfred E. was my hero !
7
@PeaceLove
Tell me how Trump was qualified?
33
No matter how fantastic Buttigieg is, his candidacy becomes an instant rallying point for the sizeable minority of the population who are white evangelical Protestants, who will immediately latch onto this as a sign that we are heading into Armageddon.
Yes, I know that they won't vote for a Democrat anyway -- probably, unless Trump's crimes as they are revealed cause even some of them to break away. But is this really the best moment in history to give the GOP such an easy target to rally their troops, perhaps making many of them go to the polls when they felt like staying home? And to cause a certain percentage of older, more conservative Democrats to stay home rather than come out and vote?
And what if Buttigieg as a candidate doesn't cost him the election, but brings just enough conservative GOP turnout and conservative Democratic ambivalence to leave us with a Republican Senate?
2
I’m 63 and support Mayor Pete. His monogamous sexuality of whatever sort is of no particular interest to me, except as a relief in the light of our current president’s offensive behavior. I’m just grateful that he is brilliant, honest, and willing to serve a country that is close to broken.
186
If Mayor Pete were NOT gay, he would just be another white male candidate... and many people who are excited about his candidacy would not be.
3
I would pay big money to see Pete Buttigieg debate Trump.
8
If we are saying that this dude cannot be elected, because he is openly gay. Are we also saying that Obama was elected, only because he was NOT openly Black?
Just saying!
2
I think he’s fantastic and would vote for him without hesitation. I am currently reading his autobiography and find his story compelling. I also like that his parents taught at my alma mater. However, I do think he’s a little ahead of his time. A stint as a Cabinet Secretary under the next Dem president and a few more years of societal evolution should do it. But I think it’s good he took this opportunity to introduce himself to the country.
5
I don't care if he is gay or not. I don't think people care other than the Evilgelicals. He is a very bright guy and that is what is on top of my list. Unfortunately. he will not be President this term or in the immediate future but, I think he should expand his game to a Senate run. Then the question is, can a gay guy win a Senatorial seat in Indiana? I wish him luck on that.
2
no savior needed, just a decent competent chief executive
4
I'm nearly 70 and a Democrat.
I'm from the Deep South.
I was impressed with Mayor Pete before I knew he was gay.
Would I vote for him?
You bet.
125
Why so much concern about his limited experience? Trump had none and it didn't stop him.
11
I will definitely vote for Buttigieg in the primary. Yet should he not be the chosen Democratic candidate the winner of the primary - no matter who - should immediately approach him to become his/her running mate and if he accepts, inform the public the very same minute he does.
His superior eloquence might help to turn some former Obama voters, namely those who voted for the most language challenged, snake oil selling, corrupt Casino boss, to once again vote for character, intellect and politeness.
3
I think Warren will win the first two. But if Buttigieg can come in second in both, then who knows what will happen March 3rd?
1
The "savior" part of this piece wasn't developed beyond mentioning it in the title and last sentence, but I have been saying since the beginning that Buttigieg has that charismatic "savior" sort of quality that people saw in Obama. Let's face it, in this society, you need to be a savior to win. (Although Trump is more like the Anti-Christ, to his fervent fans, he's a savior.) And on top of that, Buttigieg is a moderate, so we won't lose the Democratic votes of those who will stay home if Warren gets the nomination.
I think his being gay helps him far more than it hurts. If not for that, he would have been just another basic white dude, and a too-young one at that. Being gay is his edge. As to the portion of society who would never vote for a gay guy, well, we weren't going to get their vote regardless. And to the extent some of those are old people in Florida, I think he can overtake their reluctance if he can appeal to them as the son they wish they had so they can brag about his pedigree in the retirement community.
The way I see it, Buttigieg is our only chance at a win.
6
Your points are sound, and well reasoned. But I'd like to question one statement, that frankly bothered me: saying his background is a charmed glide path to greatness (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey) that defines privilege.
I would say his path shows hard work, intellect, drive, and ambition.
Would you say the same path of privilege applies for a person of color? White men are still a part of demographic makeup of the country. And if a white male is the Democratic winner, he got there because of the support he garnered. (I'm a Warren supporter, so this isn't about me wanting a Biden, Bernie, Buttigieg, or another white male.) But lets stop with the sex and race issue for who's privileged versus who isn't. Would you have tainted FDR as privileged, and therefore somehow not as qualified as his opponents for the nomination?
10
"Besides, didn’t Trump’s election prove that many voters could and would overlook elements of a candidate’s personal life if he gave voice to matters they cared about?"
Please remember the conditions of the 2016 Election and the part the Electoral College played in trump's win. 2.8 MILLION people did NOT "overlook elements of a candidate's personal life" and did NOT vote for him. People seem to forget, he was not the the people's choice, unless you believe that his supporters are really the only people who count.
1
I've been very impressed with Pete Buttigieg since I first heard him speak on TV. I'd love to see him win the Democratic nomination and the general election in 2020. What a change from Trump.
7
I don't care if he's gay, who he's married to, or his ethnic background, and I don't need or want a savior in the office of the president. I do want an individual who is competent, well educated, personally honest, has government experience, and isn't completely owned by big business elected to the office of the president. And that's why I'm seriously looking at his candidacy and will probably support him with my political donations.
9
He surely has many appealing qualities. At the same time there are issues that may be guesswork to predict the effect of but are concerns nonetheless. There are undoubtedly voters who flat out won't vote for a gay man. He is young, and has no experience in government beyond mayor of a medium size city. It's true that acceptance by American society of gay marriage in general seemed to take a sudden upturn some time ago. But maybe his time isn't just yet. Maybe he should run for a congressional or gubernatorial office in the mean time.
4
People should just vote for who would make the best president and not who can get the nomination or win in the general. Then maybe, we'd get a good president.
2
@Agarre People should do that until the nominations are in. In the end they should vote for their strongest candidate. Antiseptic idealism has ruined too many elections.
1
What people do consensually behind closed doors is no one else's business. I have gay friends who are married and gay friends who are single. I'm not gay. I don't judge people by their sexuality but by their intelligence, their warmth and caring and their humor among other attributes. Too bad more people don't see things this way.
7
Pete's experience as a closeted young gay person in the conservative Midwest is one of the reasons for his courage. Growing up in a homophobic culture, serving with discipline and integrity despite some fellow soldiers' homophobia, volunteering for over 100 trips "outside the wire, risking his career just before an election to state who he is and what he believes in....
Don't mistake his integrity and decency for weakness.
15
Buttigieg is a practicing Episcopalian. He is a military “foreign war “veteran who volunteered. He is a college graduate and Rhodes Scholar. He my have an elitist resumé but he is also a twice elected mayor of a conservative working class town. Oh, and by the way, he happens to be a gay man who outed himself before his first election as mayor.
Three things will cause his defeat were he to be nominated.
1. Black Americans desert the Democratic party they have been loyal to since the 1932 election simply because he is gay. Having endured unspeakable prejudice for 400 years, they now allow their own anti-Gay prejudice to re-elect president Trump, a genuine racist.
2. The celebrated voter demographic born between 1985 and 2001 (18-35 year olds) in their cool indifference to politics again fail to show up to vote.
3. The 35% of Americans who express anti-Gay animus and oppose Gay marriage prove to have a much higher percentage of Democrats than anyone predicted. Unlike the millennials and the African Americans who stay home on election day ,this one-issue demographic turns out in a stampede of protest and without shame vote for Trump.
If the perfect storm of those voting their prejudice instead of their self-interest occurs, the Republican wins the trifecta—a Senate,House, and presidential victory. it will be a trump engineered Republican victory because he alone made overt prejudice respectable agin in America.
4
@Thomas I can see the possibility of the first two. But I think it’s unlikely that the third is a reality. And the first two can perhaps be ameliorated by a strong campaign and decisive debates. Who knows - it’s unfortunate that the best candidate has to even consider the ramifications of his sexuality...
It pains me to agree but Buttigieg's greatest handicap is his inability to appeal to black voters. As a mayor he failed a critical test when confronted with the wrongdoing of his Chief of Police over inappropriate taping of white officers' racist conversations. The Chief broke the law, was called to account by the FBI, and Buttigieg did what as procedurally necessary by firing him. But the mess sullied him with black voters. Anyone that has been close to the despair they harbor over their relationship to law enforcement shouldn't be surprised.
On the issue of gayness I would be more confident . Black voters have very slowly been casting off bias against gays. Maybe not fast enough to elevate Buttigieg but there has been some progress in recent years with same-sex marriage finally polling over 50%, I suppose since it hasn't led to the collapse of the universe as many feared.
2
I find much to admire in Mayor Pete's resume. He is articulate, thoughtful, dignified, measured, and has sensible ideas for change. ( Oh, how I long for those qualities in a president again). He is my #2 choice at the moment, behind Warren, but I would vote enthusiastically behind him if he is the nominee. And I am still open to voting for him in the primary. I'm still watching and waiting. I was quite impressed with his most recent debate performance and look forward to seeing more of his stand on issues. His orientation has no bearing on my decision whatsoever.
6
My 80-something year old uncle has said he would never vote for Mayor Pete simply because he is gay. There are people whose minds are set, especially when they come from a certain generation (not all of course). I am sure millennials couldn't care less that he is gay. But people born in the 1920s and 1930s are less comfortable with the idea of homosexuality.
1
I will vote for a potted plant if it gets the Democratic nomination.
15
Just noticed he’s left-handed. I can’t vote for that.
4
Frank, I love your work, and your words here ring too true.
Much as I love Mayor Pete, and I do for so may aspects, the best being his astute answers and sophisticated communication skills on issues hard put for words...
The very sad hard truth is the USA will never allow a first couple being two men. This will never happen, no matter the actual merits Mayor Pete and his partner may bring to the table.
Sorry, but this will be the no-go factor for US President.
2
Bernie Sanders is now polling first in many of the early primaries
states, has the hugest democratic rally , and influential endorsements and The NYT keeps ignoring him. Instead Mr. Bruni is writing about Mayor Pete's sexual preference again and its impact on the electorate. Are you kidding?
6
Those who are not voting for a candidate because they are gay are not voting Democrat anyway.
Let them vote for Trump or someone else. We don't need them.
Pete will be the next and best president.
4
Sadly, his credibility in the black community is so low its hard to imagine how he can win. When I heard Wyatt Cynac completely dismiss his candidacy out hand to an audience who favors him I knew he is in trouble. The only hope would be a commitment to put a black candidate on the ticket with him.
2
I like Mayor Pete—his intelligence, his ability to inspire, his service to the country, his insights into the challenges of prejudice, his loving relationship with his spouse, his youth and energy.
The proportion of the electorate that would never consider voting for a gay candidate is surely already in the bag for Trump.
I'm a strong liberal but don't care if he's a centrist. I get why Medicare for All is the right move, but I can also see that when voters are bombarded with the message that electing a Democrat means losing their employer-based health insurance, many will recoil from voting for Warren or Sanders.
I picture a moment of national importance—say, an announcement that a terrorist leader has been struck down—and ask myself who I'd like to see addresssing the nation. Who can choose the right words, maintain honor and dignity, and bring us together?
I'll vote for whichever Democrat makes it through the primary, but I'd like it to be Pete.
7
100% in for Pete from the start. I don't understand black voters dismissal of him. If anyone should understand him as a member of a historically oppressed group, it should be blacks.
5
Any Democrat with a pulse in 2020.
3
He's so young! But there is something about his palpable intellect, his decency, and his military service to the country that is sure compelling.
I think we are all a bit exhausted by the complete opposite of the above, in our White House, and crave decency. I see decency in most of the Dems wanting the job, but of course I would, being a liberal, almost socialistic person myself. My question is tho, what is the rest of the country thinking and I kinda think the USA is more conservative than I am. Maybe two solid Midwesterners should be on the ticket? What about Amy Klobuchar for President and Pete for VP?
1
Mayor Pete sends a strong message for all homosexuals, that they too can be President if he gets elected. All of America knows of this message of "inclusion". Own it.
Can we please stop calling him "Mayor Pete." We're adults. We can pronounce Buttigieg.
3
Buttigieg is a 30-something with few real accomplishments who wants to be President because it's the next thing on his resume. His gayness neither helps nor hurts him. He simply lacks the gravitas for the office he's seeking.
2
Okay, so he's gay. Who cares? He's wicked smart. He's the Anti-Trump. Fifty of America's mayors have already endorsed him. He's not a hipster socialist. He's not a bobble-head trying to look young. We thirst for such a leader!
9
It’s not his gayness but the bad liberal policies that he advocates that will doom his chances
1
The only problem is that as President,the countries in rest of the world often have laws against sodomy and homosexuality ,some of the death penalty kind. So unless you would only visit a few select very liberal western type nations ,most of the worlds leaders and countries would be dangerous and off limits. Not to mention the many millions of immigrants in the US who still espouse the rules ,including Sharia law,of their home nations where homosexuality is still a crime.
1
Read his book. The Shortest Way Home.
He has the capacity to be just what America needs at this moment. I'm so proud to support Mayor Pete.
6
How refreshing to read "Pete Buttigieg" or simply "Buttigieg" used nearly exclusively (except for the article's title) in this piece about a truly impressive presidential candidate. (Glad to see that many folks leaving comments also dispense with the silly qualifier.)
I understand how Buttigieg got his nickname, and it may make sense for those living in South Bend to continue to refer to him in this way. But for the rest of us to call him "Mayor Pete" has always struck me as somewhat condescending, as if it's unbelievable that he could actually be the mayor of the fourth largest city in Indiana. (He wouldn't be called Prez Pete were he to be elected president.)
I have absolutely no problem with Buttigieg being gay, nor do I find his relative youth an obstacle. He has shown more maturity and intellectual curiosity and prowess than many of the other candidates... not to mention the current occupant of the White House. I would throw my full support behind him were he to be the Democratic candidate.
8
Mayor Pete a savior? Really. Another smarty pants who thinks midwest incrementalism is the answer. His own black constituents may be able to help you, if you care to ask them.
1
What is most appealing about Buttigieg is in fact his gayness -- how casually he carries it along in his political ambitions --- with confidence, dignity, unapologetically, and yet without making it his only identity. He is aware and respectful of the fact that some may not be comfortable with it and therefore tries to highlight his other facets like his military career, his faith,.......
His youth, his intelligence, his exuberance and innocence are a refreshing change from the screaching voices of naked ambition in Washington.
His is doing great in the primaries thus far -- I think his persistence will pay off. Behind the boyish smile is a trained mind that understands the historical significance of the moment; he will deliver.
Ireland has a young gay leader; France, Canada, New Zealand have young leaders as well; cometh the hour, cometh the man.....
148
I'm glad to see that you have come around, Frank. Your article's title is even somewhat positive.
I'd like to remind everyone what titles of previous NYT articles about this wonderful man have been:
"Pete Buttigieg is still figuring this out."
"Pete Buttigieg's Life in the Closet."
"How Pete Buttigieg;s Meaningless Erudition Made Him the 'Smart' Candidate."
Foot on the scale?
I'd like to propose some future titles the NYT might like to consider.
How about:
"Why Pete Buttigieg outshines the others in authenticity" "How Pete Buttigieg learned at Oxford how to articulate sophisticated ideas in understandable language"
"Why Pete Buttigieg's demonstrates a level of maturity way beyond his years"
"Why Pete Buttigieg is truly on your Side"
I'd love to see Pete Buttigieg get the kind of respect that he consistently shows others. And the kind that this exceptional candidate frankly more than deserves.
12
Earth to New York Times: It isn't his orientation to his sexuality; it's his neoliberal policies. Polices. Matter.
2
by all liberal standards, Pete is a moderate-that is what is the funny juxtaposition about his candidacy. While liberals love his openness and intellect and youth, they see him as very moderate. I am ok with moderate, because the change will be so welcome, the vitality and integrity that it would bring would be wonderful. We dems have a very interesting field, each with their own possible landmine..but each of those things is something we are the ones who are supposed to embrace;
age (whether youth or elder, very left, left, female, wealthy, black etc) the ENTIRE field is the good candidate. The key to the puzzle for us is which one will carry the most votes to the presidential election? I think youth is going to have so very much to do with it to drive the young people out to vote en-mass, however Pete's moderate stances ( healthy, I think) are offensive to some of then, who want radical change to the left, and could not care less about his sexuality. Go figure; we finally dont care about those things; it comes back to policy. And isnt that the whole point? For Dems, each candidates supposed "shortfall" cancels the others out. Lets just vote for the individual that will govern with grace and intellect and logic. Forget the buts and ifs.
1
Mr. Burni:
Really, "a savior?"
2
Buttigieg/Abrams, from the get-go.
‘nuff said.
5
He is bright and a problem solver. So, he's gay.
1
I made my mind up about Pete the third time I heard him speak on a tv news show: this is the person I'm going to vote for in 2020. Based on how he articulately presents his views and answers questions, how he presents plans to restore/repair what's broken in this country, and handles himself in debates - - needless to say, I'm reminded how far back into the primordial ooze we've stepped by putting the megalomaniac Trump in the WH. The fact that he's raised over $50 million for his campaign (a small fraction of which came from my household) suggests very strongly he is earnest about his desire to become president. If you're not satisfied with sound-bites from Pete, you can certainly read his autobiography - - or listen to him read the whole book aloud in the audio version. My own career has been one of reading aloud, writing, and public speaking. I can assure you that a voice that can bring the written word and his own thoughts to life, in clear and succinct fashion, doesn't come around very often. Pete is one of those voices.
I see his age as the only factor that could hold him back. And if he doesn't come out in the lead in the primaries, he still has many years of productive life ahead of him. Indeed, his best years (and ours) may still be on the horizon.
10
Bruni should have tacked the issue of stereotypes.
In some minds, gay men are stereotyped: they are highly sensitive, overly emotional, creative, and not particularly pragmatic and hard-nosed.
Buttigieg has done a very admirable job in combating the wishy-washy stereotypes besetting gay men. He has done so as a veteran, vigorous speaker, and highly engaging personality with a sense of pragmatism and realism.
As a matter of pure policy, however, many Americans are gravitating more toward Liz Warren due to her Medicare-for-all plan and her plan to eliminate college debt.
Liz Warren leads for reasons largely unrelated to Buttigieg's sexual orientation.
1
Mayor Pete requires experience in an Executive, Cabinet, Gubernatorial or Law making capacity. He needs experience in dealing with Foreign Policy, Finance, Law and Justice and Military affairs. His resume is way too thin. Mayor of South Bend, Indiana is not qualification enough to be leader of the free world. BTW I did not even know there was a city named South Bend, Indiana before Mayor Pete announced his candidacy.
2
I definitely won't vote for him because he's gay.
1
Being gay is more than "what he does in bed."
3
The author, Mr Bruni writes; "And while being gay obviously disqualifies him for a sizable group of Americans — 36 percent of whom, according to Gallup, still oppose the legal recognition of same-sex marriage ..
Not everyone opposed to "same-sex marriage" is 'anti-gay'. (although certainly some are). Other may have preferred to maintain the traditional definition of marriage. The government could recognize any union or contract between consenting adults, but perhaps use another term which had less firmly established historic context.
3
Mayor Pete is the favorite among the middle aged to elderly women (the ones who most definitely vote) I know, including me. They do not want Biden. Someone who wins you over just listening to him speak for just a few minutes and makes one feel hopeful would be such a refreshing change. I think he can appeal to many who may be hesitant once they hear him talk and hopefully change minds about him being young and inexperienced. Also think his intelligence would be such a contrast to Trump and him being gay would not be a big disadvantage. Then again, I live in a state with a popular gay governor so it would not be a stretch for me to imagine a gay president.
3
Polls are not reliable when it comes to this. People will not answer honestly whether they would support a gay candidate. It used to be they wouldn't about a black candidate, but that took decades to change and we had many black elected officials, governors, mayors, etc. We are not that far along with gays.
If the polls are off by 5-6-10 % that puts nowhere near the top tier.
2
Bruni mentions Mayor Pete’s age and experience as potential vulnerabilities, but why get hung up on either? Buttigieg’s experience, while brief is broad--Afghan vet, Rhodes Scholar, mid-west mayor, business consultant—and deep. Nothing like being the boss of 1200 civil servants and meeting your constituents daily on the streets and in grocery stores as Mayor to hone your political mettle.
And as to age, the Mayor is 37. Martin Luther King was 34 when he gave his “I have a dream” speech and Thomas Jefferson 33 when he wrote the Declaration of Independence, to say nothing of the 55 Nobel winners who picked up prizes by 40. Why go to a generation still trying to figure out their cellphones to lead us against challenges like climate change, disruptive social media and cyber warfare rather than one that has grown up with them? The experience of younger candidates, while limited in years, may be deeper and more relevant. Someone under 40 may actually be much better equipped to lead today than a candidate over 70.
14
Love the article Mr. Bruni. I do believe in miracles and prayer and I love the element of surprise so we'll all just have the wait and see what unfolds! Peace to all.
1
As Mayor Pete says, we can't wait any longer for someone to lift up our democracy. I firmly believe that Pete Buttigieg has the passion and ability to do just that.
9
So Mr. Bruni, having given up on Kamala Harris, no matter his valiant efforts to ignore her past in California and to use all manner of shiny adjectives to characterize her, has decided that "Mayor Pete" is the brilliant star who should wreck the front-running democrats' chances. And certainly Mr. Bruni has no qualms about attacking each and every front-runner we have. I don't know why he is so keen on democrats' failing to cohere around a popular candidate, but he is. His attitudes of sourness toward all things democratic, but for his low-polling candidate du jour, but he's no help to our efforts to unify the party as we must do to counter the republican lock-step support of a monster.
4
Mayor Pete could have done the easy thing. For instance, establish citizenship in Massachusetts or California or Oregon and run for office in those states. Instead, he ran for office in Pence's conservative Indiana . . . and succeeded. That's impressive. Whatever happens during this election season, Buttigieg has a blinding future.
8
It is peculiar that while speculating on Mayor Pete Buttigieg's chances to win the nomination for the presidency, Bruni concentrates solely on the pros and cons of his homosexuality. He brings up Buttigieg's weak poll numbers with African Americans without mentioning the mayor's failures with the African American community in his city of South Bend, Indiana. He has not improved the city's police force nor won the confidence of its African American residents. Buttigieg is positioning himself as a moderate to take Biden's place. While he has a number of important strengths, his accomplishments as a public servant are not great and they are mixed. It is a relatively short and mixed record. These days, any presidential candidate with Buttigieg's level of intelligence, communication skills, seeming sanity, and military experience as well as thoughtfully moderate positions looks very good in comparison to Donald J. Trump. There are several other democratic candidates, however, with more experience and more substantial accomplishments as well as detailing plans for a fairer economy, addressing climate change and white supremacy, a better functioning government and a stronger democracy.
4
Frank,
What you omit is the complexity of any “gay” vote. I’m a gay woman, and I refuse to vote in lockstep with the “gay community” just because a candidate is gay. At the debate in South Carolina, I noticed all of Buttigieg’s supporters surrounding him after the proceedings: a sea of white faces.So much for the rainbow that is America. Further, I cannot abide Buttigieg’s treacly Christian religiosity or his “army strong” stance. Strip away his sexuality and one finds a distinctly middle of the road, White , male candidate. That’s not what want for 2020. Haven’t we moved on from that?
7
Being gay is neither a plus or a minus for me. However, lack of significant experience in almost every area of Presidential responsibilities is a deal breaker. I do not believe in on-the-job training for President. He'd make a great Secretary of Defense or other Cabinet position.
2
It comes as a surprise--almost a shock--that among the Democratic field, there are several candidates who are bright, articulate, and have substantial ideas. Even more important--and impressive--is that the sense I get that here are people who might be deemed to be actual public servants.
These qualities, which I admire, have proved time and again to be anathema to the American voting public. Go back 60+ years, before Trump, McConnell, Ryan, Cheney, Gingrich, Reagan et al...Adlai Stevenson had just delivered a particularly impressive speech; one enthusiastic supporter crowed: “Every thinking person in America will be voting for you.” Stevenson replied, “I’m afraid that won’t do—I need a majority.”
That was true then. Our history of distrust of the intellectual, is now turbocharged by advertising, social media, and propaganda. Our public discourse, as it were, and our governing bodies have become a Page Six, FOX News, reality TV, post-truth cesspool of idiocy. If you have some command of the English language and attempt to talk ideas instead of playground taunts, you're an "elitist" (formerly "egghead"), who doesn't connect with "real people".
As such, it's an understatement to say that for now and the foreseeable future, we will not be having a gay Commander-in-Chief. Or a woman.
In your newsletter you mention Mayor B's call for some Dem candidate who will unite America the day after Trump exits
First we need a Dem who will make sure Trump exists.
It will not be a fair, but a cage, fight. If the choice is between unite or win?
To repeat my test- imagine your candidate facing the mad dog Atticus put down with a rifle. Only your candidate has a Louisville slugger. If you can't see candidate coming out on top that is not our "Neo".
(Given your Central Park dogfight you should appreciate the test...)
Reminds me of the Hillary comments in 2016. "I would vote for a woman, BUT, not this woman". Well it was the only woman candidate, and now we have Trump. Now it's: "I would vote for a gay man, BUT, not this gay man." I would vote for Godzilla to get rid of Trump. So, Please dear Democrats, whoever is the final candidate, vote for him/her. There'll be no other and we'll have 4 more years of the current horror if you don't vote for that candidate. In my case, I absolutely loathe Sanders, and I hope and pray he's not the candidate, but if he is, I'll hold my nose and vote for him (and I'll barf later).
8
The issue is not just the fact that Buttigieg is gay, it is the way he and other gays have ignored a very serious fact, that MARRIAGE is between opposite sexes, it is the natural order of things (life/procreation), at all levels of sentient life.
It is an age old tradition dating back millennia, among all cultures, whether primitive or advanced.It is considered to be a 'sacrament' among almost all religions, thus making same sex marriage nothing but an oxymoron affair.
Buttigieg' abilities seem to fall in the same category as John F.Kennedy, except for his mis-guided justification of what marriage is truly all about.
1
@Kenell Touryan Baloney. Marriage was originally a false construct to ensure that some people would be able to consolidate their land, money, jewels, oil, gold, and whatever other valuable assets they possessed with other wealthy families, so they could advance their power and control over all those with less. They embedded it in religion and cultural mores in order to control people with moral condemnation, superstition and the threat of eternal flames if they violated the construct. It's the same thing the Salem Witch Trials were all about: NOT witchcraft and "Satan," but property which the patriarchs wanted to own so they cooked up the whole "witch hunt" idea and did, in many cases, achieve their ends. The patriarchy is still engaging in this kind of behavior, by the way. You do NOT have the right to impose your narrow definition of marriage on anyone else, using YOUR construct and YOUR sacred texts. (For what it's worth, I am a heterosexual woman in a 40-year marriage with a heterosexual man; we have three grown children and MANY gay, married friends).
6
Pete Buttigieg possesses and demonstrates the three most important characteristics to being President: integrity, intelligence and courage.
After our current experiment with personal corruption, ignorance and cowardice, Buttigieg would be a back-to-the-future reminder of what America used to stand for.
5
Many, many people doubted that Obama could be elected. Of course, African American voters supported him, but so did young people--and his candidacy brought them to the voting booth in huge numbers. Buttigieg can do the same thing. If America has any hope of getting back on track, young people need to vote in massive numbers. It's their future, and most of them care little to nothing about a candidate's sexual orientation. The do, however, care that the planet is in crisis. The rest of us could learn from them.
5
In a dangerously polarized America, Pete Buttigieg is a healing influence, appealing to young and old alike. If you're worried about America's image abroad, it's comforting to know that Buttigieg has more military and overseas leadership experience than presidents have for decades. If you're worried about the erosion of intelligent discourse and civility in this country, this candidate is able to speak his well-educated mind without making false promises, offensive tweets or divisive insults. If you're worried about his sexual orientation, you're no different from those who worried about candidate Obama being black. And if you seriously worry about a candidate having a difficult last name, take two minutes to learn how to spell and say it; problem solved.
6
The previous comment by Jaime gets the gist of the situation. I'll add that if African-Americans as a group don't show enthusiasm for Mayor Buttigieg, I strongly suspect (not being black myself, I can only suspect) that his being a privileged white man, relatively young and very inexperienced, who's being promoted ahead of Senators Kamala Harris and Cory Booker might have a lot to do with it, sexual orientation aside.
3
I couldn't care less about a candidate's sexual identity, ethnicity, religion, marital status or what his/her favorite sports team is. I want honesty, integrity, ability, respect for the Constitution and our laws and compassion.
3
For those who lament Mayor Pete's *lack of experience* or that African Americans (and Hispanics) won't vote for him because he's gay, his aura of "being decent" could influence their vote.
Integrity improves performance. People get that!
3
Unfortunately, being gay is an insurmountable disadvantage.
In 20-30 years it won't be, but it is now.
Completely different from Obama. There was a history of Blacks running for president, however quixotic. Think of Shirley Chisholm and Jesse Jackson. Herman Cain!!
Mr. Buttigieg is the first through the wall and he or she always takes the most incoming,.
1
Too young, too glib. I don't doubt his high intelligence, but he can't get down to brass tacks - a sign of immaturity.
2
I am so sick of the word "privilege" and how it's arbitrarily and especially applied to white guys, eclipsing class, intelligence, sexual orientation, and a host of other factors that determine how "fortunate" a person is.
The fact is that Buttigieg was a from a middle-class midwestern family whose achievements are a consequence of some luck, but mostly hard work and intelligence. (Is intelligence--not equitably distributed by any means--a form of privilege?)
7
When I saw Trump come down that escalator and announce he was running for President, I laughed finding it totally impossible he could be elected.
Anyone can be elected President.
Most definitely a highly intelligent, committed, honorable gay veteran.
163
@ Heidi
I love a good factoid. And as awful as that day is in hindsight, it did have one bright spot. It is coincidentally the very same day that Pete ‘came out’ in the South Bend Tribune. I find it comforting, and very fitting, that as the heinous one was descending that escalator, the one to (hopefully) unseat him was having a pretty historic day himself
35
This is a great piece looking at the various issues propelling and challenging the candidacy of Pete Buttigieg. I do have a complaint: the last, throw-away line feeds a misconception about sexual orientation, that it’s all/only about what one does in bed. Clearly that’s not true and puts the focus, and for some, the ick-factor, where it isn’t relevant. Sexual orientation, for most people, informs their whole life. It affects their romantic feelings and partnerships and how they relate to the world as a minority and as someone who has challenged paradigms and survived violence or threats of violence.
4
A member of my family is gay. I've watched the suffering, both physical and emotional, for many years...the attempt to hide his nature from our father, the lies about being a "perennial bachelor" (how many of those do we know?), and some family members choosing religious precepts over all consideration of feelings. Pete Buttigieg is doing the USA a huge favor simply by being himself. People don't "choose" to be gay, but are born to be, as being born to be heterosexual is not a choice. It's my fervent hope that Pete wins the election, Chasten becomes "first gentleman", and the world realizes that Americans can be so much better than we look under the present administration of hate and prejudice.
3
Wasn't the old term, "confirmed bachelor?"
1
Mayor Pete is just what this country needs. Someone with the intellect, drive, compassion, and courage to navigate the challenges that will be presented following Trump’s attempt at destroying our democracy. Pete Buttigieg is well positioned to be able to revitalize this country following Trump’s failed attempt at rolling back progress made over the last half century. Although some in the electorate still feel that they cannot for a variety of reasons vote for a gay man, they may not have met Mayor Pete or heard him speak. Attitudes can change. Progress can happen. The contrast that Pete would present versus Donald Trump would be extraordinary. No amount of Trump name calling would be able to overshadow Pete’s obvious grasp of the issues versus a Russian aided, fumbling old man with a four hundred word vocabulary who thinks that wind mills cause cancer and that there were airports during the revolution. Pete is likely not going to change the minds of many in Trump’s hardcore base in 2020. That might take some time. Give Pete a Democrat house and senate and the opportunity to effect some real change that will actually help Trump’s disaffected voters and the memory of MAGA will fade away.
8
I'm very glad that we can at least be serious about a gay presidential candidate, which was not the case just a short while ago. Hallelujah, as far as that goes.
But it will be a little odd, in gender-gap terms, if our first first gentleman gains the title by being married to a man. I mean, what do women have to do to catch a break around here?
NYT curators, I don't know why I bother anymore; you haven't published one of my civil, pertinent, on-topic comments in many months. I'd really have to wonder what's your censorious quibble with this one. Oh, right. This. Whatever.
1
Maybe the reason Mayor Pete is struggling to court African-American voters relates to the ongoing crisis in his own community regarding treatment of African-American citizens in South Bend. The residents of that city deserve to know why continued investigations and inquiries into the handling of the demotion of the police chief, and the injustice of the death of a youth and a subsequent inadequate investigation, continue revealing damning evidence of systematic corruption and bigotry towards African-Americans. Shameful this situation is not addressed in this column, instead focusing on his sexual orientation. Shameful.
4
Is America ready for the truth of who our presidential candidates really are as human beings or prefer to vote for the facade of who they pretend to be? America has had its share of closeted Presidents, First Ladies and presidential candidates.
My vote will NOT be influenced by color or sexual orientation but on the qualifications and integrity of the candidate.
Pete Buttigieg has my vote.
9
There's been a #metoo style reckoning coming in the African American community about homosexuality for years now. In my experience the homophobia and refusal to accept LGBTQ rights is still widely prevalent, and disappointingly ironic coming from a community that knows exactly how awful oppression can be and how personally hurtful it is to those on the end of it. Consider Lil Nas, who is one of the first rap artists to ever dare coming out. I'm gay, and I grew up loving hip hop and wincing every time I heard the gay bashing.
RZA, of the Wu-Tang Clan, recently provided narration for a TV show, specifically a part that depicts an interracial teen gay relationship. That was big for me. It felt like him telling Wu -Tang fans like me "of course I accept you". At a recent show in NYC, he also skipped over a few troubling verses from decades ago, instead proclaiming "I don't wanna say that anymore. shout out to #metoo". Having people as famous and respected as RZA willing to speak up is how hearts and mind's start to change.
I just can't see a gay man or woman being elected US president until such a reckoning arrives. Not even to speak of the South. Of course, I'd love to be proved wrong.
2
11:49 am Wed..Watching Mayor Pete be the first candidate to sign up for the New Hampshire primary. Hey, where are all the other "experienced" candidates? For me, this seemingly small gesture is testimony that he understands the nuances of running a campaign, just as he will understand, and act, how to navigate through our divided administration and country...let alone handle the unexpected..such as threats of wars,natural disasters,. which require deep intellect and ability to act..
5
I'm voting for Mayor Pete.
I've been listening to his ideas. With every television appearance, Pete always answers the questions with a broad, intelligent, watchful, determination.
My mindful voting right is not because he's gay.
I hope my fellow Americans refrain from the adjective of a Presidentail hopeful.
Maybe some of the pre-name adjective might be:
"White haired Sanders", "Short Kamala", Talkative Gobachar".
The fact, Mayor Pete is gay, says NOTHING about his ability to govern.
What adjective could be given for our present PRESIDENT.
We need the "who, what, where, when and why about the office Mayor Pete aspires, Not about his sexuality.
Watch and listen to him, not delve into his personal life.
He's so honest and ready to govern in the highest office of our land.
Go future President, Mayor Pete
4
No one cares who sleeps with whom, unless they sleep with a person of the same sex. That is just a reality for most people and probably always will be. As for Buttigieg, who cares since he is not going to get the nomination.
I don’t care that he’s gay. I care that he’s a run of the mill, middle of the road guy that hired Zuckerberg’s staff recommendations.
2
It's frankly absurd to think that the 37-year-old gay guy who's crowning achievement is being mayor of a small town can beat Donald Trump.
4
It wasn't all that long ago that there was doubt JFK could be elected because, even though he was a white guy, he was...Catholic!!!
Well, we made it past that barrier.
Then, with Obama, we made it past the white guys barrier.
We THOUGHT we had it made past the guys only barrier with Hillary...but we know how THAT turned out, Someday that will happen (possibly this year.)
Can we make it past the straights only barrier? I think we can, and eventually will, but if I was a bettin' man, I'd put money on busting the guys only barrier in the upcoming election.
No to Pete. I don't see that he is esp. brilliant..... there are many smart people running - Corey Booker is also a Rhodes Scholar. Pete is young and I am not sure as to what he has accomplished as mayor of South Bend. He IMO should run for office at another level before running for President... show what he can do. I am sick of the nonsense of citing polls -- they were so correct in 2016.. and who didn't edit this this story. People will end up supporting a candidate over 70 no matter how they ID as to party. (So interesting that the family name is Buttigieg -- not hyphenated or each with his own.) Frankly, I am tired of the partner stuff and the religion stuff. There are much more impt. things to be discussed. (PS I think being over 70 and running for office is not a great thing either... but what cah gonna do??)
"Desire for change"? Pete Buttigieg is business as usual.
Oh, for the day when articles like this aren't necessary. When beng gay just is, and nothing needs to be said about it.
5
African-Americans know what it is like to be discriminated against because of who you are.
Judge Buttigieg by the content of his character.
4
is this country so opposed to electing a woman that they would elect a gay man first? is that his calling card?
4
There is a more relevant impediment to obtaining the votes of black citizens. His failure to correct the failing SouthBend police force.
2
why this subtitle??? it shows a reserved attitude versus gay people putting them in a „special“ category because it would never be used for heterosexuals...
1
I will never understand how conservatives can be so forgiving of a thrice married man who lies about paying his mistresses, who is a proven serial liar on a multitude of other issues and who bears false witness against countless individuals.
Yet they can turn their backs on someone like Mayor Pete without giving him a chance because he is gay.
6
The subheading under the headline is awful. Being gay is defined by who one loves; not by “what” one “does in bed.” Get a grip. The prurient overtone in the subheading is out of touch and fails to treat the NYT or the subject of the article with the integrity they each merit.
5
The problem for Mayor Pete is that his party, the democrats, has a key voting bloc that just doesn’t like open homosexuality: blacks. If they either stay home or vote republican, he’s doomed. If he were gay and not married (ie had no partner in public), he could more easily get by with those black voters, who are also overwhelmingly Christian and consider homosexuality (especially open homosexuality) sinful.
4
If Mayor Pete wasn't gay, he would be polling at 0
After all he is the mayor of South Bend. A city with 100,000 people. Dems care more about identity politics (gay) than experience.
3
> He also got there because he’s gay.
Uh no.
He got there because he is thoughtful and competent.
But unfortunately based on voter math, he’s not going anywhere from here.
Still will be a good mayor though.
1
If the African-American community sits this election out because Mayor Pete is gay then they deserve whatever they get which is more of the same and probably worse. White supremacists and oppressive law enforcement will feel emboldened to abuse and kill with little fear of consequences.
Not voting is an unacceptable and self defeating form of protest.
7
Buttigeig is truly impressive in so many ways and being married to a man is one of them. But the absolute priority for preserving our democracy is the unequivocal electoral defeat of Trump. If a third of the country is solidly pro-Trump, and a big chunk of the Af-Am vote is lost, we are truly in trouble. But Pete the VP or Secretary of State? Dynamite.
1
"...34 percent were less likely to vote for a gay candidate."
"...Americans — 36 percent of whom, according to Gallup, still oppose the legal recognition of same-sex marriage..."
"Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job as president?
Approve Disapprove No opinion
2017 Jan 16, 2019 59% 37% 4%
Are we seeing a pattern here?
These are the same people who are still supporting Traitor Trump.
We don't need 'em.
Go, Pete, Go!
3
Likelihood of actually winning aside, a gay man running against Trump... can you imagine the campaign he'd run? A lot of gay kids would have to see a lot of nasty homophobia. Of course, if he won those same kids would be over the moon.
1
Evangelicals back a serial adulterer (news flash: that’s a sin) while vilifying a gay man (not a sin). This tiresome hypocrisy needs to be thrown back into their holier-than-thou faces at every opportunity.
6
Why do Americans have so much trouble accepting gays as no more abnormal or immoral than left-handedness? Since homosexuality and left-handedness are both less common natural variations. Hetero old me learned to accept gays 50 years ago when I served in the U.S. Army with a number of them, a few of whom became close buddies. Buttigieg's homosexualty is so not an issue.
4
Obama came in from virtually nowhere (what, two terms as a Senator under his belt?) and got elected President.
Will Mayor Pete come in from nowhere (mayor of South Bend, Indiana?!) and get the nomination and presidency? While there are at least two women candidates who are as articulate, hardworking, and with more experience than him (Warren and Harris).
Tell me again how America’s problem isn’t with women in general, it was with Hillary Clinton in particular. Tell me that again.
*And no, I’m not suggesting that systemic racism was somehow cured by Obama’s election; of course it wasn’t. Nor would homophobia be cured by Buttigieg’s election. But I just find it so interesting that men with so few credentials and with whom America has historically had such vitriol toward (a black man first, now possibly a gay man if PB were to win) can get to the presidency before any woman...
Buttigieg is certainly a good Candidate; however, given his history of treating the Black community in South Bend rather poorly if not awful, I doubt he could ever win over the Black vote which rules him out for the Presidency.
dreaming for a presidential campaign in europe by this special pete buttigieg as obama did in 2008.
1
In America "Gay" is not a dirty word, "Socialism" is. Buttegieg might move further Right to prove he is as far away from the dirty word as possible. Oh, the unusual contradictions of America.
1
Pete Buttigieg should be our next president. I love that he cares about the Crisis of Belonging and is able to relate to other marginalized groups because of his own personal struggle. This reaches very deep into the core of my very existence. I experienced a lot of bullying for disabilities so, yes, I cry when I meet him.
Plus, his values are MY values.
Chasten will be a great advocate for education and theater and about autism.
What's not to like. PETE 2020
4
I'm a Millennial (older, but still one). I'm a woman. I'm Southern. I'm highly educated (PhD and 2 masters). I'm extremely liberal, but I doubt the ability for Democratic Socialist ideas to be enacted given Congress. I want a stable, competent, personable candidate at the top of the ticket. For me, that is either Buttigieg or Warren. On paper, I love Warren more. But, I fear Trump would have too easy of a time going after a woman---there is little his base loves more than him trashing a woman, his base is at least as, if not more, misogynistic as it is racist. For that reason, Buttigieg has my vote in the primary. I think there are a lot of voters like me, who's opinions aren't being reflected in the polls, as we generally don't have landlines. I think he has a real shot of winning Iowa. I agree he probably wouldn't win South Carolina's primary, but might in a state like Georgia. In the end, though, I suspect Biden will be the nominee.
3
Mr. Bruni raises all the right questions and rightly points out that they are questions without conclusive answers. Those commenters who say the country will never elect an openly gay man could be right. But I'd ask them, did you think in 2007 that this country would elect a black president? Did they (or their parents) think in 1959 that this country would ever elect a Catholic president? Armchair prognosticators may not know "the country" well enough to justify confidence in their predictions.
4
i'd like to see the pollsters tackle various hypothetical pairings for president and vice president based on perceived liabilities each candidate seems to have. for example, how would a buttigieg/booker or buttigieg/harris ticket fare (perhaps encouraging more african-americans to vote for it); similarly, what are the chances, say, of biden/buttigieg ticket (age and youth, plus black vote)? warren/bittigieg or warren/harris combo (more radical, more moderate)? i realize that becomes something of a new-product focus group. but why not test these pairings to give voters more of a chance to get engaged, maybe even excited?
2
The problem isn’t that he’s gay. The problem is that as a McKinsey trained ineffective mayor of a small city who has a blind spot on race, a tone deafness about police and an out of step belief in third way mushy middle politics who thinks we all just need to get along and be civil, he is just a terrible candidate.
82
@Jaime I second this opinion. It's the McKinsey, corporatist aspect of the mayor that discredits and disqualifies him in my eyes. He's a bit slippery. I also am absolutely opposed to electing yet another under-experienced smooth talker.
20
@Jaime And wanting to pack the Supreme Court with 15 judges is an idiotic proposition.
I'm waiting for Trump to suggest next week that he wants to expand the court to 15 justices by early next year..and watch the heads explode.
Buttgig can say it and it's no biggie.
Trump says it and it's all out war.
And they still don't understand why they lost in 2016.
Simply...amazing...
6
@Jaime
Just one of many issues.
I look askance at freely joining up for wars of choice.
One of which is considered to be a War Crime.
Ones which killed hundreds of thousands of civilians and unhomed millions. Ones that have cost us untold blood and treasure.
I'd prefer NOT to have a product of the MIC as Commander in Chief. I don't see him decreasing our military adventurisms, coups and history of regime changes. Much less the bloated MIC budget.
Pete is a groomed, tutored and advised corp. politician. The best 23 billionaires, Pharma, Wall Street, Insur. propaganda can buy. Backed up by the Dem establishment machinery. Best watch your back Biden, that bus coming your way has your name on it.
No, Pete is the New & Improved Status Quo Joe! Now in a hip, gay package for the kids~! White enough not to scare grandma and edgy enough for those Lefty's.
Now if only those "others" would buy into the marketing.
16
I like Mayor Pete, but if he wins, it will confirm my belief that it’s easier to be black or gay in this country than it is to be a woman.
140
@Annie
'Twas ever thus.
Helps to never have been saddled with an unwanted pregnancy, either.
10
@Annie Amen. I'm hoping, whomever the nominee is, they pick one of the many overqualified women to be running mate. Harris would be an excellent choice, for example.
7
@Annie This is wildly tone deaf and inaccurate.
14
.....” we can also be open-minded and openhearted, and our need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed.”
I wish that was indeed the case,
But I doubt it.
Unfortunately we’re ( still) far behind other countries who actually have been far more advanced, open minded and creative to perceive reality in a positive, constructive way.
Just note the the depth of religious orientation which, among other things blindly oppose anything remotely gay in America- and you get the picture.
Nevertheless- I’ll continue sending Mayor Pete money and I’ll vote for him and I’ll keep hoping enough others will do the same.
4
My prediction is that a ticket of Mayor Pete and Amy K will lead to a landslide election victory in 2020 for President Pete and VP Amy K. Happy days will be here again. Americans want decent, compassionate leaders that have their interests at heart and restore our democracy for all people in the world. We never want to hear from the Orange one and Moscow Mitch ever again.
3
@Gary
My prediction is that a ticket of Mayor Pete and Amy K would lead to a landslide election victory in 2020 for whomever the Republicans run. We have more popular candidates running who would motivate voters to the polls and win by big numbers. It isn't Amy K or "Mayor Pete."
1
@Gary
Why exactly are you relegating Amy K to the VP position, when she has both more seniority and experience than Mayor Pete, as well as 'electability' in the swing states ?
And as a practical matter (cue cries of 'bigotry' here), a same-sex couple in the VP housing would be much more palatable to many voters than a same-sex couple in the White House.
Pete Buttigieg will be the first gay POTUS...twenty or so years from now. He's got a good start on his resume, but he needs years more of experience to make it to the top. America also has some maturing to do on the issue of a gay President. It will happen eventually, all in good time.
"Could the ranks of the Buttigieg-resistant be offset by Americans eager to send the kind of message about their values and their desire for change that a vote for Buttigieg would?"
I believe the answer is no. The eager Americans are the people who will be "voting blue no matter who"; they are the Democrats' base. We need more than that to get over the finish line. The same goes for Warren and Sanders, although it wouldn't surprise me if Buttigieg picked up more votes than either of them did in a general election
Give the American people another 10 years and give Buttigieg 10 more years of experience and exposure and we very well could see a President Buttigieg.
1
We're simply not grown up enough as a country to accept Mayor Pete's gayness. To bad because he's a smart, well educated guy who I think would make a good president. I'm not sure we're grown up enough to elect a woman either. When you think of the tweeter-in-chief the collective mental age of our electorate has to be put into question too.
6
Mayor Pete was on the top of my list until his GREAT "moral stand" came crashing down and FACEBOOK stepped in.
Duplicity
Zuckerberg DONATED viable staff to Mayor Pete's campaign as a way to get at Warren.
Clueless Pete takes Zuckerberg's support and returns to his phony moral high ground. Who said empty barrels make the most noise?
I smell Quid Pro Quo. It stinks.
2
I’m gay and I don’t want Mayor Pete to President. Even if he won a majority of votes, he and his administration would find themselves under siege from the deeply homophobic Evangelicals in the GOP. It would just be like Obama which isn’t surprising because next to African Americans, gays are the group Republicans hate the most.
The fact that we have to ask whether we’re ready for a black President or a gay President or a female President is a testament to depths of the racism, homophobia and misogyny of the ignorant white people that make up the GOP.
3
I like Mayor Pete for all the reasons others do, and not because he is gay. But if he cannot appeal to Black voters he cannot win. My number one priority is getting rid of Trump. I will vote for anyone who has a good chance of achieving that goal.
75
@VCS
Bernie Sanders did not appeal to black voters in the 2016 Democratic primaries.
2
@VCS
Black voters tend to like candidates they have some history with. They don't know Mayor Pete. But they'll get that chance during the campaign and I think he'll do fine. Maybe not as well as some but fine. Also, if the Mayor gets the nomination, I expect President Obama to be a strong supporter and that will help him enormously with the Black vote.
By contrast, the candidate Black voters know best and support most, Joe Biden, has been really unimpressive.
21
Difficult for any candidate to shine through with 12 on stage trying to out-maneuver one another. Once it's down to Dem vs Repub, Mayor Pete would make Trump look like a simpleton, with voters from both parties watching.
He's my guy, I donate every month.
7
"glide path to greatness (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey) that defines privilege" -- did he not earn these things on his merits?
7
He is center right candidate, that’s my problem with him. He is a younger version of Biden
3
Seems you can be black, you can be gay, you can probably be black and gay but you can't be female.
I don't want to see another male face in the hall of presidential portraits. We have qualified women running: break the cycle and choose one.
Pete is young and has plenty of time to run in the future.
3
I am in my 40s and have never understood why anyone cares - or even thinks - about what a person does sexually with another consenting adult. How on earth did this become a “thing” to even cross one’s mind?
5
Trump and his 3 marriages is disgusting and shows a character and moral problem . This man being gay shows a character and personality disorder. I would not vote for him and i did not vote for
Trump and his wild lifestyle. Joe Biden is a happily married man wants to raise the federal minimum raise to 15.00 an hour and will save our planet by ending coal and fossil fuel use. I will write his name on my ballot if it is not included .
I have absolutely no problem with a gay president, especially a whip-smart, emotionally intelligent one. The only problem I can forsee would be homophobic world leaders. I don’t know if foreign policy would be affected by their stance on his sexual orientation. And not to diminish any of Mayor Pete’s many good qualities.... at this point I’d vote for a feral squirrel to get the current WH occupant out of office.
African-Americans and Hispanics will never vote for a gay candidate, and there are not enough educated whites in the Democratic Party electorate to ensure Buttigieg gets the nomination.
1
Never mind about Pete, who only is at 10 percent in the recent CNN polls for New Hampshire, why doesn't NYT mention in passing that Bernie is number one in that poll at 21 Warren at 18, second, and Biden at 15. And mayor Pete is corrupt as is Biden. The top two are not corrupt. Of course this is never even alluded to by mainstream media, Stop hanging your star on the corrupt ones.
1
My guess is that Pete has a lock on the VP slot no matter who heads the ticket
4
I was struck a few weeks ago by the news that older African Americans in South Carolina wouldn't vote for Buttigieg, as their Christian religion and churches often discriminate against gays. I thought it ironic, as a hundred years ago or so many whites in the South used their Christianity to justify their oppression of African Americans. Will we ever learn?
8
America is simply not ready for a gay president. It’s not an intellectual decision. This country is barely ready for a woman president much less a gay liberal. This is not rocket science. If the Democrats nominate him Trump will win. Simple as that. It’s not right. It’s not fair perhaps. It’s not enlightened. But it’s America in 2020.
2
I just want someone who can defeat Trump. That's all.
@Dee
As much as I despise Trump and everything he and the GOP stand for, unless we elect leadership willing to stand up to corporate interests, especially fossil fuel and the insurance industry, we won't actually "win" anything and may well be finished as a nation.
2
Don’t underestimate midwestern Democrats. I even know a few midwestern Republicans who are disgusted by Trump and who like what they hear from Buttigieg.
5
The only people I have heard questioning America's ability to elect a gay man as President are my gay brethren.
2
Too bad his entire platform is platitudes and nice guy feelings over concrete policy and fundamental systemic change. Just more neoliberal corporate welfare that has betrayed the working people of this country and lead many of them to vote for a radical lunatic like Trump or more importantly abandon the democratic process all together. If you feel his presence alone in the White House will placate the rot and outrage in this country you’re truly naive.
1
I started out loving Pete. Having a gay son myself, I probably was drawn to him partially because of this. But it was his intelligence and calm demeanor that cinched it.
Now however, I find him to be too much a corporate Dem in the mold of Clinton and Biden. His sexuality has not a thing to do with that, which is in itself a move forward I hope.
2
I'm not sure what to think, except that it is surreal that folks who may not be willing to vote for Mr Buttigieg because he is gay may be more than willing to vote for Mr Trump - a serial polygamist, sexual predator, and open racist. Something in that moral hierarchy seems out of whack to me.
7
America won't be a fully functional nation until it accepts ALL of its citizens regardless of age, race, religion, color, or sexual preference.
Voters can send the bible thumping Evangelicals packing if they reject Trump in favor of any Democratic Candidate frankly.
Religion is the greatest obstacle for the LBGTQ community to overcome since, as this article points out, many churches reject them out of hand.
Of course since 10-15% of the population is gay this also applies to Evangelicals, which makes them the worst, self-hating hypocrites ever.
2
Religion stands as the greatest obstacle to democracy with their exclusion of people regarding sexual orientation and sundry other things we have witnessed over the ages (eg race for one). Religion is the problem due to their intransigence concerning the orientation people in this world.
1
Let us be really clear here: Mayor Pete's personal choices are totally irrelevant to his ability to function as a potential president. He is married to one person, has no evidence of having paid off Playboy bunnies (or other such), has no tapes claiming to have sexually assaulted anyone and is, as best one can discern, a sterling example of probity, courage, intelligence and reason.
Trump fans will never vote for him: he has a brain, which is anathema to them; he has courage and they are mostly cowards and bullies; he is tolerant and they are bigots; he is articulate and they value incoherence when mixed with bigotry; he is ethical and they seem to be far more comfortable with corruption.
Democrats, on the other hand, would do well to ponder the consequences of not voting for a moderate (and any of the 5B's + K) would do just fine in this context. Many persnickety Democrats went off in a huff in 2016 and didn't vote.
How'd that turn out? Is a fit of pique worth the consequences?
1
My issue with Buttigieg is neither his sexual orientation (I don't much care) nor his youth (Jack Kennedy was also very young and Obama was no geriatric case.) It's his lack of experience on the Federal level. He's been a small city mayor. Very nice. But not, in my opinion, a sufficient resume for the biggest job in America, even though, when the right time comes, I would also count his military experience as a big plus.
If Buttigieg gets some experience as a senator, as a congressman, or as a governor, he'll be my guy. Ditto, if he finds himself doing a high level cabinet job for a few years in the next Democratic administration.
If the Times had a very charming beat reporter with a couple of years reporting experience, my guess is nobody would say his next job should be editor in chief. Buttigieg isn't ready. Yet.
2
I think Mayor Pete would be great--if not now then surely later. But now would be fine. That said, I worry about Republican backlash. Republicans are the party of prejudice du jour. They used Obama to ignite white supremacy. What would they do with a gay president? The upside is that they have been playing the race card for decades, not so much the gay card. But they are an unprincipled and ruthless group. Their elected officials march in lockstep and are therefore a powerful megaphone.
Would anyone be talking about Pete Buttigieg today if he weren't gay? Of course not.
Once his long-shot campaign comes to its inevitable end, he will make do with a multi-million dollar book deal or a Netflix special (the latter of which is probably already in the works).
4
I'm a gay man and I won't be voting for Pete. Why? He's just one more Republican posing as a Democrat. The question here, as it was in 2016, is why is the NYTimes shutting out coverage of the actual frontrunner of the Democratic Party? That's Bernie Sanders. The NYTimes helped put Trump in office last time by ignoring Sanders and giving Trump millions of dollars worth of free publicity. Please stop making the same mistake again.
2
62 and gay, here. I don't care that he's gay and I don't care that he's young. I care that lots of the money everyone is so excited about comes from donors who expect something in return, like the health care and pharmaceutical industries. Dealbreaker! He's more of the same and that's the last thing we need. He's a Rhodes Scholar which I certainly am not, but I'm not an idiot and I know who is and isn't on my side.
3
Give it a rest, Frank. What any candidate does "in their own private life" is his/her/their business--full stop. It's tweaking the giant's nose to refer to "what a candidate does in bed," and we really don't need to get that far into the aforementioned private life.
Pete B. is doing just fine, and I'm rooting for him to emerge from the Democratic scrum with a place on the ticket--preferably, #1.
2
The sub-headline of this article says it all:
"America’s need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed."
No one ever received a wedding invitation from John and Sally and thought, "I don't need to know what they do in bed!"
Being gay is still seen as a "sex thing" rather than what is really is, an orientation of mostly emotional dimension. Straight people have an enormous benefit that they are not reduced immediately to what they might be doing "in bed" -- or, if, in fact, they are doing anything at all there (see, Lindsay Graham).
Gay people, as demonstrated in this sub-head, are seen as mostly only sexual and that when someone says he is gay that that is ALL he has said he is.
As much as I like Pete B--I know, in a country that clearly hates even smart, capable women-- a gay man with a name that sounds like his won't be allowed to be taken seriously.
As a gay man out since my birthday (1965)- and as optimistic as I am, I simply can't agree that anyone running for president being gay, right now, "helps" him.
South Bend probably has a few black voters who fall into the categories discussed. He got elected, didn’t he? 100,000 voters vs 100,000,000, but still relevant.
I wonder what they think. Has anybody asked them?
1
Indeed, "All the News that Fit to Print" - the sexual preference of a candidate as a parameter on electability.
Quo Vadis America ?
I'm so sick of personality politics. I vote only for policies. I don't care what the politician does in bed, what gender he/she is, what skin color he/she has, or what god he/she does or doesn't privately believe in. Journalists need to stop promoting these side issues, and only, ever, write about policy when it comes to elections. There is nothing in this entire column about Buttigieg's policies! How childish.
6
The unforgivable part is African-Americans who won't for him due to religious and cultural homophobia.
I can understand conservative Republicans who won't vote for a gay man because those folks have a long, ugly storied history of spite, ill will toward others and serial misanthropy; we know about them.
But African-Americans should know better - as an historically repressed minority - that minorities deserve an extra welcome hand...NOT the welcome mat yanked out from under their feet based on pure bigotry and ignorance.
Some South Carolina black voters recently said “they felt the mayor was ‘flaunting’ his sexuality by the very mention of having a husband.”
Gabriel Greene, truck driver who is black said he had not heard of Pete Buttigieg. A reporter mentioned that he is married to a man and Greene said:
“You say he’s married to a man?” he said. “He lost my vote. I believe in Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.’’
Boston McClean, another black South Carolinian, said he could not support a gay presidential candidate because “I’m a Christian.”
Obama strategist David Axelrod said this: “You can’t be the nominee of the Democratic Party and not engender support among African Americans.”
I love Pete Buttigieg for many different reasons and don't give a hoot about his sexuality.
But apparently for quite a few African-Americans who pretend to be 'Christian', Buttigeig's sexuality is a 'sin' and reject him based on their religious homophobia.
This is an African-America disgrace.
6
In our electoral-college-controls-everything system—
It would be much more helpful for “those who would be less likely to vote for” a homosexual (forget the clumsy catch-all acronym LGBTQ) to be broken down by states.
[Why the sterile catch-all acronym LGBTQ—it provides distance.]
1
This is such an ugly narrative Frank. You’re dead wrong about black voters - and so is the Buttigieg campaign. I know, firsthand: not from a McKinsey-like focus group but from experience as a white, privileged, openly gay man running for the US Senate in North Carolina 12 years ago.
Whereas Buttigieg is the second openly gay candidate for the presidency in US history (after Fred Karger in 2012) I was the second openly gay candidate for the Senate in US history (after Ed Flanagan in 2000). I earned 240,000 votes (18%) and finished second in the primary. But the homophobe in the middle of the 2008 Senate primary was Chuck Schumer and the DSCC- not African-American voters who treated me more than fairly. I encourage readers to check out my essay published yesterday in Public Seminar that refutes the the black/homophobe myth at https://bit.ly/332itBe
To wit. I won the endorsement of the state’s largest African American PAC. Dwayne Collins, president of The Black Political Caucus of Charlotte Mecklenburg said:
“The membership of the Black Political Caucus is proud to support Mr. Neal with our endorsement in the U.S. Senate race. We thought Jim is the ideal candidate to defeat Elizabeth Dole, and that is why we are behind his candidacy. He was the best candidate on the issues that affect all citizens, but especially members of the African American community. We look forward to working with Jim Neal to improve the lives of the human family of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County.”
3
Frank—and, I suspect, most Blue State liberals—is living in a bubble. You all vastly overestimate the public’s acceptance of homosexuality. Average gay men and lesbians don’t get elite media jobs, and writers like Frank don’t come close to representing our reality. I laugh every time I see Mayor Pete described as “privileged.”
I love Mayor Pete. He’s like a gay Barack Obama at a time when former gay rights organizations (now LGBTQIA2S ...) have gone totally off the rails. It’s important that straight people see someone like Buttigieg—an openly gay, married, monogamous man—but even more important for all the gay boys and girls who want the same kind of life as their family and friends, not some radical, revolutionary alternative.
That said, there’s no chance his homosexuality will help him. Voting for the first gay president isn’t like voting for the first black president or woman president, and socially conservative Democrats (let’s stop pretending they don’t exist when we know who they are) will stay home or vote Trump. I’m sincerely moved by the way some straight people have embraced him, but he won’t be president. Not in 2020, anyway.
If Buttigieg is the nominee, I'd vote for him in a heartbeat, but I would vote for anyone in order to get rid of Mr. Trump.
Unfortunately with an opponent like Mr. Trump the campaign will get uglier than anyone has ever seen.
Trump's crowds shouting Lock Her Up will be replaced by chants about Buttigieg's sexuality.
2
Buttigieg is an insulting candidate to a free people. It takes more than money and charm to be president. Buttigieg is utterly unqualified to be president. Enough with grifters.
2
I love Mayor Pete and if he is the candidate I will gladly vote for him. The last thing I care about is his sex life. Honestly....
1
Voters leery of Buttigieg's sexual preference might do well to compare it to the truly offensive behaviour of the president who so shamelessly bragged about being rich and famous enough to grope women without their permission, who shamelessly reminisced on the Howard Stern show over barging into a dressing room full of adolescent girls at a teen USA beauty pageant, and who so comfortably befriended a pedophile like Epstein and marvelled over how that monster who destroyed so many lives 'liked them very young'.
2
He’s a rich man’s democrat.
If he can’t connect with black churchgoers, it’s for the same reason he can’t connect with white union members. He sounded like an Ivy League know-it-all talking foreign policy in the debate (fine), but he sounded like a robot talking to GM workers on the picket line
2
The Democrats would be wise to give the voters a real choice such as with Mayor Pete. Not for President but for VP.
Amy and Pete vs....yawn.... 2 old white men.
I'm a life time Democrat but if they nominate Biden, Warren or Sanders.... I won't vote for them = tough love
Democrats need to inspire voters.
Neither Biden Warren or Sanders are inspirational.
The Democrats should learn from the past.
It was Hillary's "turn"....nope
It isn't Biden's Sander's or Warren's turn....too late
Inspire or retire.
1
Maybe as VP to Biden ?
Buttigieg's magic bullet is neither his sexual orientation nor his resume. It's his age.
Young Americans don't vote. If Buttigieg is the nominee, I think they will register and turn out in huge numbers, voting for somebody who looks like them.
Dan Kravitz
1
I'm sorry but Buttigieg is not the person I want to see get the Democratic nomination for president. He would be a Republican if that party was more accepting of the LGBTQ community. In addition, he's too young. If someone wants to be president I want that person to have more life experience than Buttigieg has had. I'd prefer someone who is in their late 40s or older.
4
Wow, to reduce one's sexual orientation to the bedroom is shocking in this day & age. I would have expected a lot more nuance from you, Frank. I doubt Pete will make it to the WH at least on this run. He'd be an excellent VP candidate or outstanding cabinet official. Go Pete! How refreshing to have young faces.
I suppose my question for Mr. Bruni is does he reduce straight candidates as “ what he or she does in bed”?
When he does, perhaps opinion pieces like this would have merit... other than furthering the marginalization of LGBTQ people.
But, he might have a shot at the nomination if he “sparkles” more.
Aren’t we tired of framing women in terms of smiles and gay men in terms of what they do in bed?
I am.
1
I'm tired of all stereotypes that demean people in this manner.
Time to let go of such prejudices and see people for who they are. I find that assessing how they treat other people, including myself, as a good place to begin. At least it puts them on a level playing field with others and perhaps may include people, such as myself, who differ more in terms of existential experience and intellectual assessment of things and ideas.
2
My choice is clear. Support the eventual Democratic nominee, whoever he or she is. Root for POTUS 46 to win in 2020.
2
Huge mistake to nominate this guy. Might as well hand the election to trump. This country will never elect an openly gay man.
23
@William Thomas - so how did this country managed to elect a black person for a president?!
21
@William Thomas You could easily say the same thing about Warren but she is polling well.
7
@William Thomas,
You're absolutely right. The country will never elect a gay man, nor a black man, nor a Catholic. Nor will we ever allow gay people to marry, or permit black children to attend school with white children. It is all a bridge too far.
(Buttigieg won his mayoral election with more than 80% of the vote AFTER coming out as gay, by the way.)
37
I find it amazing that people find that what Mayor Pete does in the bedroom disqualifies him, yet they are willing to vote for a man who has been married three times and routinely cheated on his wife with a wide variety of women. We live in a nation full of hypocrites.
4
Can I say that the phrase, 'no one cares what this person does in bed' diminishes what it means to be gay. It more about the partner or partners a person chooses. How off the wall is it that this us what many Americans think of when they think 'gay'? This is far from the first time I've heard it.
1
If Buttigieg gets the nomination, will African-Americans vote for him anyway because he's not Trump, or will they just not vote at all, ceding the presidency to a racist incumbent? That's the big question.
3
"a charmed 37-year-old on the kind of glide path to greatness (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey) that defines privilege."
Left is shooting itself by associating the word privilege with that sentence. Extremely cavalier choice of words by the author. By definition, it would be privilege if those things (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey) were granted to Pete by an outside agent, i.e. bestowed upon him. Rather he has come from a modest background and gone on to get all those things on merit. If we can not distinguish between privilege and its poisonous effect on social mobility vs merited attainment, then we play to criticism of the right.
5
If you don't know where Mayor Pete stands on all issues--in detail--you haven't been listening. Most already in Congress have managed nothing more than their office staff. If you are serious about picking the right candidate read about Pete's performance as mayor and all that he's accomplished. He's had a great deal of experience getting people engaged and willing to become part of the solution--as he did in the military and as mayor. Learn about the man. Gay has nothing to do with good decision making. I'm an old white female and I see hope in Pete's perspective.
4
The fact that he's gay is one of the only positive things about Mayor Pete.
My biggest problem is alluded to in your article... that America "needs a savior" and Mayor Pete believes that he can be that "Savior". He thinks more, and more highly of himself, than he does of anything else, including what he would actually do for this country.
The last thing we need is another overly egotistical opportunist, even if he is really smart and supports democratic ideas.
We need a President who's smart enough to know when their wrong, who will listen to other people, and who will genuinely work to unite the country and try to do the right thing. We had that in Obama... Mayor Pete is a snake-oil candidate by comparison... more of a John Edwards type.... all appearance and charisma, no substance.
I'll take most of the other candidates we have over him. Most of them appear to be more genuine in actually caring about this country.
1
There are millions of Americans who are well spoken, display strong character and can list impressive jobs and schools on their resumes. Big deal. I'd like to see more stories about Pete's record as mayor. What has he actually accomplished? Not much from what I know so far.
3
The Mayor should put his sexual orientation into the background of his campaign as much as possible to make it clear that he is not a gay candidate, but just a candidate who happens to be gay. But, I think it's still too big a jump at his time for a gay man with a same-sex spouse to be elected President. There are a lot of people who would be repulsed at the idea of a same-sex couple in the White House, regardless of what they think of Mayor Buttigieg the politician, and they will not vote for this to happen. This repulsion is something innate, not related to political class, status, ethnicity or religion, and it cannot be directly countered. These voters will also not admit their feelings to their friends, loved ones and certainly not to a pollster, but I suspect that when the Democrats actually start voting or going to their caucuses, we will see their effect.
3
Will a gay man be sensitive or supportive on women’s issues, any more or less than a straight man? My women friends tell me, “no,” based on their own interactions with gay male colleagues who bond over making jokes about women and some who refuse to make eye contact with women. I see women’s groups take positions that are very inclusive of trans and minority issues, but do gay men’s groups do much besides demand rights for themselves?
2
Let’s be frank. Many men (including Bruni) would rather vote for a 37 year old gay man whose only claim to government experience is being mayor of a small Midwest town versus any more qualified and experienced woman. I find that troubling but par for the course in this country. It’s ridiculous.
7
I'm tired of everyone asking Democrats to choose whoever supposedly has the best chance of beating Trump. Any of the current field should be able to. If the majority of states choose to endorse the current rigged capitalist system headed by a lifelong sleaze, there is nothing the Democrats can do about it. Forget trying to appeal to racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. Let's vote on who inspires us and what we believe in, and let the chips fall where they may.
4
Organized religion that demonizes gay people will influence some Democrats and independents to vote for candidates less than Mayor Pete. This is especially true of communities of color that have cultural and religious antipathy toward their fellow Americans that were born gay.
If only we lived in a country where more people recognized the hypocrisy that is most organized religion.
Mayor Pete is the antithesis of the current occupant of the White House, and his military background and ability to frame issues so intelligently and effectively make him the Democrats' best hope to defeat this corrupt cabal of retrograde plutocrats.
5
I agree that being gay is probably a wash politically in 2019. More problematic, I think, is Buttigieg's lack, so far, of rapport with African-Americans, which may well have something to do with his sexual persuasion, among other factors. If Buttigieg and Warren find themselves in a head-to-head horse race after Iowa, as I expect they will, Buttigieg could help his case by promising to pick an (unnamed) African-American as his running mate. If he then gets the nomination, that would also help him in the general election.
2
"Is being gay an insurmountable obstacle on the path to those prizes?"
Yes, especially with African American voters as Pete just learned in South Carolina. Sorry Frank. Just not going to happen now, or alas, in the foreseeable future
3
The reporting that I am reading seems to frequently presume that Trump will be the Republican nominee. Is that really a slam dunk for him?
3
Black voters will not support gay candidate. Bigotry against gats among black americans runs roughly 3 times the general population, including GOP'ers. They would stay home.
Hispanic voters demonstrate slightly less bigotry - but their vote will also be thinned by he prospect.
If we are going to get rid of trump - dems can not run a candidate from marginalized populations, Because they would get no support from other marginalized populations
2
I wonder what percent of Americans would say they would not vote for a president who bragged about assaulting women and who had over 20 women accuse him of assault. Mayor Pete's sexuality is not a deal killer. Black voters will come around when they hear his message.
5
"This is a time to be pragmatic and not a time for feel good politic's. Think long and hard on this. Trump must be voted out of the White House. That is the only priority" James Carville
Mayor Pete..... really love the guy personally, is feel good politic's. Not now, please. Think of what this guy could bring to the cabinet in a top flight position. that would be progress and appropriate for the country at this time is my stance. James Carville's advice is sound and sober.
1
Mayor Pete Buttigieg was my favorite from the get go, for his smartness, honesty and later stellar performance at the debate.
Bur, I am repeatedly informed by several that , yes perhaps but the Country is not ready for a gay President.
So, if not now , when the Country will be ready ?
We have a demagogue thug of an old man trump as President.
We want to make him a one term President.
Who would be better than a war veteran, highly educated man as the President .
6
Who had any experience recently after Bush 1?
The governor from the chicken state?
W?
Obama?
The current nightmare?
Sound judgment is the key. And Mayor Pete has it.
3
I'll take an articulate, thoughtful, candid, religious, veteran who also happens to be gay over the lying, cheating, grifting adulterer we have now. Any day, any time.
I am not religious so I can't pretend to really understand or get into the mindset of those who are, but if Evangelicals, those who are religious, can't accept Mayor Pete for his sexual orientation, why is it that they can accept Trump for all his incredible sins, which he commits on a daily basis. It's just beyond imagination that people of faith believe support Trump, who is patently the most open, evil sinner alive. At least Mayor Pete can look you in the eye, and tell you who he is, why, and that he stands for all Americans. Trump stands for no one but himself, and absolutely counter to the values of those who are faith minded.
So, if being gay is Mayor Pete's worst flaw to some, get over it. As I understand it, God judges people by how they live, not just what they say. Pete lives his values, as does Trump - which would you choose?
6
“a ... glide path to greatness ... that defines privilege” doesn’t typically glide through Afghanistan.
5
Mayor Pete is a highly intelligent, level headed, and ethical person, especially when compared to the corrupt slime we currently have in the White House. Having travelled this country extensively I can tell you with dead certainty that should he head the Democratic ticket, he will lose the entire South. Evangelical hypocrites will turn up at the polls with a vengeance. Fox News will sink to their lowest lows to have at him.
If Trump is not impeached, an election with Mayor Pete will end up being one of the dirtiest in modern history thanks to Trump and his foot soldier Republicans.
Tell the young Democratic Representative who she sleeps with doesn't matter as she lays down her office because of the harrassment she has received. Pete. no matter how personable, intelligent, or insightful he is, faces the same dilemma since a majority of Americans of both parties shamefully consider his sexuality and marriage a mortal sin ala Sodom and Gamorah. I'd vote for him without blinking knowing he would destroy Trump in every debate but can you imagine the insults and attitudes of Trump and his Trumpettes (female as well as male) will throw at him.
2
The key for any Democrat and voter is to focus on the alternative. This is not the time to nitpick about personality, age, sex, experience or policy details. The damage to the Country with four more years of Trump is too much to even consider. It must not happen. Any Democrat who wins the nomination will be supported by every voter who can think clearly. Trump must not only lose, but lose "bigly." The Nation and the World needs to know that the United States of America has firmly rejected a path to authoritarianism, political vulgarity and isolation.
2
That’s the thing: Buttigieg is indeed remarkably articulate, but his personality does not sparkle the way Obama’s did. Obama could speak to the academics and the dudes at the basketball game. Buttigieg doesn’t have that stylistic register. He’s not extraordinary enough to camouflage his lack of experience or to overcome the prejudice of the American conservative voters, for whom—it must be said—being gay is a lot more different than being black and having an exotic name, but living in a traditional family structure.
1
I'd vote for a gerbil before I'd vote for Trump, so if Buttigieg the Democratic nominee, he has my vote. But, for crying out loud, why is someone whose top office is mayor of a very small city even a candidate? He should win some higher office, gain some experience and then run.
6
@SAO
Meanwhile the Times continues to ignore those who lead in actual polls. At least CNN is honest in spite of their usual coverage bias
https://www.cnn.com/2019/10/29/politics/new-hampshire-poll-2020-cnn/index.html
Better to grab at imaginary straws in desperation it seems . . .
1
I'm a big fan of Pete Buttigieg - I think he needs to start going to black churches for services - this is where he can find common cause with this community.
3
I can't wait for the day when being gay isn't a roadblock to anything.
I can't wait for the day when women aren't judged differently than men.
I can't wait for the day when race doesn't matter to anyone and being an immigrant is something we welcome and cherish.
I can't wait for a time when words matter more than greed and power. When sharing and caring is more important than disparaging and hating.
I've been waiting more than 50 years for these things to matter to everyone.
2
Not only did Trump win with his many (and shockingly weird) shortcomings, but our first lady was a nude model with S&M and lesbian themed photos published all over the world prior to the election. Still, even Evangelicals pulled the lever for Trump.
3
@lilla victoria
Even more strange: their religious leaders were telling them that Trump was sent by God and is God-like. And they lapped it up, and still do.
2
I don't think 2020 will be Pete's time, but he'll be around for a long while, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if he were a two-term President someday. The concerns about sexual orientation grow smaller every day, despite the desperate bleatings of religious fanatics.
It takes a lot of courage to be an LGBTQ candidate. You are exposing a very private part of your life in front of the world....and it can be at times a very cruel world. This man is bright and articulate in comparison to the troll now holding the office of president. I can't even imagine trying to compare trump to Buttigieg.....where would you even start? But then again I would never have thought such a large portion of Americans would still support an obvious conman who has consistently divided our nation in every way possible since he ran for office. The American educational system has left out a huge portion of people who are politically lazy.
1
I don't have a problem with who he snuggles up with at night. A bigger issue for me is that, as Frank points out, he's younger than most of my socks and his chief experience is mayor a town whose population doubles when Notre Dame's stadium is full. Get a longer resume and a few gray hairs before you shoot for the big chair.
2
There are 29 states in this land of the free and the home of the brave where a gay person can be fired from his job or kicked out of his housing simply for being gay. While gay marriage is sanctioned on a federal level, at this time state laws don't provide protection. Therefore, a gay couple can get married on Saturday and lose their jobs and domiciles on Monday. To believe a gay man could get elected president in 2020 is a pipe dream. I say this as a straight white guy who's been a gay ally for over 50 years.
3
Fealty to one’s own group and type is also never a given. White women for example voted Trump not Hillary.
Mayor Pete's greatest strengths are his obvious intellect, measured tone, and basic decency. He is the antithesis of the current president and people will flock to him, as they are exhausted by nearly three years of the circus that is Trump.
1
Buttigieg's sexuality doesn't matter to me. I'm more concerned about his blatant lack of experience and his rather arrogant belief that he can just cake-walk from mayor of a small city into being in charge of the Executive Branch.
Hey Pete, how about you show us your bonafides and work in a statewide executive office first?
And how about the fact that he won his mayoral election with only about 8,500 votes total. More people than that pass daily through the busy intersection near my home. How the heck does he think he's going to go from that to 65 million + votes needed to win the Presidency?
4
Coupla straight white geezers here who will be voting for Mayor Pete in the primaries.
Not only would he wipe the floor with the Current Occupant in a debate; he can be counted on to surround himself with the best, most experienced and respected advisors the country has to offer. He would provide stable, moral, intelligent, thoughtful leadership. He has more administrative experience under his belt as mayor than one gets as a senator. His measured, academic mindset and calm dignity would be a welcome contrast to the present covfefe. His willingness and capacity for learning and his ability to analyze and accept advice from experts would quickly bring him up to speed on foreign policy, much like President Obama, helping win back the respect of our allies. And it's high time we passed the torch to the next generation.
That having been said, we will campaign, donate, and vote in the general election for the Democratic nominee, whoever that may be. They are all more qualified than the flailing, vengeful, psychologically disordered individual who has painted himself into a corner of the Oval.
And while we're at it, let's show the contemptible party that countenances the behavior of a monkey at the zoo what we think of them.
3
He, or anyone else, is a potential SAVIOR? Wow!
1
Black voters are no doubt concerned about his handling of the racist police actions in his city. It's one thing to be smart and articulate, but if can he can't handle racist police department in South Bend, what about the more complicated issues of the country?
1
The factors weighing in the balance are more, and more subtle than those Bruni mentions. For instance; one might shy away from supporting an openly practicing homosexual for president not because one disapproved of what he is and how he lives, but because one thought such a person would represent a handicap to the US in its relations to the rest of the world, particularly the unenlightened parts.
1
hes my choice but i dont think the country is ready yet.
Bruni is a liberal on the one thing that affects him personally, but he’s a Republican in almost every other respect.
2
I love Mayor Pete ♥️
He has my full support!
2
Disregard anyone who says it doesn’t matter. When asked about sexual orientation, no one answers “No Opinion”. No one.
1
I don't think we should minimize the problem of pronouncing his last name
1
Mayor Pete and his husband seem to be a warm, committed couple who genuinely care about, and support each other.
A much better example for the kids than Trump and his assorted wives/mistresses/combo platters. The First Escort often seems unsure if she can stand to be on the same planet as her husband/employer.
1
No Frank-you don’t quite get it. It’s not that “what he does in bed” that matters. It’s that it doesn’t matter who he loves. Period.
1
Like blacks and women, gays who comment here are wound pretty tight. And they have a relatively short fuse when a comment without requisite sensitivity is posted. This is where political correctness comes in. Some take pride in learning understanding. Some begrudge the effort. Candidates who are black, female, or gay, who do not come off as hostile or overly sensitive and who do not make much of an issue of their minority status, are way ahead of the game. Witness Obama. Witness Mayor Pete.
I am 100% behind Buttigieg if he can beat Trump. If the polls show that he can’t beat Trump, my next option is Mike Bloomberg with Buttigieg as his VP. I think that Bloomberg could win over independents, and business leaders, he was a very successful Mayor, he has tons of money to spend on a campaign, he by all measures outshine Trump as a successful businessman, and he is Jewish to boot witch could help with the pro Israel branch of the GOP. Bloomberg would lean in heavily on climate change which will appeal to young voters. His stance on Gun control will alienate the Trump base but will be applauded by women. Buttigieg who I think would be an outstanding President would benefit from a four year stint as a VP. He has his youth working for him in that respect.
I have relished a Buttigieg/ Trump debate, since last spring. The image of a smallish, unflappable, coherent candidate would be an outstanding foil to the idiotic blabberings of Trump. But if that is just not going to work out, the next best person to take on Trump, is not Biden, Warren or Sanders but is Mike Bloomberg. What could Trump possibly say or do to fluster, the unflappable mayor? Oh, and the next best thing to a Buttigieg/Trump debate would be a Buttigieg/Pence debate. Pence professing righteous indignation will be a spectacular sight to behold when the topic of family separation comes up...
Oh, and will Karen Pence be flummoxed if she must shake Mayor Pete’s spouses hand at the end?
2
If sexuality is still an issue for America, then you should vote for the real man (Trump). He has proven he knows how to handle himself with those of the opposite sex on many occasions.
Good luck America.
I had no idea Pete was gay when I first heard him articulate a cohesive, concise and caring vision for this seething nation. Pete inspires. Pete plays. Put the sexual orientation card back in your pocket.
1
I’m deeply uncomfortable with the prevailing wisdom that says that many in the black and Hispanic communities would not turn out to vote for a gay man. This seems like the conventional wisdom of limousine liberals with more than a dash of genteel, elitist racism. It suggests that minority communities are too benighted and backwards to understand their own interests. The polling gap with certain minority groups is just as easily explained by his lack of name recognition—I still encounter many fairly well informed people in my very liberal city who can’t pronounce his name.
Black and Hispanic people are among the most reliable democratic voters—perhaps because the understand how high the stakes are for them. Do white liberals really think so little of black and Hispanic voters that we think they’re too bigoted to vote for a gay man?
103
@Andrew Perhaps, don't forget that turnout was low in 2016 when the stakes were also clearly very high. All commentary about HRC's campaign aside, there is, unfortunately, a history of those communities not supporting LGBT equality (Prop 8 among others), which raises legitimate questions about whether or not they can be counted on to support him in either the primary or the general election. A recent NYT profile revealed that some of the African American Democratic primary voters in South Carolina had reservations about his "lifestyle." And let's not forget that it hasn't been that long since Kevin Hart and Joy Reid, a liberal stalwart, were called out for their derogatory comments about the LGBT community. I hope that you're correct, but where there is smoke, there is often fire.
15
@Andrew
It seems to me Buttigieg's unpopularity among black voters has less to do with his sexual orientation and more to do with the fact that he oversaw a systemically racist police department in South Bend for 8 years and didn't decide to do anything about it affected his ascendancy to the White House.
7
@Andrew...I volunteered to register voters in 2008 and when I came across a young African-American woman in the grocery checkout line, I asked her if she was registered to vote. She said yes she was and she volunteered she wouldn't vote for Obama. My eyes were opened wider when she added that her minister believed abortion was a genocidal plot against African-Americans.
12
I think his appeal is the Midwest connection. If the Democratic candidate retakes Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, they will likely win the general election. A loss in one of those states likely guarantees 4 more years of Trump. For this reason, I like both Mayor Pete and Amy Klobuchar (as Biden altertnatives).
I don't think being gay will hurt Mayor Pete any more than being a liberal (compared to Republicans) hurts him or being a woman will hurt Klobuchar or Warren.
Regarding the issue of whether black people will back him, I think he is struggling not because he is gay, but because of the questions surrounding his handling of the South Bend police shooting. Somehow he needs to find a way to connect to people of color.
1
If the media would stop bringing up his sexual orientation, maybe it wouldn't be quite so much an issue. And stop calling him Mayor Pete. How can he portray presidential stature when the media keeps invoking his mayoral status and makes him too familiar by addressing him by his first name, and in a diminutive form?
2
I personally don't care about Mayor Pete's sexual orientation.
I do care about his lack of experience.
A president for me must have policies I agree with and must be able to lead and to govern.
President Carter had good ideas but was a disaster at leading and governing.
Being mayor of a city of 100K does not provide the experience to be president of a country of over 300 m.
No one should vote for a candidate just because he /she is homosexual.
No one should vote against a candidate just because
he /she is homosexual.
Same comment for a person who is female.
47
@david whatever you may think about Mayor Pete's lack of experience, he has infinitely more experience in government than Trump did when elected.
18
@david Carter was undermined by the DC elite...Full Stop.
6
I agree that both Trump's policies and his ability to lead and govern are grossly deficient.
The question is not Trump compared with Mayor Pete but Mayor Pete compared to some of the other Dem candidates.
5
I'm curious as to whether these same Democrats who experience gay-discomfort -- be they black, hispanic or just right-of-center socially -- would vote for Trump as the alternative to a gay Democrat? If faced with that specific, binary decision I think the numbers would sway towards Pete dramatically. Gay-discomfort vs Crazy-Racist-discomfort? Hmmm.
1
Pete's plusses: Virtually every Republican who doesn't like Trump I've quizzed on which candidate they'd feel comfortable voting for from the Democratic field surprised me by saying Pete Buttigieg.
Pete's Minuses: The Republicans will run ads mocking his husband, show their wedding, and couple that with the "abomination" against God Pete is committing. Black churchgoers, very few of whom read the NY Times and comment here, will stay home.
Does that give him enough votes to win? I'd love to see polling on this, but I fear not. Hope I'm wrong, because he's clearly the best candidate.
6
I am a Pete Buttigieg fan and what concerns me is the African-American vote. When I first moved to NC there was a vote to ban gay marriage as part of the NC Constitution. It passed with the support of African-Americans in the state. This disturbed me at the time and thankfully a Federal district court and then the Supreme Court invalidated the amendment and made gay marriage legal. Democrats need the African-American vote to succeed. Will they vote for a gay man? I don't know. I am not a fan of Elizabeth Warren and worry if Joe Biden is right for the job at this time. Where does that leave me? I don't know and it is depressing.
6
My vote will go towards the candidate who best represents my interests. I want equality for all human beings, whether they are male, female, LGBTQ, immigrants, native Americans, rich or poor. What they do in their bedroom is of absolutely no interest to me. It's what they will do in the oval office.
That's why I'm supporting Elizabeth Warren.
1
There it is again, in the headlines this time, reducing homosexuals to sexual activity. I do look forward to the day when sexual preference for the same sex does not come down to what "she or he does in bed." Mayor Pete and all of us are more than our sexual activity. I mean, are heterosexuals thought of in terms of what they do in bed? Never.
5
A “savior”? I’ll settle for a president who wakes up very morning, plays by the rules and works hard with humility, passion and a love of country worthy of its people’s trust. Whoever that is eventually is, gay or straight, please spare them the title and expectations of being our “savior”.
138
@Scotty
And someone who reads would be most welcome ...
13
Someday we'll all grow up and this won't matter any more than whether a person prefers coffee or tea.
1
A friend of mine is black and gay. He's an amazing person, committed to community service and inspiring young people, and for a while he was the only black elected official in our small city. The scorn he received from local black ministers for being gay was one of the most disgusting things I've ever seen. They talked behind his back, spread lies about him, even confronted him about his "sinful" behavior and said he was not a good role model.
So am I afraid black voters will shun Mayor Pete because he's gay? Unfortunately yes. And they should be called out for their bigotry just the same as they expect others to be called out for racism. It's not ok just because they're black.
8
My wife and I would never give this guy a vote.
Not because of who he goes to bed with, we could not care less.
It’s because nothing in his resume makes me think this is the guy to lead the country. I would take a giant of industry with no political experience, over the Mayor of a tini town out in the mid west.
Being gay does not move us, despite our own, shall we say, alternative inclinations. It should not even figure as a qualification for President of the USA.
Being prepared for the job does. And this guy is far from ready for prime time.
Just another example of meritocracy.
That he is doing so much better than Biden money wise, is proof of how un-electable Joe is rather than how well Pete is doing.
3
@AutumnLeaf
You may be right that "this guy is far from ready for prime time" but I do believe that he has a great future. I should like to see him in the Senate or even get experience as a state governor before he becomes "President". I think he would be a great President some day. Ready or not, however, I will vote for him if he becomes the Democrat's candidate for President, With Trump as the alternative there can be no other choice. (Hopefully, Trump will be in jail by that time.)
3
So many commenters speak of "when he speaks". What about what he does or has done. Mayor Pete is a cutesy, folksy marketing gimmick title that goes along with his smile and covers some of his snarkiness. If smarts is so highly valued then let's hear it for Elizabeth Warren and wait for Pete Buttigieg to gain more experience in governance.
4
@fritz
I think Mayor Pete has done very well for himself in spite of his young age and provincial roots. I see nothing "cutesy" or "folksy" about him - I see a well-mannered gentleman of obvious class, intelligence and ability that would do a great deal to offset the dreadful image of the orange-haired buffoon presently befoulling the White House. I believe Buttigieg would go a long ways in making America, America again.
2
I’m a white 65 year old straight woman in Colorado. Pete’s been my candidate since the get-to. The same way Barack Obama was. Why? Intellect, depth, presence, calm, curiosity, humility, service, courage, wisdom (yes, beyond his years, too).
We Americans, I believe, can sniff out the real deal. Pete’s the real deal. That’s what America is so hungry for. Time to unite and heal. I believe Pete can (maybe especially because of his age) lead us there.
We need a course correction from corruption and greed. The vision Pete lays forth is solid, progressive, and real. And can you imagine his cabinet? And VP pick? I’m so very ready for that team—-which will include the diversity, beauty and hopes of all.
222
@Lynn Young My 66 year old mom in New Mexico agrees with you (as do I).
17
@Lynn Young
America can sniff out the real deal. {chuckle...}
America can't even see that M4A is a better deal.
'Merica voted in the current dotard.
America is highly uncurious, scared and stodgy.
Pete is the product of the best corp./political propaganda machine running the Dem. establishment.
When you call Central Casting for a young dynamic moderate politician, Pete comes up in the top ten. He'd rank higher if he was "of color", but gay is the next best thing. So edgy. So 'now'!
Pete's the real deal...Lol...sure. A real politician. One groomed, tutored and advised for the past 20yrs of volunteering and staffing campaigns. Of running for multiple offices and always trying to advance to Washington.
Pete's the "real deal" all right.
One whom America can sniff out.
Just as marketed and commercialized.
5
@Christina Another 66 yo here who finds his intellect and wisdom refreshing, especially with what we've been living through for the past three years.
14
I love that he talks about his faith. Evangelicals aren’t the only Christians.
3
In the early 1980s, my friends and I were fighting to make it legal for bars and restaurants in the Commonwealth of Virginia to serve alcohol to gay men and Lesbians. Now, less than 40 years later an out gay man is among the top four candidates for the Democratic Party's nomination for President of the United States. I want Mayor Pete to win the nomination and I want him to be elected to the presidency. That's why I send him money. But you know what? I'm okay with him doing neither. The mere fact that he has come this far has sent all the message to America that I think needs to be sent and that message has been heard loud and clear.
105
I'd say he is a strong VP candidate, with a brighter future still. Let the American people get used to him. I believe he will win them over. Meanwhile, we can't take any risks this election -- the stakes are just too high. Biden/Pete or Warren/Pete. Take your pick.
2
It's all about electability now, so how about running an electable Democrat and putting Mr. Buttigieg in a cabinet position and let America get used to him. I'm really sorry that we have to judge him based on sexual orientation, but right now, at this point in time, a Democrat has to beat Trump and this isn't the guy to do it.
2
Statistically, his age hurts him more than his sexual orientation.
The same Gallup poll that found 17 percent of Dems would’t vote for a gay or lesbian candidate also found that 21 percent of Dems (28 percent overall) wouldn’t vote for a person under 40.
Atheists, old folks, and Muslims all did much worse, with 28 percent of dems (39 percent overall) saying they would’t vote for an atheist and 33 percent overall saying they wouldn’t vote for a Muslim. Bruni cites the stats on candidates over 70 in his article—presumably, because all three Democratic front-runners are over 70.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/a-lot-of-americans-say-they-dont-want-a-president-who-is-over-70-really/
3
Could we please stop asking for, stop praying for, stop wishing for, a President who will save us and instead identify and support the men and women, no matter their gender, sexual identity or skin color, who have the experience, ability, courage, strength, and ethics to put our Democracy back together? We need people who build rather than destroy. There is no such person as a Saviour. There is only the sober rolling up of our individual and collective sleeves.
4
I hate to burst the liberal bubble that most NYT readers live in, but Trump will destroy Mayor Pete in a general election.
Trump has no shame on how he mocks other Americans who are unlike him, or even have differing views (lock her up, send them home, Pocohantas, very fine people, etc...). Imagine what he will do to rile up his base against an open homsexual.
And the ugly truth is that liberals' postions will only help Trump. Many Americans don't want to be condesended to that they are not "woke" enough, exhibit "White privilege", amd most relevant to Mayor Pete, are bigots if they hold traditional religous views on marriage, or have discomfort with LGBTQ hectoring (parents being told that their children can choose their gender doesn't go over well in most places other than the coasts). And liberal orthdoxy on these points is viewed by many as plain arrogance, which will be stapled to pete's forehead by Trump.
Do not underestimate Trump's ability to leverage these issues and distract from what should be more pressing concerns. It goes much further than what someone does in their bed; Trump will tell the nation that Mayor Pete will ram the LGBTQ agenda down every American's throat, and much of the public (including the crucial Obama-Trump voters) will accept that argument.
1
There is a story of how Mayor Pete came to a local hospital in South Bend to help a mother, a new immigrant who can't speak english while his son was seriously ill. Mayor Pete translate what was happening from the doctor to the mother from English to Arabic. After everything was over, the doctor thought he was just a translator on call hired by the hospital. It turns out the translator was Mayor Pete. He was scanning the 911 call and heard that a translator was needed. That's speaks volume of his character. Was being gay has anything to do with it, no. That's the kind of leader that I will vote for.
9
I don’t care that Buttigieg is gay. Or that he’s smart and articulate and possesses any other “voguish” qualities deemed worthy of praise by overpaid DC strategists. And who cares how many languages he speaks? These are all personal characteristics, which—I mean, good for him—but what are his plans to improve living standards, overhaul the expensive and deficient healthcare system, address climate change, and fix foreign policy and relationships with allies? Nothing he’s proposed moves the needle on any of these issues. The few original ideas he did have (like adding justices to the bench), he’s removed from his website and speeches, and completely reversed his position on Medicare for All in under 7 months. Who will he be in 6? At this point, what seems clear is Buttigieg is a well-educated empty suit with a good vocabulary. Maybe McKinsey will hire him back.
You wrap up my sentiments exactly. On the one hand, he has most of the personal and professional qualities and qualifications many of us are looking for in a candidate; however, I don't think of America is ready for a gay president. Too many people are too focused on things that are none of their business.
I love Buttigieg like so many of your lefty readers. I love his youth and his confidence and his sharp intellect. Compared to Trump, who speaks at one grade-level above cave man, its just refreshing to hear someone put a coherent argument together. But I'm really worried that Buttigieg can't win. I'm worried he won't get enough African American support. I'm worried he won't flip any MAGAs. And I'm worried about the way older Americans will react to the visual when he steps out on the stage at the democratic convention with his husband. I love the guy, but I'm worried. The stakes are really high this time.
1
Some people won't vote for Sanders and Warren because they are too far to the left. Some won't vote for Biden because they see a cognitive decline and they don't think he can go toe-to-toe with Trump. Some won't vote for Kamala Harris because of her prosecutorial record. Sadly, some people won't vote for a woman candidate. Younger black voters are more open to the whole panoply of candidates. He could get traction with young minorities. Being gay is not a deal killer.
There's a reason that Barack Obama once called Buttigieg a rising star in the Democratic Party. Maybe this was a winner picking out a winner.
4
Buttigieg could increase his voting strength by adopting a more pro-Israel position. Israel is a gay-friendly country. I was in Tel Aviv the day before the gay-pride parade in Tel Aviv. The city was covered with rainbow flags to an extent I had never seen in New York.
Buttigieg might also mention the fact that Golda Meir of Israel took office on March 17, 1969. She was the first woman in human history to head a government who was neither the daughter nor the wife or widow of a previous head of government. Her election was a first-time-in-history event. Nobody knows about her unique status. Nobody thinks of Israel as the country that was the first to be ruled by a woman who was not related to a previous ruler.
1
America has serious contradictions that Buttegieg is going to exploit or get brainwashed by. "G" is not a dirty word except for radical Conservatives who would never vote for even a Centrist or Right of the Center Democrat. But "S" is a dirty word that Buttegieg is going to cunningly exploit (he is after all an "intelligence" officer) to try to win moderates, independents and swing voters. He is already being courted by big corporation that have become unsure about Biden.
Buttegieg is not a Moderate Democrat, but Right of the Center kind. That's becoming apparent. His Gay identity is not the problem. If he were Socialist and a Gay that would be a problem for some. To compensate for some homophobia Buttegieg might move to the Right a bit too much. That's the worry.
America has serious contradictions that Buttegieg is going to exploit or get brainwashed by. "G" is not a dirty word except for radical Conservatives who would never vote for even a Centrist or Right of the Center Democrat. But "S" is a dirty word that Buttegieg is going to cunningly exploit (he is after all an "intelligence" officer) to try to win moderates, independents and swing voters. He is already being courted by big corporation that have become unsure about Biden.
Buttegieg is not a Moderate Democrat, but Right of the Center kind. That's becoming apparent. His Gay identity is not the problem. If he were Socialist and a Gay that would be a problem for some. To compensate for some homophobia Buttegieg might move to the Right a bit too much. That's the worry.
Forget about those who will never vote for Buttigieg because he is gay. These are the bigots, haters and homophobes who put Trump in the White House in the first place. The rest of Americans, do however have a remarkable ability to adapt to changing social values. What most people want is be judged solely on the basis of the quality of their character and nothing else. I hope Americans will use the same criteria in choosing their next president -- whom I hope will be Pete Buttigieg.
5
All I’ve seen is a brilliant , honest, dedicated, witty man with a great intellect who also enrolled to defend our country. These are choices he made. I don’t care about things he didn’t choose, you know like the color of his eyes or his height. If you claim he’s gay, I’ll take your word. It’s like telling me his weight or his birthday. So what?
2
In November I'll be voting for whomever has s "D" next to their name. But if Pete's on the list in March, I'm going to cast my vote proudly for him. As a gay person it'll be my own little piece of history, one I'd never ever dreamed of.
4
I would rather have a legislature full of Mayor Petes than 1 Trump. Any day.
5
I think Buttigieg would be a great cabinet member. President...no way. Needs a lot more experience and reality suggests he would never get enough votes. This country has come a long way regarding race and sexuality. But there is a lot more to go! Obviously.
Mr Bruni,
Aside from your thesis, I take issue with the phrase, "what he or she does in bed." This feels stale and outdated if not homophobic. It's what we do in our hearts and our minds and what happens beyond our control. It's neither overtly sexual nor in any way asexual. A bed has very little to do with who will be president or for that matter who will be gay.
5
To save this democracy Trump must be defeated at the ballot box. We must find a candidate who can win. With all do respect, Mr. Bruni is just plain out of touch. This country is not ready for a gay President. As sad as it is, the simple fact is that a gay candidate cannot win a national election. I also don’t think a Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren can win in those critical swing states such as Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. The Democrats must get a grip and nominate a candidate who can defeat Trump. I am not sure who that is, but the fate of this Country is in the balance.
1
What caught my attention was the phrase, "our need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed." I wonder why all we can think about is sexual acts, which are such a small part of who a person is. If you want to have sex with a person, then their sexual orientation matters, otherwise not very much.
I hope we can hear his ideas and experience for what they are. I hope we can think about what our country needs. I am pretty sure we do not need 4 more years of misogynistic narcissism. We need someone who respects others and can make connections. Someone who is curious and who thinks ahead to the needs of our country in the time frame of the impacts of climate change.
1
"Socially conservative" is sugarcoating for homophobia. It's the elephant in the room, and the question is whether or not progressives are able to confront these attitudes within their own communities.
2
What makes you think Pete B is a savior? I do not get this nonsensical need for presidents to be saviors. How about having policies to make the lives of Americans better and humbly stated as such.
1
I've been waiting for serious journalism to take a deep stab at this very complicated issue. Leave it to a gay journalist to go first 'where no man has gone before.' Bravo.
We won't know until we know. Pete's a wild card in every sense of the word. For this 64-year-old gay man who didn't even know there were people like him in the world when he was 11, Pete's rise deeply satisfies. But it's also icing on the cake. The cake itself is what's so appealing -- the smartest guy in the room, if we chose Presidents simply by intellect. But he's also a golden child arousing suspicion and jealousy in those for whom life has been anything but a victory lap, which helps explain the nuance of black voter feelings toward him.
I'm betting he won't get the nomination, but I can see whoever does beating a path to his door for the VP slot. We shall see.
2
My "dream ticket" (at this point) would be Warren with Buttigieg as VP. When the day comes, however, America is either going to vote for Trump or against Trump. In the meanwhile, I am focusing my energies on him being impeached and removed so we can focus on policy and healing come November 2020.
2
I love Mayor Pete. I think at times, though the youngest candidate, he is the most mature and even keeled.
However, being gay has definitely boosted his standing. Dramatically. You all realize he is the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, right? That’s his experience. It’s not even close to a major city. Sarah Palin, while not nearly as capable or smart as Mayor Pete, had more experience.
Many in the woke crowd like supporting him because he is gay. Sadly, there are also bigots who will never vote for him. Their loss. I hope Mayor Pete sticks around.
2
Couldn't care less about Mayor Pete's sexual orientation. But I do care a lot that he has only been a mayor, and somehow he feels this qualifies him to run for president. Just as I think Trump is woefully unqualified to be president (even if he wasn't mentally unhinged, he'd still be unqualified, because of his lack of experience), I feel the same, for different reasons, about Mayor Pete. He's not ready for primetime as our leader in the highest office in the land. While he certainly is learning too quickly to no longer be daring and bold in his proposals to fix what ails us, whenever he faces criticism or a backlash, now that he's in the upper tier of candidates, he just does not have the experience that would compel me to vote for him.
Let's say he won the presidency -- how does that affect international diplomacy when homosexuality is illegal in 71 countries? Does Chasten accompany him on foreign trips, as is common for a first spouse, so that they are breaking the law when they step on the tarmac? In some countries, it is a capital offense. It seems like it would make for awkward visits to Muslim or African nations (it is illegal in 34 African countries).
2
Pete Buttigieg presents as a deja vu' candidate ala' Barack Obama except he is white & gay. His speeches and debate performance resonate well with the professional and educated classes or as the GOP tags them: "the coastal elite". Even though he represents a Midwestern city as mayor, his keen intellect & moral clarity are a refreshing change from the current intellectually lazy, narcissistic & sociopathic Trump.
Most progressive would probably weigh in Pete's sexual preference as a positive since he would be a role model for the nation's acceptance of the LGBT&Q population. Unfortunately this group of voters tends to vote Blue so there aren't any added votes on the ledger sheet. The downside would be persuading the black voters in the South who tend to be morally conservative although vote Democratic in their best interests.
Buttigieg's challenge is to widen his appeal to working class rural voters who are intimidated by his liberal positions, high toned speech & exotic non-conforming sexuality. Whereas Trump appeals based on his tough guy, simplistic speech & mannerisms, Buttigieg must appeal to these same voters based on ideas since they are literally complete opposites. Even though Buttigieg is a veteran & probably much tougher mentally & physically then Trump, he doesn't put on the Jimmy Cagney routine while campaigning.
The appeal of Joe Biden, a corporatist, status quo moderate to black voters is his safeness & perceived ability to beat Trump. Can they be swayed?
3
I do think there's a practical distinction to be made here...I think a lot of people are ready for a gay presidential candidate, but not as many are ready for a married gay presidential candidate.....I'm afraid the image of Mayor Pete kissing his husband on the convention stage would be too much for a majority of voters....some things take time....
1
@Dennis Holland
Mayor Pete and Chasten are also thinking of 'starting a family'. At the risk of being accused of bigotry by many commenters here, I am aware in my own psyche of a fundamental aversion to the concept of two males 'having' an infant (which involves at the least a surrogate female). Millions of years of biology which involve females raising infants cannot be cancelled out in our worldviews in just one generation, and for that reason some women will not vote for him.
My preferred centrist is Amy Klobuchar, she has a great deal more political experience than Mayor Pete; it's interesting to see how much more support the white male is getting than the white female . . . .
1
Judging by Pete's performance in the debates, he has no fear.
I could see him campaigning in a Biker Bar in Oakland, CA or a truck stop in Breezewood, PA. And getting votes in both spots.
2
He's bright, quick on his feet and can get to the heart of an issue like a laser. As mayor of South Bend, he's run an administration several times the size of anything the incumbent directly managed (as opposed to invested in) prior to 2016.
His prospects may come down to a choice of VP. and I'd love to see Biden reprise that role. He'd add foreign policy gravitas and a counterweight for any adversary who misread and sought to take advantage of Buttigieg's age. That would be a huge sacrifice for Biden, but they'd be unstoppable together.
1
"Could the ranks of the Buttigieg-resistant be offset by Americans eager to send the kind of message about their values and their desire for change that a vote for Buttigieg would? Obama benefited from that impulse. " Obama had a Black base that could turn out in record numbers. They did not have special values. Buttigieg has no such large hidden base. He is constantly attacked by the left and Bernie's Bros' stayed away in small but significant numbers last time. Couple that with where the Vote counts and I don't have much hope. I'd still vote for him but what do I know.
I am FULLY prepared to support whomever is the last Democrat standing, including Mayor Pete; however, I fear the idyllic Democratic Party will be made to pay for its idealism if he's our nominee. It's unfortunate it should even be an issue, because it shouldn't. The only folks who should care about Mayor Pete's sexual preference are Mayor Pete and his partner. The stakes are too high for 2020, the survival of this country is literally hanging in the balance, it might not be the time to set trends when attempting to stave-off annihilation. Perhaps it would be better for Mayor Pete to position himself as a running mate. Maybe when his opponent isn't as vile and demented as the status quo, would be the time for him and others in the LBGT community to throw in their respective hats.
The guy is brilliant. When enough people get to hear his ideas they will go beyond any superficial prejudice.
He is the guy to take on this mess.
3
Mayor Pete has ZMS- Zero Minority Support. In fact, even worse than ZMS, Mayor Pete has hometown Civil Rights issues.
But, hey, he’s young, gay and has a good resume. so, let’s all keep pretending that he has a chance to be nominated.
Re: Mayor Pete. He may appear to be a good candidate, but I very much doubt he will occupy the White House. The evangelical wing of the GOP is powerful, Given their interprettion of biblical references to homosexuality, they will never countenance gay man as President. The racists among them were vitriolic about a straight black couple—very little Bible to back them up that they could publicly use—but that is not the case here. Pete’s candidacy would be a gift to the GOP, sad to say. Perhaps that is the reason they haven’t been attacking him.
1
As Axelrod said “nobody believes that America can do what America will do until America does it.”
I never imagined America would follow an historic presidency with one pulled from the gutter.
I would not rule Pete out.
1
As a follow-up to Mr. Bruni's column it would be appropriate for him to consider how Mr. Trump would address the subject in a presidential campaign against Mayor Pete.
Maybe we have this all wrong, and this is the perfect time for a gay presidential candidate. Certainly some people support Trump, but maybe the majority are repulsed by his actions and would vote for anything but Trump, including a gay man.
1
His gender preferences aside. Buttigieg dispute his popularity among corporate donors and media, is polling a weak fourth and is largely an irrelevant candidate.
Buttigieg’s sexual orientation is a non factor for me. It is the Media who continues to focus on Race and Sexual Orientations.What is important is his lack of experience in so many areas of expertise required of the President. Yes he is bright and presents well but where is in depth platform?
Sad to say, as a whole the Democratic haven’t presented themselves as a threat to Trump re-election.
Uh oh. We need a "savior," eh? Please don't conflate the presidency with the Kingdom of the Lord. It's an insult to democracy and to the Enlightenment principles on which our government is based.
1
If he “espouses and embodies a fresh perspective that many voters of all stripes crave”, he’s keeping it to himself because all I hear from him is social issue liberalism and economic centrism, like the last Democratic President, also a beneficiary of identity politics.
Obama didn’t turn out to be the savior that liberal media portrayed him to be, and neither can Buttegieg - both could be counted on to please corporate America, but neither offer working people a break from the vapid economic centrism that in large part fueled Trump’s rise.
People are looking for a savior, and despite the media’s sabotaging of him, the most popular politician in the US has a long track record indicating that he actually WOULD advocate for the working class (Warren’s Republican past should raise a huge red flag in assessment of her savior candidacy).
https://www.politifact.com/wisconsin/statements/2017/apr/27/mike-crute/despite-losing-nomination-hillary-clinton-bernie-s/
https://theharrispoll.com/articles/poll-bernie-sanders-countrys-most-popular-active-politician/
1
I think he’s terrific.
3
The whole issue baffles me.
The only difference between straight couple and gay ones is the person they go to bed with.
I'm not sure if I'll vote for Mayor Pete or another Dem. but their sexually is at the bottom of the list of who I vote for.
PS-I'd pay good money to see him debate Pence.
2
The older I become, the less I care about anyone’s sex life.
Including mine.
3
I like civility. But Joe meanders.
I like LibDems. But Bernie scolds.
I like ideas. But Warren berates.
I like vigor. But Kamala frowns.
I like passion. But Booker drones.
I like bright. But Pete ...
Governor Polis was elected in 2018. Though I followed the campaign (admittedly, not as closely as the current presidential one), I did not actually know that he was gay until he was actually elected.
Colorado matches USA demographics fairly well, especially in proportion of Democrats/Republicans/Independents and in Urban/Suburban/Rural. If a gay man can be elected as governor here, so can a gay man be elected as president
1
The hands-down winning factor in a presidential race is likability and communication. Dimwits galore have been elected because people liked them better and they connected. I would love it if a gay man could do that, but this particular guy is a calculating, strategic climber, with about as much charisma as a slide rule. Now, if you nominated Andy Cohen or Ellen DeGeneres, you might have a chance ...
Buttigieg needs to first succeed as mayor of his small Indiana town, then broaden and deepen his governance skills set by winning a senate seat or governor race. His only current stand out feature among the other candidates: religious conservative gay man. Big deal.
I'm 76 yo and a strong supporter of Pete Buttigieg. I don't care at all about his sexual orientation, but I greatly respect his intelligence and his moral values. When he gets to know more Black Democrats, they will like him. We should not assume that all or most Blacks are intolerant, or that their opinions cannot be changed. Obama could help with this effort. That said, I will support whomever the Democrats nominate.
4
Great article. Unfortunate to end it with mention of what happens “in bed”, with all its associations, instead of “in love”, which seems more fitting.
2
Disappointing to see you use the tired adage about the bedroom. Being gay is about far more than sexual orientation, it’s the intimate relationship orientation and a lot of that happens outside the bedroom. And the sexual stuff happens outside the bedroom as well because, you see, I’m not straight.
The first time I heard Pete Buttigieg was while I was listening to an early interview of him on Morning Joe, well before he even announced his run for office.
Without any visual - meaning I did not even know how young he looked, I was blown away by his ability to articulate both his personal opinions but most important, off-the-cuff questions that he answered with such a measured response, I had to stop and ask "where is this person coming from."
In short, his sharpness and clarity struck me in a way that no other candidate or elected official has done in decades.
That is Pete Buttigieg's inherent gift. The ability to both think and speak with clarity both at the same time. It took me weeks to learn that he was young and also married to another man. I am not offended by either revelation.
Frank, let us be pragmatic. If Trump survives impeachment, it will be his first four-years against the candidate that Democrats forward at their convention.
While I believe that Warren will benefit from a Sander's slide in the polls, Buttigieg might similarly benefit from slips by Biden. I imagine that as the field is whittled down to just a handful of potential nominees, that the Democrats will have to choose between a moderate and a progressive candidate.
Buttigieg is the heir-apparent to Biden's run for the moderate vote. If Biden missteps, Buttigieg is going to fill that void. The best outcome is for Biden to announce just 4 years and pick Buttigieg has his VP.
8
@It Is Time! I would submit Klobuchar as the most likely to appeal to moderates. I will vote for anyone the Dems nominate, and I would happily support Buttigieg, but I look at Klobuchar as someone who will appeal to midwestern moderates. There are just too many people in this country that disapprove of homosexuality. It’s not right-but it is so. We ignore that at our peril.
Being "gay" hurts and helps all. So, does not being gay. It's just the hurts and helps that differ. We all labor through our lives the way we born and with the DNA helix we are given. As an author once wrote: "Exploit Your Strengths and Manage Your Weaknesses".
I'd only add: "Irrespective of gay, straight or any combination thereof." Bed is not the pulpit. Nor are the activities among those who use them.
Move on, Frank. There are more perilous targets.
1
Let's put my biases up front. I don't want to vote for somebody over 70. I'm in my 50s, and I've been watching the cognitive ability of my parent's generation decline as they passed through their 70s and 80s. We shouldn't be electing somebody north of 70 to the hardest job in the world.
Most of the people who will never see past their objections to a gay president will vote Republican anyway. Give voters a year of seeing how very normal (even boring) Buttigieg's family life is, and how exceptional the man is as an individual, and voters will learn to shrug off the gay part. It's not as though gay activism is a significant part of his political agenda, certainly not more than the Democratic party's pre-existing agenda.
Presidents should be chosen based on their policy agenda, and on their ability to lead an enormous bureaucracy, including the world's most powerful military. On all three of those Buttigieg beats Warren and Sanders, in part because his agenda contains fewer pie-in-the-sky plans that could never pass through congress, in part because he has executive experience (the Senators don't), and in part because he has some military background. Biden is clearly far past his prime, and his prime wasn't that impressive. I dearly wish the man would have a mild health problem that forced him out of the race, so that Buttigieg could become the chief moderate. Biden candidacy is based on his familiarity to older Democrats; he is a known quantity. That's not enough.
10
I am 80 and I agree.
3
Universal healthcare and free college are “reach” goals- as a society, we must get there but we are not ready for anything but talk. Mayor Pete recognizes that there’s a difference between vision and implementation. I’d rather elect someone who will lay the groundwork for these necessities than have another four years of an orange buffoon because neither Elizabeth or Bernie are electable.
5
I'm beginning to think it's time for any intelligent, articulate, knowledgeable, ethical young person, of whatever persuasion, to become president.
9
You make a plausable argument out of what I consider to be only one step above a box-check candidacy, but there is still a long road ahead.
I personally don't care one way or the other about his sexuality, but I see many problems in the general election. Chief among them, are the visuals, which might warm the hearts of self-congratulating liberals, but which stand out as a giant, insurmountable negative for acceptance by the general electorate. It isn't enough that I don't have a problem with you; sure, you can be the local mayor, or whatever. But President? Unite the country?
The biggest problem for me is that I have no idea what this guy stands for, outiside of the usual Dem talking points, half of which I am very skeptical of. It would take more than he is showing up to now.
1
This 68 yr old straight white woman (formerly a registered Republican) is very impressed with Buttigieg. In my opinion, Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden are just too old. Elizabeth Warren is too far left. I prefer a younger candidate who is intelligent, calm, and offers realistic policy reforms. He has my primary vote. But I will “vote blue no matter who”.
7
No one has experience to be President until they are President. How will he govern as President? How can anyone answer that question until they are actually in the job. He has razor sharp intellect. Brilliant critical thinking skills. Empathy. Ideas. Not that it's mandatory for a President to be in the military, but it certainly helps his credibility as Commander in Chief. He knows and feels what we, as soldiers have been through. Not someone who evaded military service by lying about having "bone spurs." It's insulting for trump to call himself commander in chief with that stain, amongst his many stains as a human let alone a "politician." It seems people equate being gay as always having to do with the bedroom. How about the love of another? Do we ask straight politicians who they love? Who they "sleep" with? If people were asked honestly what they were looking for in a President, it seems all of the qualities of Mayor Pete would be high on the list. Hopefully, in the year 2020, we can move past those anachronistic relics of the past and elect a man as gifted and talented as "President Buttigieg."
8
Having had firsthand experience hearing the utterances of the most deeply “investigated” demographic of the last and this presidential election, I sincerely believe that is far more than a guess about whether being gay has an influence on a voting choice. That’s like saying it’s a guess whether a Deep South state will try to suppress the black vote or not. LGBTQ activists like to wrap themselves in the cloak of civil rights to espouse their priorities in a light that allows them to punch above their weight and they receive all the space they need in the NYT; there is nothing in and of itself wrong with that. When it comes to winning national office, the potential for a wider participation is done a disservice by such a narrow focus. The sleeping giants upon whom’s shoulders Mayor Pete is riding must be awakened. The demographic that counts is the one with the greatest potential and from that perspective Mayor Pete is failing, by all accounts.
1
We are unfortunately in a situation where none of the candidates are without seemingly crippling blemishes. I need not recount them here; most informed voters know what I'm talking about.
There is no candidate I am ready to support (yet) for the primary, though I will vote for any of them in the general to get rid of Trump.
I have found myself in recent days pining for that ideally imagined "generic Democrat" who wins all the polls and must be out there somewhere...
Eventually we will have a nominee and whoever it is we must go all out to win. Take no prisoners.
Question, if Pete takes Camila as a running mate (and assuming she agrees), and if the Obamas campaign for him, would that help with the alleged problem with black voters?
1
It's just too risky in this case. If Jeb Bush or Mitt Romney were president, I'd say go ahead and take a chance. But they aren't.
This one's for all the marbles, so failure is not an option.
1
The silver lining of the dark cloud of Trump, one hopes, is that all the Democrats and liberal-leaning independents who stayed home in 2016 will be inspired to vote in 2020.
If that is the case, if Pete Buttigeig is the Democratic nominee, his sexual orientation will matter about as much as the color of his hair.
6
All the social justice scolds in the media are quick to call out white working class voters for their prejudices. Why can’t any of them muster a forceful critique of what Bruni tactfully calls “a crucial Democratic constituency” — conservative black voters? There is plenty of open animus for LGBT people/issues among this constituency, yet I hear no one calling it out for what it is.
3
Harvey would be so proud. "I'm Pete Buttigieg and I'm here to recruit you."
I have a very different view of Mayor Pete than do most of the commentators. I find him to be patronizing and pandering and . I find his experience as mayor to be experiences that show he is unqualified to be president. We already have an amateur in the Oval Office, we don't need another. But what bothers me the most is that we must bring this country together and he can't do it. I am not speaking about the wing nuts on either side of the political spectrum. I am speaking about the rest of us - in the middle, a little to the left and a little to the right. If he is the nominee, he will split the country even more than it is split now. Why? Because the focus will not be on his ideas and plans, though I think most of them are ridiculous, but on his homosexuality. We don't need this. Perhaps, at some point in the future, there will be a gay president but not now.
The person most qualified to be president is Amy Klobochur. I hope she is the nominee and wins. She has what it takes to clean up the mess Trump will leave, she can work across the aisle (yes, I believe there are many Republicans who can't wait for Trump to get out),she will have credibility with our allies, etc. We don't have time to waste on Mayor Pete. We need to get really serious and elect someone who is a leader.
1
Clinton's candidacy was defined by a desire to make history. We all know how that turned out. Fortunately, sexual orientation is not the defining characteristic of Buttigieg's campaign right now. Trump will obviously seek to elevate this point more negatively in the public awareness. However, I'm sure Buttigieg is already prepared for Trump's gay jokes and name calling.
Inexperience is a non-issue. Trump had absolutely no public experience when entering office and it shows. The criticism is easily contained. Meanwhile, youth provides a powerful contrast to Trump's doddering senility and general incoherence. Buttgieg could stand to be a little older but not much.
The bigger problem is first his relationship with black voters. I don't see black voters warming too much for a preppy, privileged, white-boy who also happens to be gay. That's a problem.
For me though, policy is the biggest problem. Buttigieg is too far to the right on almost every issue. He's a young man with old ideas. He's the 21st century version of Bush's compassionate conservatism with a dash of Obama.
Granted, I'll take a young man with old ideas over an old man with old ideas. Between Buttigieg and Biden, Buttigieg has a clear advantage. However, I would find myself once again disappointed and underwhelmed by Democrats.
A charming personality will only placate the indifferent. A more progressive agenda is where the future of the Democratic Party is charted. Buttigieg doesn't have one.
1
Mayor Pete, a savior?
We have one of those (a savior) in the white house now.
We DO NOT need another.
Mayor Pete is very young and very inexperienced. Mayor of a small town in Indiana does not give him the experience to be president. (We have a man in office now that did not have the experience to be president).
Let's not destroy the man. Give him the experience he needs and then put him forth. Run for congress. Run for the Senate. And then let's evaluate the man.
He is way too liberal for my blood. And like Warren and Berrnie he will never (If elected) will never be able to see them through.
It's all a matter of who the news media decides to push.
Warren, because she is so liberal.
Same with Bernie. Too bad he didn't get the attention in 2016. Media too busy focusing on Trump. He sold papers.
I just wish the media would give more attention to Amy. As far as I am concerned she is level headed and the only one that makes sense.
I would definitely vote for Mayor Pete. He reminds me of Obama. However, I do fear this country would not elect a gay man. I’m glad to see him doing as well as he is. It’s worth having him on the debate stage.
2
It would be fair to say that a sizable number of Americans find Trump's misogynistic sexual orientation "a challenge." Republican voters seem to be easily able to ignore that aspect of Trump's character and elected him into office. Why would Buttigieg's conduct, which is inherently more honorable and honest than Trump's, be considered a drawback?
4
If the 36 percent who disapprove of gay marriage needed to have life saving surgery and the best doc for the job was gay, would they refuse to let that person perform the surgery?. Our Country is in dire need of surgery, let's be smart and pick the best person for the job. I dare say those 36 percent would opt for the best surgeon, overlooking their sexual preferences.
4
Buttigieg's gay identity does not seriously hurt him on balance, as Mr. Bruni suggests, and even gives him a more intense following than, say, Elizabeth Warren, who has not seen an outpouring of minority support from Native Americans, African Americans and others. However, Buttigieg's implicit affiliation with and endorsement of the transgender element of the LGBTQ+ coalition is more problematic. The notion that one can pick one's sex is coming under increasing scrutiny, as evidenced by the Younger case out of Texas. There, a three-year-old boy was told by his mother that he is a girl, and the mother has followed through with that line for four years to the point that the boy goes to school in girl's clothing under a girl's name selected by the mother.
The T movement has gone too far for Buttigieg's good. Even WAPO is giving this kind of situation a cold shoulder. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/10/24/james-younger-luna-transgender-greg-abbott/ You can only imagine what the more conservative press is saying. Bruni is missing that context, and it will harm Buttigieg because he cannot easily distance himself from the extreme left on transgenderism, and on other issues as well.
Bruni is surely right to point out that many people who wouldn't vote for a gay man for president wouldn't vote for any Democrat anyway. But the question is how many Obama-Trump voters (not an insignificant group...it was a whopping 13% of Trump voters, and they were concentrated in the Midwest) in PA, MI, and WI would vote for a gay man for president. That's the key demographic. And remember: Clinton won only about three-quarters of the white Obama voters who had only a high school education, a group that might very well be the most reluctant to vote for a gay man.
I cringed reading the headline and body of this essay.. I look forward to the day when poiticians are judged by character and comportment. Fine journalists like Frank Bruni will do their readers a better service elucidating the candidate's political positions and not by rehashing their sexual orientation.
2
What a person would do AFTER beating Trump is as important as beating Trump. I don't want another four years of wondering if I am ever going to be allowed to vote again, or whether the generation behind me is going to be able to live a full and healthy life. Mayor Pete is not afraid to think. He is not afraid to test ideas with his supporters. Having a "First Man" instead of a "First Lady" isn't going to blow any gasket of mine. I care one heckuva lot more about the future of my country - even though I'm old enough I probably won't be here all that much longer - than I do about the gender of the president's mate. I'm with Pete.
2
“And while being gay obviously disqualifies him for a sizable group of Americans — 36 percent of whom, according to Gallup, still oppose the legal recognition of same-sex marriage — what fraction of them were likely to vote for a Democrat, anyway?”
Precisely.
Should Buttigieg win the nomination, Blacks and Hispanics will play a critical role in determining whether or not Trump gets four more years.
It would behoove both communities to keep eye on the economy, which is slowing, because a downturn will have a significant negative impact on them.
How much help do they think they would get from a Trump administration?
2
I believe that almost every person who understands how despicable and unacceptable Donald Trump is.... will vote for whoever becomes the Democratic nominee.
There is no "perfect" candidate.
Biden - too many gaffes, word salad (no mention of age)
Sanders - a Socialist (not even a Democrat)
Warren - "shrill" (like any woman who dares to speak up)
Klobuchar - no coastal appeal - too moderate?
Booker - too starry eyed and unifying :)
Harris - all over the lot with odd proposals that change
All of the flawed above challengers are supremely qualified public servants who would perform very well as POTUS.
But I take a "speed survey" regularly of folks I run into walking the dog or at social events. Here it is:
"Do not think about electability. Answer off the top of your head right now! Who of all the Democratic presidential aspirants would do the best job in office - give me your ideal President."
9 out of 10 respondents say Pete Buttigieg with a smile and enthusiasm.
1
love the man! (i’m female, 66)... he is brilliant inside and out... let us see if america is ripe for somebody with these high standard qualities as a politician and human being
2
But, the US has already elected a gay president: James Buchanan. He wasn't openly gay, but the fact does point out that being gay shouldn't be an issue.
I'm terrified that Tsar Putin's support for the very old Bernie Sanders and the almost-as-old-but-less-competent Joe Biden, will wreck the Democratic side of the general election and re-elect Putin's puppet.
Buttigieg is obviously the best candidate, and I believe (from what I've read) that he is Obama's choice too, although of course Obama can't make a choice this early.
Buttigieg is the perfect anti-Trump: very smart, a good manager, very articulate, all about serving people through government, and all about respecting those people.
4
Because I wouldn't want someone as accomplished to lead us either: (Harvard, a Rhodes scholarship, a stint as a consultant with McKinsey)
If that's the thinking, count me out.
2
If Mayor Pete, whom I much admire, is the candidate, I dread what Trump is going to say in the debates about his marriage to Chasten more than his being Gay. The religious (?) right goes nuts over this issue.
Mayor Pete is my favorite. Why?
He’s gay but he’s also a straight arrow. He’s married, a veteran, well educated, wears a suit and tie every day and active in his church. Folks who won't vote for him because he's gay probably won't vote for a Democrat anyway. His dignified response to the anti-gay hecklers says everything about his character and temperament, a sharp contrast to the current occupier of the oval office. Not to mention his empathy, an important trait for a real leader.
He’s an excellent communicator, accomplished, very intelligent, courageous and charismatic. His two terms as mayor of a downtrodden rust belt town is excellent experience. Unlike being part of a body like a congressmen, senator or a community organizer, he held a leadership position.
There’s something very important that Obama and Trump have in common. They were both long-shot outsiders that won. We need someone younger, not part of the establishment and not from either coast. He has a lot of support in the critical midwest.
Lastly, I would like to see Elizabeth Warren as his VP. Why? She’d be Mitch McConnell’s boss. Bwahahahahahahaha
1
This election is too serious for a social justice experiment. Or a Democratic Socialist one, for that matter.
1
I am a straight/white/Vietnam Veteran/75 year old/married 50 years male. Truth-Be-Told, I did not like Gay people. But, lately several of our close friends told me that they have children that are Gay .... and maybe because I am getting older and (maybe) a little wiser, associating with Gay people is totally ok with me. With that said, I will vote for Anyone But Trump .... Mayor Pete, I wish you all the best in your path to making this nation great AGAIN after defeating Trump.
2
"...and our need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed." People voted for Obama because he was a lifeboat hauling up alongside the Titanic of a sinking economy. McCain bumbled while Obama articulated a comprehensive understanding of the problem and a practical approach to saving the economy. They weren't going to drown because they couldn't vote for a Black man. It was all about self-preservation. Once they were safely returned to harbor though, they voted for Trump.
Considering how deeply wounded our (collective) national conscience is, regarding the seriousness of the electorates let down at the polls in the '16 general..then it is automatic, yes automatic that the Dems will over power the GOP in '20.
Thus, regardless of their candidate..well, he will walk into 1600.
Gay or no.
1
Unfortunately I can easily hear far too many say they won't vote for a gay man...but clearly a larges swath of this country were willing to pull the lever for a horrible man completely devoid of any integrity, morals or character. Mr. Buttigieg's moderate position, intelligence and pragmatic approach won me over from the get-go. We tried ignorant and incompetent and it's just about to kill our democracy. Let's go with smart, hardworking and capable for a change.
3
We were told that the country would never elect a man whose middle name was Hussein... a man who was black on top it. Never. Of course, until they/we did it. TWICE. It seems a very long time ago now when a large part of America didn't believe they actually knew any gay people, especially not in their own family. I suspect that a country that has made MODERN FAMILY a top-rated TV show for season after season is not really very concerned about Mayor Pete's orientation. Especially since his marriage shows us two people who actually LIKE and respect each other. He is in every way Trump turned inside-out.
2
Evangelicals who forbid anyone who is in a same sex marriage from holding a leadership position in in their church will
do everything in their power to prevent the election of a gay President. They would much rather have a puppet of Putin continue to destroy our democracy in order to advance their mission of attacking and removing LQBTQ rights, taking away the rights of women to make choices about their bodies, and stacking the Federal and Supreme Courts with judges who will advance their personal religious views. From the first time I saw Mayor Pete speak, I recognized him as the type of person our country needs to restore our democracy and our country’s moral standing in the world. It may not yet be his time, but my hope is he may one day be a great leader of our country.
2
I liked Mayor Pete in early January - it was so refreshing to hear someone smart sound so authentic! After years of canned politicians, he was fresh, bright and did I mention smart?
The issue for me is not his sexual orientation. it's that he is ANOTHER. WHITE. MAN.
As a middle aged white woman, I crave a leader with a perspective beyond that of a white male. Even if you're gay, you still have the experience of a white man who grew up in America.
I won't vote for a candidate solely based on race, gender or sexual orientation, but boy, I would have really loved it if Mayor Pete was Mayor Paula.
Read his book. Shortest Way Home is the most organic A-Z explanation why he is better fit to run this country than anyone.
He writes his own speeches! Obama couldn't speak without a tele-prompter, even then hesitating. His debates were awful. Pete knows his stuff. So proud to support him. I am a 2nd generation Mexican American woman in her 60's... and I have money. Bring it Pete and I'll bring it too!
1
More tortured centrists fever dreams of "anybody but Bernie or Warren".
So now we turn to Mayor Pete, who can't even control his small town police department. Mayor Pete who goes begging money from the big donors because small donors don't want him.
Mayor Pete, a Gay man that will somehow appeal to all those white working class males that swung to Trump last time.
Mayor Pete is a good man, and an articulate man but a Corporate funded Gay man is not the answer to 'electability' questions.
The centrists dreams are becoming increasingly fevered.
It's a shame that even now, in the late days of 2019, a person's sexuality should be a factor in whether they are electable. But it would be, in the hide-bound USA, especially among the intolerant religious right.
"His sexual orientation is indisputably a challenge, but one that’s surmountable if opponents stumble, if voters’ mood is just so, if his personality sparkles, if his message sparks."
That is a lot of "ifs". Too many in politics.
He is not going to win the nomination. He should pull out, and try again in 4 or 8 years.
1
A side point... In your piece you mention that it shouldn't matter who someone sleeps with. I agree. However, you are spreading a stereotype. Most people believe that being gay is who you sleep (aka have sex) with. That's just not true... sex is a relatively small part of the story. Being gay is about who you love and who you want to wake up with in the morning. It's about love much more than it's about sex. Consider it carefully and you'll see my point.
1
African-American citizens are being shot by agents of the state on our streets, in their cars, on our playgrounds, and in their homes. People of Hispanic origin are being subjected to internet surveillance, detention in horrifying conditions, and separation from their children. If any of those voters care more about the fact that Pete and Chasten live one another than they do about being portrayed and treated as subhuman prey, well...they still won’t deserve a continuation of their degradation, but they sure will have helped to perpetuate it.
1
In a country where a gay Rhodes scholar, military veteran, mayor of a substantial city can be in 4th place for a presidential nomination, our Supreme Court is only now "deciding" whether our LGBT citizens have any cvil rights beyond marriage. (Do tell us straight folks, do tell.)
So if he gets elected, in most states, he can still be tossed out of a hotel or restaurant for his sexuality. Once again the highest Court in the land, a beacon of enlightenment, will likely say throw him out, a prospective president. Just as it ruled gay sex was illegal and then had to overrule itself later on that issue.
"Your sons and your daughters are not at your command, for the times they are a'changing."
1
The polls are interesting. Most people have no problem with gay marriage, etc. but a large number of them think *others* do. Both "facts" can't be right.
Since a large majority of Americans have come, over the last decade or so, to understand and accept the reality that everyone -- everyone! -- has one or more gay family members, close friends, colleagues, etc., I do not think Mayor Pete is hurt my this issue accept among people who will not vote for any Democrat anyway.
Go for it, Pete!
3
Being major gives him more executive experience than most of the field of candidates. This includes the current president. This is a positive in my book.
5
Stephen Love: If you want to know what Pete Buttigieg's policies are or where he stands on issues just check out his website. As for his convictions, he stands out in debates as someone who clearly states them on many issues. I was a little taken aback by his "pocket change" not winning elections comment; but he does seem to be pragmatic in nature which in terms of getting things done is a plus for me. I understand that you may want a more progressive candidate, but question your statement as to where the Democrat base is. I simply don't know for sure. Why is a moderate like Biden right up there in the polls with Warren and Sanders? I believe the Democratic party is made up of people with a variety of views on different issues. Is the base actually where you think it us, or are some voices just louder than others? Also, do we need Independent voters to win an election? Where are Independents on issues? After the election, unless all the Republicans magically disappear from Congress, how feasible is it to assume extreme progressive policies will actually be enacted?
3
Mayor Pete is articulate when he speaks, at the debate, even though he wasn't given that much time he was calm and spoke sense. Inexperienced they say? Look who we have in the White House, not at all experienced, gay, the evangelist won't like that but they accept a thrice married philanderer, a man who served his country in combat not someone who skipped out because of bone spurs. Mayor Pete is young, energetic, charismatic, loves America, as someone said recently GET OVER IT.
4
Mayor Pete is the best candidate democrats have this year. Warren, Sanders are too old and too much on the left. Biden is too old. Mayor pete is of the right age, right attitude and articulate. I hope people will look beyond the gay factor.
4
Buttigieg’s problem isn’t that he is gay, it is that he smug and condescending.
24
I could not agree more. I find Mayor Pete insufferably smug and condescending. Why do liberals think this will play well outside of true blue areas? I also find his late coming out highly opportunistic. He’s no hero and no role model. For what it’s worth, I’m gay, too.
3
@Jared
Biden forgets
Sanders scolds
Warren berates
Harris gloats
Booker drones
Beto seethes
Buttigieg frowns
But, but...anyone but
I remember the voter anxiety about JFK being a Roman Catholic and hope this can turn out similarly.
2
I like Mayor Pete, but I must admit I am a little disquieted by his campaign's outreach to the Zuckerberg cabal for advice on campaign staff.
Still, if he were to win the nomination, I would vote for him in the general election, because we all must
"Vote Blue.
No matter who.
All the way through.
Senators and Representatives, too."
If he does not win the nomination, the above still stands, though a winning Democratic presidential candidate would be wise to reach out to him for a major Cabinet post.
(And the device has yet to be invented that can measure my indifference to his "bedroom activities". I suspect, like most of us, most of those involve sleeping and checking electronic media.)
6
Who can win independents and moderates, and Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, at a minimum, as well as Minnesota and Florida? Those are the only states that matter, and these are not progressive bastions.
3
@dba
Klobuchar can take the midwest + Pennsylvania.
Florida is up for grabs.
1
I have supported Mayor Pete since I first heard him speak. He is articulate, very very bright, and does not promise what cannot be accomplished. Unlike Warren, who has a plan for everything that will be paid for out of the same pot of money, Pete has, with great thought, put together plans only when he has a road to accomplishment should the congress agree. The love in his life should not determine how to vote--for or against--but should be as much a part of him as the color of his eyes and the stature of his body. I think he would make a great president and would help restore credibility in the American government that has been destroyed by the current holder of the office.
10
I have heard from a few Democrats in NH that they are a little worried that Pete being married may do him damage in the general election. The people who mentioned this said it wasn't that he was gay, but rather that he had a spouse that they weren't sure parts of the country were ready for that. I thought that distinction was interesting and noteworthy. (ironic too when you look at who is in the White House and his abhorrent "family values")
I agree with David Axelrod, we never know what America is ready for until its ready. So, we can guess and try to pick the "perfect" general election candidate but we will never know until the election itself. (And, Republicans will smear and make illegitimate attacks on any general election candidate)
I think Mayor Pete is great and I agree with him that all people who have been discounted or held back should join together and support one another as we're more powerful as advocates together for rights for all of us.
7
Pete Buttigieg is my favorite candidate. He is the whole package: intelligent, calm, sensible and he has served his country honorably. I initially thought his time hadn't come yet but now I wonder. If Mr. Buttigieg wins the nomination he has my vote hands down.
18
Well, personally, I can't wait for the debates and to observe Donny Boy's sneering personal insults hurled towards Mayor Pete. Even after 3.5-years of outrage, that should be enough to push a lot of centrist voters away from Donny on the ballot. But will it push those centrist voters to vote for Mayor Pete? That's the very same mountain that beat Hillary: voters making the choice to not choose, and leaving the square for "president" blank. -C
I’m a white, middle-aged woman and I love Mayor Pete. He is, by far, my favorite candidate. He is a patriot. He is super smart. He is a gentleman. And he has sensible ideas about our future and how to get there, unlike the top polling candidates.
21
@Midwestern Gal
I'm queer (put that in your data base NYT) and would vote for him because I agree with him the most on centrism, but he cannot win. Period.
Black civil rights were granted 160 years ago and it took us that long after Jim Crow hate to elect a black man.
We are a land still deciding if LGBT have any civil rights before a pending Supreme Court case. So many in this country would never vote for a queer person just as they won't vote for a person of color.
I am an older straight woman and the only person I have been excited about in the Dem field. Other commenters have said why. My reason is different. I want Chasten in the White House.
I don't follow his tweeter feed but I hear it's funny and real. I LOVE the two dogs. He's a theatre person and so am I. Trump and the First Lady have done nothing with the arts and I so miss it all, the specials from the White House of artistic endeavors. I think Chasten would bring a lot of joy and fun to this country and we need that. I want to see those dogs romping on the White House Lawn, playing with our president and his spouse. It would be so healing and so naturally human and humanity is nowhere to be found in that place now.
I used to give small amounts to his campaign but I have stopped because of the African-American vote - especially the women who are the heart of the Democratic Party and I honor them. I've wondered if there is any way for them to soften and open up to just the possibility of it.
I guess we shall see if America is ready for the next step in accepting all of us just as we are. If not, it will be soon as the demographics change to a younger and more diverse electorate and FOX and religion become less impactful on voters.
Good luck, Chasten and Pete! I want the fun of Chasten and the steadiness of Pete's leadership.
9
@sophia : Oh, for an edit button! Sorry about that first sentence "... and the only person I have been excited about is Pete Buttigieg".
2
In eight more years, the country will have moved to greater acceptance of the gay community. As more and more of their sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, grandsons and granddaughters come out, they will have known and loved someone who is gay and fear will disperse. Mayor Pete is instrumental to this acceptance. I just believe he is too soon to benefit. Thank goodness he’s young because his time is coming.
3
First and foremost, I admire and respect Mayor Pete and would vote for him. Unfortunately, where I live I don’t believe there is not a snowball’s chance that he could win, precisely because of his sexuality. Right ideology, wrong time for his personal situation. Good news, he is young and can help build a resume and improve the country. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, the current myopia regarding his sexuality will change. We can’t tolerate/survive 4 more years of the current administration.
6
The tallest candidate usually wins. That's shallow, I know, but the majority of voters are shallow. I like Pete, but worry about how he will look to these voters on the debate stage compared to the big rhinoceros Trump. It didn't help Hillary.
We Americans elected a Black Man, but we so far have been unable to elect a Woman as Pres or vicePres. The ability to sully Clinton with vague innuendo shows that inherent bias against women in politics is a stronger glass ceiling than race.
I have a concept developed as a physician for 40 years. Talking to people as a physician can break down personal shields and masks because of our confidentiality. You can discipline yourself to listen with as little prejudice as possible so you can help define the ailment.
My concept is that people inside the masks and shields are what I call "Globules of Sentience", which would be what you would understand of a person if you were to eliminate all externalities, like maleness, tallness, blackness, shyness, athleticism, obesity, etc. Eventually we do this with our friends and family. We don't see them as fat or tall or athletic or rude, we see them as this sentient deeply multifaceted person whether on the phone or in person. Obama let people feel his sentience, Trump shows us his mask. So far Buttigieg is a globule of sentience that I feel would make a good president.
8
I'm a lifelong, church-going Catholic. Mayor Pete is my candidate.
I was sitting in a car with a fellow Christian (a Lutheran) when we heard Mayor Pete's interview with Chris Wallace on Fox on Sunday, March 17. We both felt chills. Mayor Pete is intelligent, articulate, decent, a veteran, with real leadership experience. He is exactly the healing balm America needs.
He's gay, and he's short. Both qualities will count against him for too many voters.
I'm praying he wins anyway.
25
Getting out the vote would be more efficacious.
The African American community's coolness to Buttigieg reminds me, painfully, of what happened in California on Election Day 2008. Unprecedented numbers of African American voters showed up at the polls to vote for the first black Presidential candidate and also voted to overturn the California Supreme Court's ruling on marriage equality. Their unholy alliance with the Mormon and Catholic churches broke our hearts. My husband and I lived in California in 2008 and after being together for more than 18 years we were legally married that August. It is really disappointing that this particular Democratic constituency has been so difficult to reach. We thought their fight for civil rights was ours as well. We were wrong about that.
16
@Chi Gordy
I think it is a bit too convenient for you to put the blame of the California ballot vote for gay marriage squarely at the doorsteps of African-Americans. Shall we also tether other failed ballot initiatives to particular voter blocks, or should we rather reflect on the successful or unsuccessful machinery of political advertisements targeting certain voter groups? To be sure, I, too, would be remiss to sum things up about the failed 2008 California gay marriage vote as solely the consequence of political advertisement. However, it is not the responsibility of African-American voters to vote blindly for any initiative solely because they have been the catalysts and one of many beneficiaries of the civil rights work of the 60's. I could just as easily ask you glibly what has the white gay community done proactively on behalf of African-Americans lately?
The question is not whether America is ready to elect A gay president; it’s whether America is ready to elect THIS gay president. I believe that the answer is yes. Buttigieg is inspiring and optimistic, and wants to bring us together.
On the campaign trail, he draws throngs, including in rural areas that you might assume wouldn’t give a gay Democratic candidate the time of day. He actually answers the questions he’s asked and has developed detailed plans (and how we would pay for them). He’s occasionally stumbled and has had the humility to admit a mistake and learn from it.
Lack of experience? He brings something that the other major candidates lack - military experience. The notion that he’s not ready because he hasn’t served in Congress is mistaken. Members of Congress don’t manage anything and these days aren’t doing much anyway. Seriously. Finally, look at how he has built a campaign and the money to run it from zero. That itself is a good indicator that he will be able to handle these challenges. He’s not too young - Obama, Clinton, and Kennedy weren’t appreciably older.
With Buttigieg, we will have a President who thinks of issues, challenges, and opportunities 20-40 years down the road. His competitors only focus on the here and now. We don’t tell scientists or entrepreneurs that they’re “too young” and should wait. Buttigieg is ready now and we can’t afford to wait.
21
I really have no interest in the sex life of presidents, although the press and the public generally have a prurient interest in most celebrity's bed partners. Mayor Buttigieg is very impressive and as compared to Trump, I would have full confidence in his reasoning and logic in any situation. I must feel confident that he can overcome some voters objections to win over Trump or I will have to support Biden or Warren. At this time I have concerns that they may not be speaking to the majority of Democrats and that will lead to a disaster and 4 more years of either Trump or Pence and the entire restructuring of our progressive agenda.
3
Despite concerns about his youth and lack of real experience at the national and world level, if I were king and could pick the next president from among the current crop of candidates, I'd pick Pete without a moment's hesitation.
But I'm not king and Pete's problems with African-Americans stem not only from his sexual orientation and somewhat upper-crust background. It's those things plus the race-related issues and events with the South Bend police which form the totality of his race-pertinent history and cast suspicion on him in the minds of many.
And his sexual orientation poses a problem not just among homophobic general election voters, but would continue to be a very exploitable impediment and wedge after the election if he manages to become president.
He may still be the best candidate, and I would jump for joy to see him triumph over Trump or Pence. Still, getting back to reality, I think in 2020 Pete might be a far better VP candidate or cabinet possibility.
6
@RBW to win the general would pretty much quash any vulnerabilities of being gay. If he cleared that monumental hurdle, it wouldn't matter what the homophobes said.
1
Character above all is what we need right now. Honesty, open-mindedness, a genuine belief in the American experiment, which it it still is, a person who believes we are a land of opportunity for all and who will uphold the Constitution. A person who puts Country above Party.
Whether it is Buttigieg or one of the other Democratic Candidates, we cannot deny that compared to what is in the White House right now, that anyone of the Democrats are better in a thousand of ways.
8
If I were American I would most sincerely vote for Pete Buttigieg. He comes across as the most even-tempered and articulate of all of the candidates.
I think America is ready for a president who can think on his feet, who listens and responds accordingly, who faces every question head on, and does not throw out red herrings and straw men every time he is asked a difficult question.
On a lighter note: I would love to see a debate between Trump and Buttigieg.
19
You know what defines Pete Buttigieg more than being gay?
That he's a moderate Republican masquerading as a Democrat.
It would be great if Mayor Pete could break free of the constrains LGBTQ's get pigeonholed in with the Democrats' identity politics. Many gays would finally acknowledge that a lot of their politics align more with the Republicans. You know, such beliefs as in libertarian on individual rights and freedoms, property rights, law and order, fiscal responsibility, local empowerment over an overreaching federal government, etc. That would be a real break through.
Maybe he could also then be an inspiration to African-Americans to throw of their similar blind fealty to the Democratic Party.
Sorry, I'm dreaming of a fantastic reality instead of the partisan nightmare that is our two parties.
8
"We’re a country of deeply ingrained prejudices. But we can also be open-minded and openhearted."
"We" didnt make the difference in 2016, and Im confident I speak for Frank Bruni here. Fewer than 80,000 votes in three Great Lakes states did. I am encouraged by the drastic change in American attitudes about gay people since my childhood in the 1960s. But many overestimate how much we know about why people vote as they do. Why did over half of white female voters pull a lever under Trump? I wish I believed that an openly gay candidate as well qualified as Buttigieg had a real chance of getting to 270 in 2020. I don't. And being the 37 year old mayor of a minor city is not a plus.
4
I would love Buttigieg to be President. Smart, eloquent, honest, he would be a great President, just like Obama was.
But 2016 showed me that in order for one of America's primary disadvantaged identities to become President, the 'stars need to align' as they did with Obama - and economics plays a huge part.
The Reps have a HUGE advantage, they have Faux "news," a well-oiled propaganda machine masquerading as vetted news, the most popular "news" organization in America by a HUGE margin.
The Reps also have many times the amount of money that Dems have as well, both at the State and Local level, and Nationally. A disadvantaged identity is hard pressed to win in this environment.
Every reliable poll and rigorous study of elections out there shows that if the economy is good, its really hard to dislodge a sitting President.
I'm hoping for a Bidden/Warren ticket, but fear even that magical combination won't be enough unless the Market/Economy tanks in the near future.
But Buttigieg is a gem, and someday I hope to see him in a major office, perhaps even President someday. But that day won't be in 2020, and we kind of need to win that one....if we possibly can.
2
As a gen x gay man, I'm certainly inspired and gratified by Pete's candidacy. Great column except the end, hasn't our struggle been about not being defined by the bedroom?
5
Pete Buttigieg is more than smart and articulate; he is a man of sterling and admirable character. I yearn for the passing of the torch to this man who represents the best his generation can offer. Millennials, born of the famously pampered and privileged Boomers whose parents, having suffered the privations of depression and world war, vowed their children never would, have emerged largely free of the Boomer sense of privilege. In fact, in many ways they are more like their grandparents' generation in terms of service to country and spirit of collaboration, yet seem free of that generation's racial and ethnic bigotry. They're not perfect, but they represent the evolution of the American species, seeing race as a difference but not a disability. It is ironic but not surprising that older black voters would bear the prejudice of their generation toward a gay man, a man who despite knowing that were his "secret" exposed he would be discharged, nevertheless chose to wear his country's uniform. A man who has stared down prejudice every bit as virulent and hateful as that directed toward black Americans, and yet emerged, as have black people, loving their country, invested in their communities, and eager to share in the American idea. In so many ways, this good and able man could be the one who makes Americans, rural and urban, black and white, remember how great America is and can be.
10
I was an early supporter of Mayor Pete. He has been very impressive and is an excellent speaker. Contrary to popular opinion, I don't think that Joe Biden could beat Trump like a drum. He has been way too prone to gaffs and I feel like he has the same "it's my turn" syndrome that Hillary suffered from. It is truly off putting and makes him seem like he doesn't want the job. I will vote for Mayor Pete in the Primary but NY is so late the dye will likely be cast.
As far as Warren, it would do those who oppose this President that even though Warren is left, she would still have to get her policies through congress to make them into law which frankly isn't gonna happen. Whoever the democratic nominee is, they will have my vote.
14
@GG: Too bad NY didn't follow California's lead in pushing up their primary. As a former New Yorker, I don't understand why the state votes so late in the primaries after a number of candidates are eliminated. Have to wonder if in 2016 the Republican nominee would have changed any if these two states voted earlier.
There is much to like about Mayor Pete. The best thing about him is that he discusses the nuances of policy, same as Obama. Obama got elected even though he was African American. Buttigieg could be elected even though he is Gay. Obama, like Buttigieg, was young. Like Obama, who was a state senator that avoided taking positions on controversial issues and was elected to the US Senate by having terrible opponents, Buttigieg has limited electoral experience, although I would argue that running a city of 100,000 is more real political experience than being a legislator. He would make a great vice presidential candidate to run with Senator Klobuchar who can win back the thousands of voters who voted for Obama twice and then voted for Trump.
8
I will always remember the essence of a comment about Obama made by an Iowa voter (maybe a farmer)in 2008. He said that Obama didn't seem black. He played golf, he went to good schools, was a good family man. In effect Obama was like a regular successful white guy.
Buttigieg seems to be similar plus he has the military experience. I will be interested in reading more feedback from Iowa snd other voters as the campaigns progress.
9
Not a single word about the mayor’s policies? I’m sorry - but I don’t vote for the shiny face. If he wants my vote, he’ll need to stop trying to triangulate the center and advocate for ordinary Americans.
11
@Philippe Egalité If you pay attention to his policies, they reflect the values of most Americans.
11
@Philippe Egalité
It's all there on his website.
Take a look-see then review your comment.
2
The best shot I see for Mayor Pete is the VP slot. That would give him both national exposure and seasoning. By 2024 or 2028 I think he'd have a much better chance at the top spot.
5
I continue to struggle with which candidate to back. I firmly believe that any one of them would be an improvement on the incumbent. Personally I really trust and admire Bernie, Elizabeth and Pete. Joe too. But each one comes with the kind of drawbacks or shortcomings that seem to say, for a variety of reasons, that none can bag a majority of voters. So here I am : stuck between the proverbial brick and hard wall. Do I back the candidate I most admire or an alternate one whom polls indicate have the best shot of winning. Because we reallly need to win.
6
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the gay demographic. Many commenters here indicate they are gay, but have supported Mayor Pete for his values and positions rather than sexuality. Still, the gay demographic is a powerful force. I'd love to see a NYT piece from this perspective.
5
Mayor Pete is an honorable man, a family man, a veteran, and a scholar, with a heart as big as the ocean and a brain that matches it.
One of the things I read about Mayor Pete early on that impressed me enormously: when a black neighborhood development leader for her community came to him to ask for funding to renovate homes in the midst of his campaign to knock down decrepit buildings-Buttigieg not only approved her project -he doubled the funds she requested AND made it an annual fund to boot. She credited him with understanding that even when you don't know the right answer the first time, you listen, and listen hard, and do your very best to do things the right way, the compassionate way.
THAT'S Mayor Pete - and we need to tell his story.
24
My theory on candidates is that the more money they raise, the more corrupt they are. Mayor Pete's fundraising success is because he is a good friend to wealthy corporate interests.
Wall Street passionately hates Liz Warren. That tells you who she fights for.
10
If what you’re saying is true, how are Warren and Sanders leading in fundraising?
7
He's taking no donations from PACs. How do you think corporations are funnelling money to him. (and unlike Warren, he doesn't have a vast amount of money to bring over from a Senate campaign, which didn't have the restrictions she's putting on donations now)
6
@Brian Through small, recurrent donations from people all over the country.
Here's a map of each person's donors, done by the NYT back in August. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/02/us/politics/2020-democratic-fundraising.html.
Note Sanders has over 750K donors, while Mayor Pete has half that.
2
What does matter is that mayor Pete isn't so great on the issues. My concern is what is he going to do for working class people in the country, why does he still have homeless people in his city. Gay, straight, male, female, black, white, brown, yellow, red, all those things are not a concern for most of us voters whether we have an R, a D or I in front of our names. How is Pete going to lead us back to a path to the middle class? How is any candidate going to make working at Walmart or Amazon a "good" job just like working at GM and the Steel Mill used to be.
7
Those jobs at GM and US Steel were artificial constructs born of the conspiracy that is labor unions. They do not occur naturally in a capitalist economy. Instead of pining for that period, a sort of liberal MAGA, we should just be grateful they lasted as long as they did.
1
Why does SB still have homeless? It's a complicated question. The provisions the city makes for the homeless, in partnership with Notre Dame, are a national model of excellence. But we're surrounded by Republican towns who make *no* provisions, and shunt their homeless in the direction of SB. That's one of the reasons that the homeless problem here seems to grow faster than it can be solved.
Check out his website. Pete has one of the most extensive range of detailed policies, all very progressive.
6
@Robert When I hear that word "progressive" or someone tells me there's a plan for it on someone's web site all I can think of is all those jobs shipped overseas to American factories in E Asia, all the 15 million imported cheap labor, NAFTA, and how the economy is great for the 10%. When I see on the news that people making way above median wage and working half the hours are on strike, I see we have a disconnect in this country. There's a half million sleeping outside tonight, and it's cold here even with the wood stove burning a wheel barrow full every 12 hours. How many will die in this cold spell? The word "progressive" now means very well to do and a lot more concerned about woke culture than the basics that government is supposed to do. I'm a liberal, not a progressive.
2
If Dems want to lose, nominate Pete. It will lower voter turnout in the places that we need to win. This is just about numbers.
3
I love Buttigieg even though he is farther right or centrist than me.
I'll vote for any healthy adult the DNC nominates--he's in my top 3 with Sanders and Warren.
5
Admirable candidate but not electable in PA, OH, MI, WI working class precincts. His nomination would be a noble moral victory and a crushing reprise of 1972. That moral victory for coastal Dems in 2020 would guarantee that 2020 would be the last election that mattered.
5
One thing we know for sure about Mayor Pete - he's honest. Given where we are now, that is huge. But this will, astonishingly enough, still likely be an extremely close election. Every last vote will matter. If he's the nominee he has my vote. I just hope the nominating process does its job in giving us the best candidate. And by best I mean the most likely to beat I- can't-even-type-his-name-anymore. Because that absolutely has to happen.
6
I really am not interested in a candidate’s sexuality, whether gay, straight, bisexual, transgender, binary or otherwise. I understand that it is part of who they are. But to me, it’s irrelevant to their ability to do the job, their positions on key issues and whether they will act ethically.
Case in point is Katie Hill. She made a big deal about being the first bisexual congressperson during her campaign, and seemed to be off to a good start in office. But she let another person take nude photos of her (probably her estranged, angry husband), and potentially had sexual relationships with a person on her campaign staff and her congressional staff. She resigned rather than face a congressional investigation.
I don’t care that she is bisexual. I do care that she has shown really bad judgment and may be hitting on staffers. Straight, male congressmen shouldn’t do it, and neither should she.
12
The sudden outing of Hill was a purposeful effort by a right wing media group and represents the worst kind of misogyny.
1
Purely a guess, but I wonder if a Buttigieg candidacy would bring out younger voters. Those that would otherwise be discouraged by candidates in the generation of their grandparents or for some great-grandparents.
4
Mayor Pete only runs a small municipal government, but the Democratic field of candidates to become the nation’s chief executive includes a number of people who have never, as far as I know, run anything.
A seat in Congress takes you to Washington. It doesn’t take you behind the desk where any buck stops. It neither tests nor develops executive ability.
We readers sometimes remark that it’s all very well for a presidential candidate to have big ideas for programs to enact, but the office in question is not one with legislative powers. Let’s add that, conversely, the candidate in question is not necessarily one who is well suited to executive office.
As for the objection that Pete Buttigieg is too young and green, I can only reply that when he speaks, I don’t hear greenness; and a chronological age that was satisfactory to the framers of the Constitution is all right with me. In America today, Pete’s age may be a relative weakness. His intelligence, humanity, and vigor are definite strengths.
So I can attest that any Gay Money going to Mayor Pete has been supplemented by a mite of Straight Money.
18
@Longestaffe
Legislative experience counts: creating, negotiating, refining and passing laws. It's the real world beyond cult of personality that shallow, stupid America has become addicted to, especially generation selfie millennials.
We have 2 female candidates with the above credentials + tough as nails prosecutorial experience. Neither of them was a hothouse flower coddled former altar boy. Both are eons more qualified than "mayor Pete".
1
I hope you're right. I like Buttigieg, and as of now he would be my preferred candidate. But how large is the cohort of socially conservative Democrats and independents who -- no matter what they admit to pollsters -- simply will not vote for a male president and his First Man in the White House? Rudimentary statistics tells us that, in a close election, this slice of the electorate doesn't have to be large at all in order to doom a candidate. Even 5% will probably do the trick.
In the case of Obama, this naysaying cohort was overwhelmed by unprecedentedly large turnout for him by African-American voters. Can Buttigieg energize some similar group of voters to replace that cohort that simply will not vote for him? That's the question that really makes me worry.
3
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. Indeed, from earlier NYT articles it seems he should be spending more time in South Bend dealing with racial issues than hobnobbing with the elite donors of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
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 could successfully run for House or Senate or governor of his state, that would bolster his political credentials and might 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 large majority of American voters, especially those who felt their needs were ignored in 2016. Failure to do so will inevitably lead to another term for Trump.
6
His sexual orientation might well matter to more than flyover country but the left refuses to call out much less acknowledge that demographic.
1
Warren is my candidate of choice going into the primaries, but Pete Buttigieg is my "dark horse" at this point. I enjoy listening to him immensely. He is a rare soul with a privileged intellect and, above all else, a CRITICAL THINKER. You can tell that from a mile away. We would be blessed to have someone like that as a leader; we could heal with Pete. By no stretch of the imagination am I a religious person or even a "believer" in the strictest sense, but Pete practices the type of Christianity that I can deal with and even embrace: the loving, empathetic kind.
14
Good points, all. But just LISTEN to the man! There isn't another candidate out there as cogent, calm, considered, and charismatic as Mayor Pete. More and more people are flocking to him every day. His rallies attract Republicans and Independents, proving that he would be a formidable general election candidate. For a person who, in stark contrast to the other front runners, was completely unknown at the start of the year, he has played his cards brilliantly. Whatever happens in the nomination battle, Buttigieg has already won by making himself a household name. And if he wins the nomination, I have four words for those who think he has a "problem" with black voters: Buttigieg - Abrams 2020.
33
Attitudes toward gay sexuality in the political arena--as with so many things--depend on age and generation.
Younger folks, especially those who live on the coasts and in large cities, are more tolerant because they have been exposed to the issues and progressive discourses and may have a few gay acquaintances.
Older folks tend to be more inflexible and less accepting because they grew up in a different time and probably had no gay acquaintances.
As to whether Buttigieg could "suppress turnout among African-Americans and among some Hispanic voters who might otherwise be predisposed to the Democratic nominee,” the answer is a clear yes.
Historically, these two constituencies are culturally very conservative and endorse the values of la familia.
On the other hand, Pete is quite modest--almost conservative--in the way he discusses his relationship with Chasten. They relate to one another like any other couple. They just happen to be men.
[Get a
2
@Kev
I love how gingerly you - and journalists in particular - step around the notion of calling minorities bigots and homophobes. But you make no bones about plainly calling out that bigotry in white people. Why? What makes minorities special from being called out?
1
Excuse me, repeat to yourself: Black voters are not monolithic.
I see articles like this and comments like yours setting up black people as the homophobic fall guys when the beloved Mayor Pete does not win.
He’s too young, in my book. And all the apologizing and “honesty” in the world is not going to make up for his lack of interest in his city’s black constituents—until now, of course. It’s the same reason I don’t support Bernie Sanders. Talk is cheap. What have you done?
His sexuality is background noise for me. I think right now he may be the best presidential candidate, let’s see over the course of the campaign. But I’m interested to hear more and to make him my choice.
My advise, don’t be gay, be a leader. Don’t feature your sexuality, feature your abilities, programs and goals. Transcend the traps and rise above the sexuality, religion and whatever other window dressing. It will not get you elected. Do not get projected as overtly anything but presidential.
7
Let’s flip the switch for a moment. It is precisely because of what Pete Buttigieg does in bed that he has the support of the LGBTQ & friends community.
Pete Buttigieg is the mayor of a college town in Indiana. That in no way qualifies him or gives him sufficient experience to be the President of the United States. We already have one amateur in the White House and look how that has turned out.
He is however in prime position to become a Cabinet member, learn from experience and association with other professionals and only then can we vote for regardless of what he does in bed.
10
@Judith
Agreed.
If he were a US House representative or former cabinet member he’d be ready imho. I just don’t believe his experience so far has readied him for the job. He’s got so many great qualities but he is just not ripe yet so to say!!
5
It's worth noting that the proportion of LGBT people and their loving families is high enough to bump up Mayor Pete's success. The proportion of LGBT people is not as high as 10%, as was once assumed, but when you add friends and family - and perhaps also straight people like me who would just love to see a member of a once-excluded group triumph - the numbers are not insignificant.
14
This country needs someone inspiring as its leader if we are ever to get out of the morass we are in. Buttigieg inspires me! He can think on his feet, places our country over self, is modest and we have not even touched the depth of his ideas. Yes, he went to Harvard and Oxford but he most likely earned his way there as he did not have affluent parents. His most valuable asset is what he has stated in his autobiography and on his campaign. We need to build our policies on the values we have, not the other way around. I believe those were the values that America demonstrated and were known for around the world - trust, honor, hard work, equality, freedom, loyalty to country, and a chance to get ahead based on one's own merits. That is what I see when I look at Buttigieg and I am thrilled.
Biden and Sanders are great and have done valuable work, but are not the right choice for our country's future. Warren is great but we need her for a "lion in the Senate."
14
Mayor Pete has done exceedingly well for a Mayor of such a small town, partly on his own, partly because he's gay. However, he comes across as too green, someone who would be a placeholder for bigger interest groups behind him. America has great problems and he seems reluctant to tackle them, he is a younger Joe Biden, the candidate of the status quo.
7
I once read an essay on gay identity and rights, possibly written by Mr. Bruni himself (I forgot) in which it is claimed to be a misconception that being gay is only or primarily about the sex act ("what he or she does in bed" as Mr. Bruni puts it).
Which is true? They can't both be.
I believe we should be able to accept a gay president. But I don't think it would be okay to pretend that that status purely concerns "what get done in bed."
1
@anon
Certain non-sexual behavior or dispositions, in other words, seems to track with one's position on the so-called "Kinsey Scale."
No one can tell me, in this connection, that Adam Schiff, James Comey, and Ben Shapiro, don't all have something in common with Mr. Buttigieg. They all have a certain type of combativeness that's not just combativeness or dedication a cause: it's like a kind of sublimated aggression that always seems to be rooted in something other than the outward political topic.
3
@anon
While certainly anecdotal, the biggest misogynists I have ever come across were gay men and minorities. And of course they got away with far more than any straight white person ever could in the workplace precisely because of that status.
1
@Viv
Incidentally, and also anecdotally, I once had a supervisor who was both openly lesbian and even more openly "misandrist" - hating men. When a male coworker made a mistake (well, at least on some occasions; I do not want to exaggerate), she did not hesitate to openly ascribe the fault to maleness, in a way everybody knows would not be tolerated if it were misogyny rather than misandry.
I'm a man, and she in fact hired me. However, I gradually realized she had (wrongly) assumed I was gay, apparently based on my interest in opera that came out in connection with one of my personal references on the application.
Double standards abound, to say the least! By the way, though I say I'm not gay (do I "protest too much!"?) and hate Trump. On some level this does connect me with a gay trait: I have a certain animus toward he-man jock types, "toxic masculinity." Frankly, I think this is a huge part of anti-Trump animus, and I expect this sentiment to be heightened in men on "iffy" parts of the "Kinsey Scale." Please see my comment above in this respect.
1
Pete is too short to be President.
Just kidding. But tall people are easier to elect, just as straight people are easier to elect, all other things being equal which they never are.
I don't think Democrats have a good candidate for president in their current huge lineup. I think a number of the Democrats running would be very good presidents, but none of them are good candidates - people who inspire you so much that you actually believe (despite all evidence to the contrary in our past 30 year history) that our president can actually make much difference now that the US is actually run by a small group of oligarchs!
Until we get unlimited anonymous money out of politics, it doesn't make much difference whom we elect.
6
I am a strong supporter of Pete Buttigieg. He's amazingly gifted. He's good in debates, speaking in clear, simple English but his choice of words is excellent and effortless. In casual conversation also his speaking style is equally good.
His policy positions are "center left," progressive enough but not radical. He's a very serious man. Though he looks a little too young, he comes across as quite mature. He's self-assured but not conceited. (I was, however, disappointed when he said he didn't "need a lesson" from Beto O'Rourke about courage, which was a gratuitous slight.) He can't be intimidated by anyone or just about anything. Thus, as for qualifications to be president, he's as qualified as any president since FDR. He doesn't have Ronald Reagan's charisma, nor JFK's commanding charm, but in intellect and judgment, he's as good as JFK and better than Reagan.
Among the remaining 18 or so candidates, I believe he is the most qualified. I think people will come to appreciate his enormous assets in due course.
He may lose about 30% of the votes for being gay. But his plus points will win over more than enough votes to get a majority in both Primary and general elections.
14
@Concerned Citizen
Your point is well taken.
However, before JFK, no Catholics were elected as president. Being Catholic was then considered a handicap at least.
Far, far greater hurdle was for a black man or woman to be elected president. But Barack Obama sailed through, against a formidable Hillary Clinton. Maybe I am biased, in 2008, Hillary Clinton was without any significant baggage. She was almost as impressive as Obama. (In 2016, she was damaged goods)
There's always a first. That doesn't mean Mayor Pete will sail through, But he does have a strong chance, more so because the "top three" Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren & Bernie Sanders have nearly insurmountable problems: Biden is noticeably old; Sanders is also old but impressive, but can easily be branded as socialist; Warren is about a mirror image of Sanders. Mayor Pete is polling fourth. Kamala Harris is fading; Corry Booker never became competitive. Andrew Yang is not presidential material.
Nevertheless, Tom Steyer may become impressive & rise in polls.
In the end, what's the most important criterion for a Democratic candidate is, will they beat president Trump, or his possible replacement?
1
I am a lifelong Democrat and would never vote Republican. It is a little early to be deciding who, among the Democratic candidates will get my vote, but already I am leaning toward Mayor Pete.
Intellect and soul trumps (bad choice of word here, sorry) gender identity.
5
I would love to see Mayor Pete as President. I wanted to share a quote I remember hearing back in 2016 before the election from none other than Donald Trump! During the campaign, he was being interviewed and he said: "It's very simple, whoever is leading in the polls will get the most media attention." And it's true. So, Mayor Pete, if you win in Iowa, you'll have all the attention you want. So, go for it!
6
The media keeps pretending Buttigieg "problems" are his age and that he's a mayor of a mid-sized city. It isn't true.
The Times finally ran a piece: "As Pete Buttigieg Courts Black Voters, His Sexuality Is a Hurdle for Some. A Buttigieg campaign memo that surfaced last week suggested 'being gay was a barrier' to support from some black voters in South Carolina." As a civil rights and criminal defense attorney who has represented mostly poor and working-class minority Americans for two decades, I have a different take. Buttigieg's sexual orientation doesn't present a "hurdle" with "some blacks in South Carolina", it's a "barricade" for many blacks and Latinos across America.
Buttigieg polls much better in Iowa and New Hampshire than nationally for a reason. Buttigieg does very well with college educated whites, (which is what most of Iowa's and New Hampshire's Democratic voters are), because he has charisma, good ideas, and a good biography, and because those voters find the idea of homophobia repugnant.
Most minority Democratic voters are much more religious while most white Democrats are much more secular. Religious Americans are consistently more homophobic than secular Americans or Americans who practice religion, but are not very religious.
If Democrats want Buttigieg to be the Democratic nominee, they must address now, not once he's nominee, how difficult being gay will make it for him to get the level of support from minority voters he will need to defeat Trump.
10
The gross percentage of voters who won't vote for a gay candidate is not a helpful statistic unless it is broken down by states. In red states this will be no surprise. I'm stating it clumsily, but it seems to me stats need to take into account the electoral college and state-by-state demographics.
6
2020 election will be won with a margin of ~2%, and it would make sense to maximize the possibility to defeat Trump, given the high stake. I voted for our governor who is gay, but I do not know whether the country is ready for a gay president. I just do not want to take any chance for 2020.
I think that Amy Klobuchar is as bright and articulate as mayor Pete, she is tough, and she has also accomplished a lot too. Why not her, if Biden cannot win the primaries.
Increasingly, I just felt that dems will lose 2020 again. So depressing to see how the dynamics of the dems primaries play out.
9
I hope we can simply choose the man or women who who best represents the qualities and characteristics we expect in a president: Integrity, Intelligence, Ingenuity and the ability to Inspire us all.
18
@Keith
Jimmy Carter possessed all your qualities, but achieved nothing.
RESULTS matter more than personal characteristics.
@Raz The Camp David Peace accords and improved relations in the Middle east is one example of a Carter acheivement. I appreciate your point. If we were talking about surgery, I would agree with you. However, we are talking about leadership of our country- a complex system that requires an understanding and appreciation of disparate views and plurality of opinions. RESULTS are measured in the short term and long term. At this moment in time, most would agree that present leadership has turned back RESULTS of previous presidencies (both democratic and reupublican). American voters would do well to vote next year----for me, that will be the best surgical result.
@Raz The Camp David Peace accords and improved relations in the Middle east is one example of a Carter acheivement. I appreciate your point. If we were talking about surgery, I would agree with you. However, we are talking about leadership of our country- a complex system that requires an understanding and appreciation of disparate views and plurality of opinions. RESULTS are measured in the short term and long term. At this moment in time, most would agree that present leadership has turned back RESULTS of previous presidencies (both democratic and reupublican). American voters would do well to vote next year----for me, that will be the best surgical result.
I think I can show how Mayor Pete's sexual orientation can help:
Trump has weapons to use against Biden (age, not as sharp, Hunter) Warren (medicare-for-all, wealth tax) and Bernie (socialism).
But he can't use Buttigieg's sexuality against him because he can't run on an anti-gay platform. That's too ugly an argument, even for him.
21
@Chris Manjaro
Sadly, nothing is too ugly for Trump to try and especially if he wants to keep his evangelical crowd. Trump has zero scruples and only a desire to have all eyes trained in his direction.
1
In these fractious times where judgments based on identities have become the coin of the political realm, each candidate can claim pluses and minuses. But on balance it would seem more auspicious for a national candidate to be identified as gay than as a socialist.
Despite the myriad other divisions tearing at the social fabric, the last decade has experienced a rapid and remarkably smooth acceptance of gays. The battle for gay marriage may have appeared radical on its face, but beneath the surface it was a peace offering made to traditional family values. And it was understood as such.
Yes, the evangelicals are still raging about the moral rot of homosexuality. But it is but one item on their long list of the heinous sins of modern existence, which renders it politically inconsequential. No evangelical voter will shift from Democrat to Republican simply on the basis of a gay nominee.
More critically, corporate America has fully accepted gay rights and candidates. Sexual politics is economically neutral. Wall Street privilege is threatened by socialist Bernie Sanders, not by gay Pete Buttigieg.
Bruni's discussion is couched in terms of Mayor Pete potentially challenging the leading candidates, Biden and Warren. No mention is made of Sanders, even though the top three is the logical cohort to discuss. Corporate media follows the lead of corporate America. Gay is OK, socialist is not. If mainstream media exposure matters, Pete is in a more favorable position than Bernie.
7
Quite excellent, Mr. Bruni. But I would ask you and all writers to avoid use of the term "L.G.B.T.Q. rights." I say this because there are no such rights. Just as there are no straight, white, Christian or Jewish rights in this country. I understand the use of such terms as a shorthand reference to complex sociopolitical issues, but many opposed to equal rights for all Americans use terms like gay rights, women's rights, etc., to mean such persons want special rights for themselves. My point is that either one has the same rights as everyone else or they don't. Let's make it clear that there are indeed millions of Americans who want "equality" for themselves but not others. Their ideology must be opposed whenever it is asserted.
24
@BF. are suggesting movements such as civil rights, women’s right and LGBT rights should be replaced with the more basic term “Human rights”.
4
@Prudence Spencer
"Human Rights" would be a good term to use. So would "equal rights for women," or "equal rights for LGBT people" or any other population without them.
So would "Equal Civil Rights" for all.
6
@BF I have long argued that there is no such thing as "gay rights". What we seek is "gay equality". You can't mess with the word, "equal", the way you can with the word, "rights". "Rights" can become "special rights" and other constructions. Two things are either equal, or they are not.
1
As an undecided independent voter, I would like to posit the following points:
Notwithstanding the conservative social perspective, I think that Mayor Pete’s sexual orientation shouldn’t be taken into consideration to evaluate his leadership capabilities. We all have sexual orientations, he happens to be gay - SO WHAT?
Also why being educated in Ivy League schools is considered as a sign of privilege? Nowadays being educated is also treated as a form of elitism. I just don’t understand this kind of argument. My European History professor mother always taught me the significance of education. My wife and I also brought up our son exactly the same way. Education is extremely important specially in today’s post-literate society. I’m very excited that Mayor Pete is very educated and erudite.
I also like the fact that he is not an ideologue - very much a centrist. I favor that viewpoint.
All the signs are encouraging but it’s too early to tell and I’m still undecided - ah well!!
21
And God created Heaven and the Earth, and all it's creatures.
Unfortunately for gays, and conversely for straights, each persuasion holds one of the two deepest instinctive drives. There is food and there is love. Those opposed to each other are merely challenged by the opposites of their hungers. The instictive foundation of the brain controls it's structure.
Most people through education are relieved of the fear of the other.
But on a more observant note; It appears there is underlying interference in the Democratic party and it's candidate choices leading up to the election. Following the loss by an eminently qualified woman, Hillary Clinton, it should have been apparent to the Democratic party fathers that only the most aggressive win elections.
It dawned on me that the party faithful are presented with some niche candidates and some contrary to the realities the nation expects. After Hillary's loss came Warren, another very smart woman, then a Gay man as you write of here, and a former Prosecutor and attorney General in a nation disturbed by police violence, and a socialist in a nation that reveres Capitalism. It's as if the Republicans are choosing the Democratic candidates to assure they lose and that the Republicans win. The debates participants were chosen and the fix appears to be in.
They are all very smart people for sure, but the nation chooses fighters in the spectator sport that is televised political battles and elections.
2
Anyone who thinks that Buttigeg can be elected president in 2020 is residing in a bubble comprised solely of the coastal elites and the elite wannabees who can only wish they were residing in Chelsea or Nob Hill.
But, hey, if he's nominated as the Dems man in 2020 then another 4 years of Trump may be exactly what we need in order to finally realize that a Buttigeg, or someone or something far more radical, may be necessary to get us out of the sinkhole we seem to be in.
9
@J. Cornelio Except that he's polling 3rd in most polls (despite most people probably still barely knowing who he is) and raising a fortune. That suggests that he very much could be elected president in 2020.
2
@J. Cornelio they said the same thing about Obama. At the end of the day, people voted for his qualities and excellence, not the color of his skin or who he was married to.
1
Being from Indiana, a red state in which he could never win a congressional or Senate seat, Mayor Pete is all dressed up with no place to go. Add to that the deep enmity he has earned from the African-American community, and Mayor Pete is done. Perhaps he’s running for a Cabinet post? It would get him out of Indiana.
9
@John Gallagher Well, that's one point of view.
@John Gallagher Is South Bend substantively different from the rest of Indiana? South Bend elected him twice.
1
Mayor Pete is paving the way for SOME gay candidate to win the Presidency at some future time. I think he would be great and I might vote for him based on his brains and values. But in this time of populism and unenlightened conservatism, he is an underdog for sure (for winning). Still, I proudly display my Mayor Pete sticker on my car window as a sign of my admiration for his enthusiasm and purpose.
8
American Democrats, black and white, must vote in the 2020 presidential election. No Democrat should stay home because the Democratic candidate isn't straight; isn't a man; isn't black; isn't white; or isn't young. As a women, I've had to go to the polls to vote for 10 presidents, only once being able to vote for a candidate of my demographic. Nobody should feel entitled or self-congratulatory to sit this one out. Trump is unraveling our democracy, and every single Democrat must make ridding our government of him a personal responsibility.
37
Barack Obama won California in 2008 with the same electorate that passed Proposition 8, eliminating the rights of same-sex couples to marry.
Many African-America churches, as well as Latin-American, Chinese-America and Korean-American churches (and the Mormon church), all supported Proposition 8.
The only way to break this is to make a clear case that Civil Rights only works as an inclusive goal, not as an exclusive defense.
9
I am a liberal Democrat from the Upper West Side. I like Mayor Pete. I think he's got the intellectual chops and the judgement to make a good President. But I have to admit I don't like the idea of a gay couple (or individual) in the White House. A governor ok; a senator ok but not President of the United States of America. I voted for a black man (Obama) and a woman (Hillary.) If Mayor Pete ran against Trump I would vote for him but I don't want him to get the nomination. He would be a perfect target. Trump is highly beatable but not if Mayor Pete is the Democratic candidate.
6
@Don Why would you be OK with a gay governor or senator, but not president?
1
@Diane
The President is a leader, an administrator and a symbol of the USA. As a historian I think to myself "What would George Washington say."
@Diane
I would also say It would be just plain weird.
If you are at all inclined toward Pete Buttigieg, please read his memoir, Shortest Way Home. This is one impressive human. I'm 70+ Although I will happily vote for any democrat, and I am impressed by many in the current field, he is the only one for whom I feel genuine enthusiasm. Also so far he's the only one to whom I have sent a contribution. I know he doesn't have a wealth of experience. However, I am convinced that he is principled, moral, a public servant at heart... and he's plenty smart enough to appoint/hire outstanding people to work with him for the good of the country. He is not, IMHO, driven by ego, but by much higher principles.
49
I have no issue with Mayor Pete being gay. I do have an issue with his being so young and the mayor of a small city. Once he has more national experience under his belt, I anticipate his being a major contender for the presidency. The next Democratic President would be smart to have Mayor Pete in his/her administration. I would wholeheartedly support his run in 2028.
4
I hate to say this but the US is absolutely not ready for Mayor Pete. I hate saying that because I think he would make a good President.
It is possible he could squeeze thru for VP.
Then 8 years out the US is ready for him as President
5
His corporate, I am Biden, but gay, positions put me off.
For example he supported medicare or all and now he doesn't.
He has handlers and is out for his own best interest in my view. I did not agree with his attack on Ms. Gabbard either.
Of course, he isn't trump so I'll hold my nose probably if he gets it.
us army 1969-1971/california jd
9
He isn’t Trump, and sadly, once again we’ll probably end up holding our noses and voting for a suboptimal candidate because he isn’t Trump - at least if the Dem Party bosses get their way.
And this could very well hand another election to Trump.
3
I would have no problem voting for Buttigieg for President . I respect his intelligence and energy. I would rather vote for someone less than half my age than someone within ten years of it. Aging is a real thing. The presidency needs someone whose mid is sharp, whose health is excellent and who has the energy for long hours and days that are way too full of demands on their energy.
I have no problem with someone who is gay or in a same sex marriage. That is not who I am but I have much loved friends and relatives who are happily married to someone of the same sex. I don’t see what either sexual preference or the choice of a life partner has to do with qualifications for the Presidency.
23
Frank, I'm a 69 year old, white, lapsed Catholic male. Ok, he's gay. So what? He is in a stable, long term marital relationship. He's brilliant, compassionate and moderate. This Democrat will vote for him. I want the best.
98
I'm not worried about Pete being gay. I feel good about his chances in a general election.
I'm am worried about both Warren and Biden, for different reasons. I seriously doubt that either of them would beat Trump, which is the most important "issue" for me.
23
Love Mayor Pete. He had me at hello. Seriously—his brilliance, military experience and pragmatic approach will heal our great nation. My hope is that we are soon addressing President Buttigieg and our current nightmare is over.
37
The people who think of Mayor Pete as being "unelectable" are making the same mistake as the ones thinking Joe Biden is "electable." It hinges on what *you* think other people are thinking. If you want to support Joe Biden, that's fine, just have a reason for it. Don't do it only because you believe other people are supporting him. Same with Mayor Pete. If you let your thoughts about what other people are thinking turn you off from voting for him, you're giving strength to a bigotry that might only exist in your head and not in the real world. Support the candidate you like, not the one you think someone else likes. That other person might not actually exist.
45
@Ryan H
Beautifully said.
1
Elect a gay man president? You bet. More than likely America has already elected a gay man president, just one in the closet as opposed to openly gay. Statistics tell us that this likelihood is very great. So, having already elected a gay man president we see that sexual orientation has no bearing on one’s ability to govern (just ask J Edgar Hoover’s ghost and it would concur). Given that, and given the likelihood that Joe Biden will not do well in the primaries, and given that Elizabeth Warren, a far left politician, will do well, the only candidate left who is a centrist is Pete Buttigieg. It will take a centrist to sway the independent vote in the general election to beat the far left candidate, Donald Trump. My money is on Pete Buttigieg to become the democratic nominee and win the general election.
25
I like to play a mental game with respect to Mayor Pete. I like to imagine that a female candidate was 37 years old, had spent a couple of years as a mayor of a town of 100,000, and announced that she was ready to be President. She'd probably be laughed out of the room. To me, Pete's success reveals not so much about his sexual orientation -- it reveals how much of a breathtaking gift we give to white men in assuming their competence, even when they have virtually no evidence to demonstrate that competence. It's why a young white guy who takes a short film to Sundance will be asked to direct a 30 million dollar feature film, and why a woman whose feature wins Sundance will take 10 years to get her next movie made. People trust that white guys can be great, based on their potential. Women must show real accomplishments.
Buttigieg is bright and capable but has a lot to learn. I find his can-do attitude reminiscent of Obama, but in a worrying way -- he genuinely doesn't seem to realize how corrupt the system is, and thinks (like Biden) that he can just roll into Washington, shake hands, and get stuff done. Obama was shut down trying exactly that. To me, Buttigieg is the perfect VP candidate. He's got potential, but he's dangerously naive about the dirty business of Washington, the wheeling and dealing and horse trading, and I think a successful president needs to know how the system works, even if they intend to buck it. That's why I think Warren is a stronger choice.
17
Buttigieg is a moderately good candidate. His sexuality is nothing to me. However many others have religious differences with his orientation. Sad to see. So, I go with the other moderate Klobuchar for the best option that has a chance for election.
3
I haven't seen anyone compare the Democrats on how good they would be debating Trump one-on-one. The one I'd like to see is Pete vs Trump. Paragraphs vs sentence fragments.
22
@Don Wiss Agree. Trump would be on very thin ice in a debate with Pete.
3
I have been in the room with Mayor Pete and he connects with everyone there. He is something special.
27
The electoral college is a terrible way to elect a president, but it's the way we do it. As such, how a candidate will play in all states doesn't matter. What does matter is how she/he will play in a few swing states. I live in Wisconsin, one of those states. Pete Buttigieg can win here. In fact, I think he's the most likely candidate to win this state.
Wisconsin recently elected an openly gay senator, Tammy Baldwin. Buttigieg's sexuality will not matter nearly as much as his ability to reassure people that he is going to look out for their interests. Hillary Clinton was not able to do this. She didn't even try in this state. Buttigieg can.
From 1988 to 2012, Wisconsin was reliably a blue state in presidential elections. It was Democrats state to lose in 2016 and they did by running a terrible candidate and a terrible campaign. People here are (rightfully) distrustful of pie in the sky promises. What my neighbors will respond to is straight talk and pragmatism. Pete Buttigieg can win Wisconsin. He can win Michigan and he can win Pennsylvania. Like it or not, those are the states that will decide it all.
29
@Stephen Wisner
I am a South Bend native and currently reside in San Mateo, California. I know midwestern pragmatism when I see and hear it. I concur with what you say regarding Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. It was the basis for a recent argument I made in support of Mayor Pete. Give me reasons as to why you think he can not win those states, and I will provide reasons as to why he can. The midwesterners love their pragmatists.
22
I'm not exactly sure how to put this because I agree with the general thesis of the article and have great respect for Pete Buttigieg and what he offers as a candidate.
But is it really necessary to end the article by referring to what someone "does in bed?" Would we ever refer to any other candidate by "what he or she does in bed?"
I don't want to know what Bernie Sanders does in bed, or Elizabeth Warren, or anyone else for that matter. Why bring that into the conversation? Is that somehow related to his being gay? Is that some sort of demarcation from the other candidates?
Sorry if I'm not articulating this well, but that line struck me as being so unrelated - and so unnecessary - that it detracted from the overall article.
136
@Morals Matter Thank you....you articulated exactly what I was thinking (and didn't say as well).
16
@Morals Matter
Agreed.
I would also like to see no further references to what Nancy Pelosi was wearing in her next, and all future smackdowns, of Trump.
7
I agree. This title both lacks elegance and accuracy. Your sexual orientation is not defined by what you 'do in bed.' You do not need to be sexually active to have a sexual orientation, and you do not need a bed to be sexually active. May I suggest the author research his subject more in depth another time?
4
Just for the record you mention Buttigieg’s privileged path- you should also note that Cory Booker also was Stanford, Rhodes Scholar and Yale-they are both impressive , however, Booker is inexplicably not doing that well with black voters.Both are articulate, principled and have impressive credentials.I would be happy if either were the candidate.
22
@JANET MICHAEL -- they are both not doing well with black voters. Maybe black voters aren't impressed with credentials as much as white voters are. Black voters are the most conservative segment of the Democratic constituency. The black voters who vote -- older people -- are overwhelmingly supporting Joe Biden, the most conservative of the candidates. Security is most important to older, conservative voters, not speechifying, not where a candidate went to school.
1
And God created Heaven and the Earth, and all it's creatures.
Unfortunately for gays, and for straights, each persuasion holds one of the two deepest instinctive drives. There is food and there is love. Those opposed to each other are merely challenged by the opposites of their hungers. The instinctive foundation of the brain controls it's structure.
Most people through education are relieved of the fear of the other.
But on a more observant note; It appears there is underlying interference in the Democratic party and it's candidate choices leading up to the election. Following the loss by an eminently qualified woman, Hillary Clinton, it should have been apparent to the Democratic party fathers that only the most aggressive win elections.
It dawned on me that the party faithful are presented with some niche candidates and some contrary to the realities the nation's majority expects. After Hillary's loss came Warren, another very smart woman, then a Gay man as you write of here, and a former Prosecutor and attorney General in a nation disturbed by police violence, and a socialist in a nation that reveres Capitalism. It's as if the Republicans are choosing the Democratic candidates to assure they lose and that the Republicans win. The debates participants were chosen and the fix appears to be in.
They are all very smart people for sure, but the nation chooses fighters in the spectator sport that is "televised" political battles and elections.
Mayor Pete is the only candidate I've heard who wants to heal the divisions in this country. It's a tall order, and may be insurmountable. But if we don't make the attempt we will be right back in this place. I will vote blue no matter who, but he would be by far the best person of the current crop to serve as president.
25
Two points:
One, I think it's easy to analyze Buttigieg's prospects, separate from his being gay. Too young. Too inexperienced. Perhaps in eight years.
Two, as a Jew, I've never respected or understood any minority (religious, racial, sexual orientation or otherwise), especially one which has been historically oppressed and hated, being bigoted against another minority. How dare they, my own group included.
3
There could be the perception of false equivalency. Sexual orientation is quite different from the qualities you mentioned.
3
@H2
Sexual orientation is no more a choice than being born a Jew.
1
Buttigieg's "charmed ... glide path to greatness ... that defines privilege" arose from being the kid of two college professors who almost had to go on Medicaid to pay for the father's cancer treatment last year (but he died before it was necessary to make that harsh choice) and smart and ambitious enough to get into Harvard and Oxford with full academic scholarships. By far the least wealthy of any of the candidates, Buttigieg is middle-class, while the front runners Sanders, Warren, and Biden are all multi-millionaires.
112
@DM I suspect that Sanders, Warren and Biden were not multi-millionaires when they were 37 years old. If they came by their money honestly, why castigate them for working hard and making good decisions?
11
@DM Good grief, those ‘millionaires’ all made their $$ off best-selling books written late in their lengthy, distinguished careers in public service. ALL of them knew economic hardship as they grew up, ALL of them worked hard...your admiration for Pete seems to be blinding you to the life stories of the three candidates you mention. His parents were two college professors? The 3 candidates whom you disparage were the first in their families to even ATTEND college! With more experience, Pete might be a good candidate, but not this year.
5
Frank Bruni, your attempt at a catchy subtitle is offensive and over-simplifying. Being LGBTQ is about much more than what one does "in bed," and reducing a multidimensional same-sex partnership between two complex individuals to only its "in bed" aspects is part of the problem, even if it comes from a place of intended support. Too many Americans overly fixate on this narrow, private dimension of a relationship, and in doing so, continue to embed the notion that same-sex relationships are "other" and deserve to be treated differently by society and under the law.
Part of the way toward society gaining greater acceptance of same-sex partnerships is for more journalists and the wider public to stop stripping them down to their sexual aspects, to step back and see the whole picture, and to speak to such partnerships for what they are: complex tapestries of love, support, understanding and growth between two people.
When more people understand same-sex relationships this way, as complex and as deserving of respect as heterosexual relationships, Pete will have no problem.
44
@T Couldn't agree more.
1
@T I can't tell you why Mr. Bruni mentioned the "bed" aspect but your insinuation that far too many people "strip(ping) them down to their sexual aspects..." is off base. I rarely read or hear anyone do that anymore. (Yes, there are still people who don't accept gays, a separate problem.) This is a complaint that I would chalk up to the influence of "victim culture."
@T I am pretty sure Frank Bruni is openly gay, so I don't think he intended that phrase in the way you seem to have taken it.
1
The second part of this statement, that Mayor Pete has the success he has in part because of his sexual identity, is the great, disastrous, tenacious error of the Democratic Party.
Obama won because he seemed to be listening, really listening, to what voters wanted. If one actually sees his campaign as a complete shape (as at the DuSable Museum of African-American History in Hyde Park) it is notable how much his campaign was *not* predicated on race; had it been, he would have lost. Hillary lost in large part because instead of listening to voters - and visiting them in Michigan, Wisconsin, etc. - she chose to center her campaign on being a woman “breaking the glass ceiling.”
Identity politics *always* loses more voters in the general election than it gains. Always. This is a mathematical, geographic certainty. The zombie survival of the shibboleth that appears in Mr. Bruno’s title is so depressing. Every time I get an email focusing on Democrat’s’ personal identity, I cringe.
Trump won (and I can’t stand him, in any respect) not because of his identity - as much as that aspect is unavoidably present - as because he seemed to be (seemed being the operative word) to be listening to the angry voters who felt the world was passing them by. And he’ll win again if we Dems play identity politics again.
“When will they ever learn?”
6
@GG - The 2016 candidate who launched his campaign from the fumes of years’ long campaign of othering America’s first black President, called Mexicans rapists and criminals, used every opportunity to signal he was anti-immigration, retweeted white nationalist lies numerous times, wrapped himself in the flag, stood on a stack of bibles, and vowed to “make America great again” didn’t engage in identity politics? I’m pretty sure that’s ALL Trump ran on.
@GG
Identity politics is all Dems have.
If Biden and Pete team up, there will be no stopping them. Experience, age, young and old and intelligence will have them running away with the ticket.The money for both together will roll in. It's out there, just waiting for the decision.
4
I am a lifelong Democrat and I will vote for Pete Buttigieg in CA primary. Like many, I like his amazing intellect, calmness, kindness, empathy, etc... But I believe two factors will help him beat Trump in the general election: (1) His policy prescriptions for the country are rooted in the basic democratic and American values and guided by his astute understanding of the history and current states of this country and the world. He does not follow the dogma on the left or right. He is authentically himself. This can broaden his appeal to independent and some Republican voters and unite the country. (2) His communication skill is second to none which enable him to explain complex issues in simple and concise terms and beat Trump in the debates! For example, his defense of the Bidens was so much more effective than Biden’s own.
When selecting a President, we should focus on the quality of the candidates and nothing else. Pete Buttigieg is the most qualified candidate in my view.
57
Yes, many of us can be open-minded and open-hearted, but we are not enough. People will talk the talk and boast of their “total acceptance” of the gay, the African-American, and even the woman. But when it comes to filling in that bubble next to one’s name, those demon prejudices will often win the day. Simply stated, I do not fully trust the electorate...not any more, not after what President Obama had to contend with, not now especially while witnessing the defense of one who should neither be defended nor tolerated. Next November, assuming it will still be Trump and not Pence as the pathetic GOP nominee, there will be a choice. It will not be primarily Democrat vs Republican. Instead, it will be even more about the moral fiber of those Americans who vote. It will be about the soul of our nation. And I must admit that I fear the results.
8
On the one hand Pete comes with a lot of the attributes of privilege. But he also comes with the deep and personal experience of being an outsider and of being the object of prejudice and derision just for being who he is.
That is not the same experience as other minorities, but it is an area of commonality. Pete is at least a generation younger than me, but as a gay man I know that he faced many of the same doubts and challenges that any LGBTQ individual faces on the road to coming out. I know that he is a more empathetic person for having experienced those things.
He is not perfect but no candidate is perfect. I believe he can overcome whatever is thrown at him for being gay far better than Elizabeth or Bernie can overcome being labelled a socialist.
27
"“Among a significant segment of African-American voters who are socially conservative, he’s not polling well,” Axelrod said"
While I am a fan of Buttigieg, and comfortable with Axelrod's accurate characterization, it should escape no one that had Axelrod pointed out the same social conservatism preventing support for a gay candidate among "socially conservative" white voters, neither Axelrod nor anyone in the press would be quite so generous and forgiving.
7
@Middleman MD Those white folk are voting Trump regardless.
He’s the only candidate that is properly diagnosing why Dems lost in 2016 and therefore in the best position to win in 2020.
His private life won’t matter much. Americans do like to change and to evolve albeit at a certain peculiar and unpredictable pace (as Axelrod points out). I think voters who moved from Obama to Trump because they were not enthusiastic about Hilary will enjoy the opportunity to show that they’re not bigots.
21
Oh my, Buttigieg is a gifted candidate. His political talent and personal appeal are beyond anyone else’s in the race. Sure, he’s vulnerable for all of the reasons Frank Bruni lists. And of course he’s a flawed human being, as are we all. But Pete has what no other candidate in the race possesses in quite the same way: an ability to inspire and to lead a country sorely in need of a statesman. I admire many of the others in the race, but Pete, unlike the others, makes my heart recollect what it’s like to feel the surge of patriotic joy and hope for an America renewed and committed to justice for all. Whatever happens, I’m grateful for this extraordinary young man’s entrance into the race, no matter who wins the nomination.
224
Mayor Pete most definitely has a future. He's obviously intelligent, has common sense and integrity. But he lacks the kind of experience needed for the presidency at this point in his career.
Whether he is gay or straight , to me, he is still a white male. And after over 200 years of white male presidents, I am still hoping that the women who are running will be looked at with the seriousness that a white male is still accorded.
6
@Jane
Would Barack Obama, who was elected mostly by supporters who did not look like him agree with you?
There is pretty much nothing more divisive that I can think of than supporting a candidate based on their appearance and ethnic background. Indeed, it we devolved into such a state it would prove that diversity is our weakness, not our strength.
12
@Jane I don't know why you are suggesting that the women who are running are not already being taken seriously. Warren is polling second. And a lot of people are expressing support from Klobuchar or Harris. Would it be nice to have a female president? Sure. Is it the most pressing concern in this election? Absolutely not.
The most pressing concerns are beating Trump and repairing this country. I don't know if Pete could beat Trump (although I suspect he could, especially after voters witness him debate Trump), but it's obvious that he is the best choice for healing the country and rebuilding our international relationships.
4
"our need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed"
Trump certainly proved that to be true. And what a savior he has turned out to be.
3
I’m supporting Pete Buttigiege in the primary because of his vision for the future. I like that he talks about 2054 when he will be the age of the current president and what he envisions for our country. His plans to depoliticize the Supreme Court, abolishing the electoral college via constitutional amendment, statehood for DC and PR (if they want it), and fair/transparent redistricting processes are essential to reunify our country and strengthen our democracy are what I like most about him. His openness about his Episcopalian faith may help his chances of winning support from the centrist Christians in the Midwest.
63
@JJ I keep hearing about this candidate or that candidate abolishing the Electoral College through a constitutional amendment, and it makes my brain throb. A constitutional amendment needs to be ratified by three-fourths of the states and two-thirds of the House and Senate. Does any anyone realistically see that happening? Wyoming, Vermont, N. Dak, S. Dak... Does anyone see them willingly giving up their out-sized power? A pleasant dream but nothing else.
1
I want a nominee who can beat Trump. I like Mayor Pete and think he would make a great president, but I'm not sure the public is ready to elect a gay candidate. Accordingly, I'm rooting for Amy Klobuchar, who, like Buttigieg, presents a more moderate and appealing agenda.
10
True. We are in a moment that calls for a real leader.
Mayor Pete is a good guy.
I don't see in him now that leader that we need.
If he was, we'd know it. It is the sort of thing that makes itself obvious without first being told. You see it, and you know you've just seen it.
5
I, for one, saw it many months ago when I saw his CNN town hall. It was abundantly obvious to me.
47
I think it comes down to risk assessment.
We need to weigh the risks of nominating a gay man vs the risks of nominating a gaffe machine with a slow reaction time, and a 40-year record to attack.
Or nominating someone who may scare independents by eliminating private insurance. Among a few other risky stands. (NOT necessarily saying we shouldn’t do it! I am talking about how independents will PERCEIVE it! As we saw in the last election, perception matters more than reality whether we like it or not).
14
@TCP Here's a crazy thought. How about people vote for the candidate they want to represent them, and the candidate with the most votes wins.
HRC was deemed less risky in 2015, and we all know what happened in 2016.
5
In early September I made a return visit to my hometown of South Bend, Indiana. My visit was two fold, to spend time with family and to gather as many Mayor Pete stories as I could and bring back them to the San Francisco area, to share.
Staff at storefronts around the corner from Mayor Pete’s national campaign headquarters, city librarians, two city firemen, a latino young man, a union electrician, restaurant waitresses, staff at the local LGBTQ community center, a retired police officer who works security in the local County-City Building (home to Mayor’s office), and a contractor from Mayor Pete’s church were among the many locals to whom I asked fairly and respectfully for stories both positive and negative about Mayor Pete. No one denied me the opportunity for a conversation. In only one case were third party sentiments conveyed to me regarding his sexuality as a negative.
And as I was nearing the end of my visit, I coincidentally crossed paths with his mother and Julie Chismar. We made it a point of not discussing politics.
My South Bend relatives have been my pipeline to Mayor Pete stories dating back to December 2013. I remain even more convinced now than every before that two aspects in mind that clearly define Pete Buttigieg is his sense of the importance of “community” in one’s life. And he has very strong humanitarian instincts. He holds no prejudices, but an extended hand to greet you. I know that for a fact. He and I met twice this year.
86
@Dennis Sopczynski South Bend is far from typical of Indiana (alas!). Despite his obvious gifts for leadership, it is extremely doubtful Pete will go beyond the state legislature in that far-right state — he would never be elected governor, much less US Senator. Too bad he can’t MOVE to a more hospitable political locale...he’s bright but seriously lacks the experience and foreign policy expertise we desperately need in the White House.
@Dennis Sopczynski
So what did all those people say about him?
2
@Dennis Sopczynski
Yes, it was those strong humanitarian instincts that caused him to freely join a war of choice. One that has killed hundreds of thousands of civilians; including over 7000 of our troops and wounding tens of thousands more . Wars of choice that have unhomed millions. Invading and destroying an ancient civilization that used to be considered and ally; while un-stabilizing the whole Middle East. One that is now considered a War Crime.
Good old humanitarian Pete.
1
For those who are afraid that Buttigieg's sexual orientation or youth or "lack of experience" would keep him from winning a general election, I would point you toward a recent Washington Post study which indicates that, based on current polling, mayor Pete would be second only to Warren in the overall electoral college battle against Trump. Furtehmore, he is faring the best of any of the five major candidates against Trump in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This despite his presently having less name recognition than the frontrunners. As he becomes better-known, it's hard to imagine that this advantage would do anything but increase.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2019/10/23/whos-most-electable-democrat-it-might-be-warren-or-buttigieg-not-biden/
70
Pete Buttigieg has powerfully described what his sexual orientation has meant in his life. That journey of coming out has shaped the confident man we see today. One can only hope that Mayor Pete will be judged for the totality of his character, as it is remarkable and commendable.
92
Not to mention that Mayor Pete is an 'every man'. He is all of us - which is precisely what we need. And boy, is he articulate. Trump wouldn't stand a chance in a debate with him.
90
@nancie. I agree. I also believe trump will not make it to the election so will not be the republican candidate. Guess I’m an optimist.
3
@Nancie
He's an 'every man'? The fact you consider him "articulate" means he's not avg. There's been 362 Rhoades scholars awarded from 1904 to 2018. 8 of them President and 150 Nobel Laureates.
An "every man"...hardly.
But he is also a McKinsey consultant.
He is a master of MIC intelligence and a groomed and tutored/advised typical politician.
He is what the best political establishment propaganda machine can market.
He is being sold as an 'every man'.
He's far from it.
He's a billionaire (23) backed, corp., Insur, Pharma, Wall Street bought politician.
The young status quo Joe.
Biden best watch his back.
2
@Nancie
Hillary trounced Trump in every debate on the merits. Sadly, we don't elect people on the merits. I also think it's highly likely Trump won't debate. He and his toadies are already painting the debates as phony and rigged by the failing fake news media.
I’m much more troubled by identity politics that Frank subscribes to - or at least exculpates - than I am concerned about Pete’s orientation. I’m a white middle-boomer (disclosure). Trust me: most of us couldn’t care less. If this is a major concern in the black community, well, shame on them.
30
The lack of experience is not a real argument. He can surround himself with experienced people. That’s what real leaders do, they build excellent teams to support their vision.
60
@Alison Cartwright It is a real argument for this voter. We already have a POTUS with lack of experience who claimed he knew how to hire all the experienced, best people. I'm mystified why lack of experience seems to be such a plus when it comes to being head of the Executive Branch. It's not a plus. It's a minus.
10
@Alison Cartwright - What experience does Warren have that Buttigieg does not have? Warren was elected in 2013, Mayor Pete in 2012. She is one of 100 senators, he is the only mayor of his city. Only one of those two gets woken up at 3 a.m. because a white cop just shot an unarmed black man and everyone wants to know what to do next. The other gets to sleep in till the alarm goes off and then go to the office and chat with everyone else and see if anyone has a plan.
No one thinks Warren is lacking experience.
No, what really hurts Buttigieg is that his experience is limited to being a mayor of a small town the size of Dallas bedroom community. The day a suburban mayor is considered a qualified candidate for the nation's highest office is the day that office has become completely irrelevant.
11
@Gary FS
Well, he can't be any worse than a reality TV "star" who has NO political experience, can he?
There is that.
2
I'm going to hope your last sentence is deliberate and ironic - because the amount of electoral experience Mr. Trump has is absolutely zero, which means we're already there.
2
@Gary FS: "The day a suburban mayor is considered a qualified candidate for the nation's highest office is the day that office has become completely irrelevant." You do know that a man whose basic experience consists of real estate dealings, operating failed casinos, branding buildings with his name and being a reality TV star currently sits in the White House?
2
I like everything about Buttigieg, but his lack of political experience at a level required of the President of the United States will be his Achilles heel.
There's someone else looming large on the horizon and, depending upon the ultimate turn of events, could make a mighty strong Democratic candidate: Adam Schiff. Put Pete on that ticket, and America, we have a winner.
6
I will not vote for Buttigieg because he lacks experience, but the author is absurd and unfair in suggesting he had "a glide path... (which) defines privilege." His parents were Notre Dame professors--upper middle class, but not millionaires. They were incapable of providing a glide path to Harvard, and less so to a Rhodes scholarship.
His life was privileged compared to many, but not at all privileged compared to the children of the rich, famous or the well-connected--or the children who are athletically gifted.
12
@DSM14
Agree with all, except that his lack of experience is a reason not to vote for him.
I don't think senators who have no more or less executive or administrative experience are more qualified than he.
Also think his political skills around dealing with leaders will
be far ahead of his competitors.
Pete's just more skillful than the rest.
30
@Ross Ivanhoe You argue your case very well. I think, however, that a lack of D.C. experience prevented Obama from accomplishing more. Pete would need an excellent team to deal with McConnell.
I also fear that, like Obama and Hillary, the polls will be inaccurately favorable, as many bigots will be unwilling to reveal their true intentions.
". . . [O]ur need for a savior outweighs any interest in what he or she does in bed." Well, we do have an interest in what politicians do in their beds. Look no further than Katie Hill. I don't believe your column's subheading is the way to generally argue for acceptance of a gay candidate.
2
I think Buttigieg is on the rise, and I am becoming more intrigued with his candidacy. That's partly because I am very wary of Sanders and Warren, who I think are proposing unrealistic and economically dangerous plans, and of Biden, who I am not sure has what it takes anymore. But I also like Buttigieg because he is smart and I think he would listen to his advisors when he didn't know the subject well, unlike our current pathetic President.
205
I was raised by evangelicals -
....and it gives me no pleasure to report.... if you think having a black president sent middle America to a place you never expected.....a gay president would be 1000 times worse.
They will never, ever accept him. They will believe it means God's blessing has gone away from America.
It will send them into a panic.
30
@EC
Wouldn't it be funny to see them REALLY panic, though?
3
I think that God has already “taken His blessing away” from America.
1
@EC
It will send them into a panic.
Not as much a panic as they will be in when they finally reach the Pearly Gates and Jesus says to them, "Depart from Me, for I never knew you".
3
I think the Mayor is a fine American, and I would love to see him in the cabinet. As the mayor of a medium sized midwestern city he doesn't seem to be able to assert control over a police department that reports directly to him. Not terribly reassuring at this moment in our history. And, by the way, the last thing on earth we need is a self-styled savior bleating that "I and only I can save you." How about intelligent, competent leadership? Is that too much to ask?
3
Every one of the candidates clearly states that he or she is the only one who can save us. Why else would we elect people if we didn’t think they could do that? Even trump got elected because a large part of the electorate believed he could save their jobs and all the rest of their needs.
@Gift Of Galway
The first national vote I cast was for John Kennedy in his run against Richard Nixon. My volunteering began as a door knocker for Barbara Jordan as she ran for the US House. Never once in all those years have I longed for or voted for a "savior". I feel sad for those who wait for such a politician, knowing they will die unfulfilled.
@Neal
In South Bend, the mayor can't "ASSERT" control over the
police department. The mayor can't fire police officers, only the chief, which would have made no sense in that case.
I feel like people who think because Pete hasn't solved racism in a lower middle class, 25% black city that he is somehow flawed aren't really thinking enough.
As usual, America's original sin is the problem, but maybe that's not politically expedient to say.
Undeniably, it will be a stretch for a gay candidate to win. But one has to figure that a large proportion of voters who wouldn't vote for Buttigieg because he's gay probably wouldn't vote for him anyway because he's a liberal.
So the electoral analysis boils down to how many voters are there out there who are anti-gay liberals?
Not too many I suspect.
I'm not a fan of Buttigieg per se because I just don't really know where he stands on issues I care about. But that's simply a matter of unfamiliarity.
Now at present I do think his sexuality works against him. But then again, in 2008 I wasn't an initial supporter of Barack Obama during the Democratic primaries because I thought the electorate wasn't yet ready for an African-American President.
I was wrong then and gladly voted for Obama in the general election. I'd have no regret to be proven wrong again in 2020. If Mayor Pete survives the primaries -- he has my vote.
454
@George
2008 as those of us with 401K's remember was the biggest meltdown since the Great Depression.All on the watch of Republicans. Add in war and Bush fatigue. Sen. Obama was mixed race and went out of his way to be Mr. Cool. He apologized for his outspoken black pastor you'll recall. In the primaries he was the new face, the new shiny object Americans love. Mayor Pete is not comparable and with religious blacks and Hispanics so critical to our success, it's a bridge too far and a terrible risk best not taken. Cabinet position though.
15
@George
I appreciate your analysis. Buttigieg is not a liberal. He is a social progressive but otherwise pretty moderate on major issues. Outside of Biden, he is probably the strongest moderate.
79
@George Please go to PeteForAmerica.com and read where he stands on the issues. He has spelled things out so fully, so completely, and so easy to understand.
Pete Buttigieg IS a stable genius and he has my vote for sure. The rest don't come anywhere near him in qualifications. You made very good points in your comments.
72
Notwithstanding Mayor Pete’s obvious intellectual abilities and communication skills, it is a wonder that people find mayor him to be too inexperienced or too young to be president. Compared to the current occupant of the White House, who had no experience in anything other than grift and a host of other illicit activities, Mayor Pete would be a breath of fresh air.
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@JB Forget comparing him to Trump - it is a wonder that people find him inexperienced compared to Obama, who spent a few inconsequential terms as a state legislator before spending almost the entirety of his time in the Senate running for President. Buttigieg is far more qualified.
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@Mon Ray
"The grown ups in the Party" are non-existent. They are why we lost last time.
In their wisdom they set the stage for Hilary and elbowed out anyone else. They need to keep hands off until the Candidate is selected by the voters in the Primary election.
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@JB 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. Indeed, from earlier NYT articles it seems he should be spending more time in South Bend dealing with racial issues than hobnobbing with the elite donors of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.
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 could successfully run for House or Senate or governor of his state, that would bolster his political credentials and might 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 large majority of American voters, especially those who felt their needs were ignored in 2016. Failure to do so will inevitably lead to another term for Trump.
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Whether this election is "his time" or not, I believe Mayor Pete would make a fine president, possessing qualities essential for the job — intelligence, diplomacy, eloquence, integrity, and empathy. Listening to his speeches, I get some of the euphoric optimism I felt when Senator Barack Obama spoke, back during the 2004 Democratic Convention, and subsequently as President.
Perhaps he needs more time, perhaps he doesn't — his life choices and career path have been exemplary, he would be a breath of fresh air following the toxicity, divisiveness and mendacity of the Trump administration. Forward.
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We’ve had a black president, Hillary won the popular vote so we almost had a female president, and now we have an insane man child president, so it seems we’re definitely ready for a gay president.
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The thing about token candidates is the suspicion they're running as a token.
Somehow it was thought Hilary's outreach to various minorities didn't work, so why would it be different for Pete.
Does he appeal to workers?
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I think a Pete Buttigieg/Cory Booker ticket is what this country needs in 2020. Sen. Booker could do a lot to help mobilize the African American vote, which Buttigieg may have trouble doing on his own.
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@Magic Numbers
A ticket like that would get zero midwest votes, unfortunately. Time to be pragmatic.
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@Jules Why do you believe this? As a resident of the midwest, I'm always intrigued when somebody not from here claims to know what we will and won't do. As a for instance, would you have guessed that Iowa would go for Obama? It did overwhelmingly in both 2008 and 2012. As did my home state of Wisconsin. I remember lots of Californians at the time claiming that such a thing wasn't possible. Pete Buttigieg will win Wisconsin if he is the Democratic candidate.
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After LBJ passed and signed the civil rights act, the voting rights act and the fair housing act, people wondered whether they would make a difference. We know the answer, because Barack Obama was the president of the US. On the other hand, the ERA has still not been ratified. Is it a coincidence that the US has never had a female president?
Recently the US Supreme Court found homosexual marriage to be a fundamental constitutional right. No ERA, but gay marriage! Which is more likely? A female president or a gay president?
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I truly don’t care whether the Democratic candidate—or President—is female, gay, black, Armenian, bisexual, Muslim, Christian, Hindi, Martian, whatevs.
Just give me a candidate who can restore honor to the White House, integrity to the system, respect for both intelligence and expertise and THE Intelligence, respect to the US. I’ll vote for THAT candidate.
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"Being Gay Hurts Mayor Pete. It Helps, Too."
Must be hard up for column ideas. This one is not very original.
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Who knows, another decade or so, we may even consider voting for a....gasp...atheist.
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@SteveH
I predict that we will be voting for an artificial intelligence by 2030.
Pete Buttigieg will have a tough time in the South. A news dispatch appearing nationally several days ago about a county commissioners meeting in Sevier County Tennessee was a sobering reminder. At it's conclusion, those local residents attending stood up and applauded a commissioner who had applied a crude label to Buttigieg due to him being gay. I could easily vote for Pete before some of the other Democrats. However that news story reminded me that there are counties and towns throughout the South (other regions also) where residents may have done the same.
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But the mere fact that that story went national and got a lot of exposure gives me hope that those kinds of attitudes are becoming outside the mainstream. Maybe not in time for Mayor Pete this time around...
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@blgreenie
I saw that video. This is an honest question, not meant to argue the point -- do you think that anyone in that room would vote for any democrat?
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How sad that the most qualified, intelligent and capable candidate might be passed over because he is honest about who he loves.
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@Celeste
And his age and experience. We need someone who can hit the ground running, not another amateur, qualified as he may be, as leader. Especially this time. Trump's administration, if it were a hurricane, it would be a category 6; the damage is apocalyptic.
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@Celeste
Hey Celeste -
Let's make sure he isn't passed over.
One of the many things I love about Pete and his campaign is his asking not only for my vote, but also for our support. Talk to your neighbors, your family, your friends. Introduce them to Pete. Those of us who know him best are his best campaign asset.
Pete knows he can't lead our country alone, and he can't win the election alone, so do what you can to get him through the primary and into the White House.
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@Jim Muncy
Trump is a disaster not because he is an amateur but because he is incompetent and malevolent.
Besides, Mayor Pete is not an Amateur... He has real experience as an elected executive. Indeed, in many ways a Mayor has more hands on experience in leadership than do most Senators.
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"Our need for a savior"? Is there no limit, Mr Bruni, to the grasp for excuses for a candidacy against the headwinds, to prove some endearing conjecture about the gallantry of the country? Is there no limit, to the priority you will give to an anecdote of identity politics hero worship? Of course this comment draws sentimental enthusiasm. Is that your standard for political advice, where the right to vote is more broadly distributed than a staggeringly untested candidate's niche appeal?
This is a country that needs to be spared Donald Trump. Are you prepared to wait until you can admire how it's done?
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The next presidential election is critical because the out come will impact a broad spectrum of issues, not excluding gay rights. My concern is elect-ability, we cannot afford to get into an issue that would be sufficiently divisive to throw the election, making it an easy win for a party with objectionable stances on many issues. If Buttigieg gets the nomination, I might very well vote for him, but I am not looking forward to such a prospect.
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@Eric S
Mayor Pete may be the MOST capable of beating Trump. After all, Trump can't attack an openly gay man as fervently as he might attack the others, as it would really make him (Trump) look mean, desperate and weak.
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@Celeste
He will attack his inexperience which will be sufficient.
You’re kidding me. Has this President ever shown restraint when he can gleefully show is stupidity?
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