The Democratic Party's Rising Star: Openly Gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg's Run For DNC Chair

[TexasTowelie]

The residents of South Bend, Indiana, refer to Pete Buttigieg as Mayor Pete. It’s an affectionate nickname, and his constituents have good reason to love their mayor.

When he first took office in 2011, at the age of 29, South Bend was high on the list of dying Rust Belt cities. Today, the city is thriving with the help of Buttigieg’s innovative ideas and his ability to inspire people to work together to solve problems.

Buttigieg (pronounced BOOT-eh-jedge) was born and raised in South Bend, where both of his parents once taught at Notre Dame University. He was a typical Midwestern boy, with no great privileges of wealth or lineage.

What he has made of himself in just 35 years seems like it could only be possible in a novel or a movie. But it’s all quite real, and the future looks incredibly promising as his life continues to unfold.

Read more: http://www.outsmartmagazine.com/2017/02/the-democratic-partys-rising-star-openly-gay-mayor-pete-buttigiegs-run-for-dnc-chair/

[fun n serious]

1. He's a keeper for sure. nt

[LittleGirl]

2. Just watched the debate

from CNN Int'l and he was given a lot of time to speak. He is a Rhodes Scholar, a vet and was re-elected with 80% of the vote in Pence's home state. I grew up in South Bend and I'm proud to say he's a breathe of fresh air. Oh, and he's openly gay and mentioned how he spent Thanksgiving with his boyfriend at a range shooting a gun or something like that. Didn't quite catch the specifics but I agree he's smart. He's 35 yrs old so old enough and yet young enough to be good for the DNC.

[Hortensis]

11. His age seems like a real plus for such a public position,

as well as in general. We need new and young voices to elbow in among all the powerful old pros who increasingly are refusing to die, or even just go off and devote their next few decades to golf.

And intellectual pursuits always work for me. I wanted to know WHAT he studied and picked this up from Wickipedia: Buttigieg graduated from Harvard in 2004, receiving his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in History and Literature and writing his thesis on the influence of Puritanism on U.S. Foreign Policy as reflected in the Graham Greene novel The Quiet American.[9] Buttigieg received a first class honors degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics in 2007 from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar

A politician without focus on business law and public policy. Love it.

[LittleGirl]

12. He's a fresh face

if the DNC votes for someone else, they are doing what they will. There are many good points raised last night about how the old guard needs to step aside and let the younger vote take over. I'm 57 but I didn't get involved in politics until 2007 so about a decade ago. Obama was the first politician that seemed to understand my point of you. He did some great things and failed in others but we need to think out of the box. I grew up learning politics when Tricky Dick (Nixon) resigned so I thought they were all crooks. Most are.

Thanks for the wiki info. I didn't know that about him so thanks for that!

[lillypaddle]

16. I love it, too

He is what we need, especially now. New blood, a fresh face, progressive ideas.

[Phoenix61]

47. He spent Thanksgiving in a hunting blind

with his boyfriend's father.

[yuiyoshida]

3. Photos help...

[NewJeffCT]

4. I've seen 3 different phonetic pronounciations

of his last name. I guess I'll have to hear him say it...

[TexasTowelie]

5. Here it is:

https://vimeo.com/198211112

[LittleGirl]

13. Good video, thanks for posting! eom

[lillypaddle]

17. Impressive

Okay, I'm convinced.

[crazycatlady]

7. I've heard it at 'booty judge"

Horrible pronunciation. We already have one of those in the White House.

If John Boehner can convince people there's an A in his last name, then Pete needs a good way to say his last name.

(I can't load the video).

[Warren DeMontague]

23. The RNC has been run by someone named "Rinse Preeebus"

so we can probably get away with butt-whatever

[KittyWampus]

32. BuddhaJudge

[Denzil_DC]

9. BOOT-edge-edge

That's from his Twitter account: https://twitter.com/PeteButtigieg

[dem4decades]

31. He's interviewed by Jon Fabreau here.

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/dgital-media/pod-save-america/e/a-season-for-happy-warriors-49013084

With Jaime Harrison too.

[Demsrule86]

6. Very impressive guy.

He is innovative and just what we need.

[chimpymustgo]

8. I have been quite impressed by him. He could be the one. nt

[Demsrule86]

10. I agree.

[Peacetrain]

14. I really like this guy.. and have a comfort level with him

that reminds me of O'Malley (no he was not perfect, but perfect is not what I demand.. competent is).. I am so ready for the next generation to revitalize and carry on.. I am almost 70.. (67 to be factual) and this is the future if we want not only to take back the powers in the house, senate, whitehouse, state houses.. but to have a vision for a changing economy and moving us forward.. I am hoping for a few vote cycles and then Buttigieg getting the nod.. I know the old guard has its death clinches on power, and wishful thinking on my part.. but we all have a time and a season.. just saying..

[bunnies]

15. It's interesting that you brought up O'Malley.

I have the exact opposite gut reaction to to Mayor Pete than Gov. O'Malley. Mayor Pete comes off as way more genuine and invested to me. Whereas O'Malley reminds me of John Edwards in all the wrong ways. There's just something about him that puts me off. Too rigid. Too rehearsed. Mayor Pete though... He gets it.

[Peacetrain]

21. I first met Gov O'Malley in 2014 I think.. and

kind of got to know him in a small venue.. and he is anything but rigid.. and right now bunnies, looking at that over-reacting orange pops-icicle we have in office now.. a little rehearsed is okay with me.

[bunnies]

25. :)

I understand completely. Should he run again, I will give him fresh, open eyes. I'm sure it must be difficult to be relaxed on a national stage. I know I sure as hell couldnt do it!

As far as 45* goes, I'd prefer a rotting pile of pig intestines, so there won't be any work needed for whatever Dem it is to get my vote next time.

[Peacetrain]

44. :)

[FSogol]

37. O'Malley (and Howard Dean) have endorsed Buttigieg for the job. n/t

[bunnies]

38. A good choice.

I'm all in for anything that elevates him in our party.

[Peacetrain]

43. I know..!! :)

[KittyWampus]

18. His high school essay on the political courage of Bernie Sanders won a Kennedy Award:

Just after graduating in 2000, Buttigieg was honored by Caroline Kennedy at a ceremony in the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston. He had submitted an essay to the annual JFK Profiles in Courage Essay Contest, open to high school seniors, and his winning piece about the political courage of congressman Bernie Sanders demonstrated Buttigieg’s keen political instincts.

[bunnies]

28. Uh Oh.

Appreciation for Senator Sanders is akin to beating kittens around here.

I hope Mayor Pete is spared the wrath. I think he's great.

[KittyWampus]

30. He has positioned himself as the alternative to the proxy Clinton/Sanders war being waged

between Ellison and Perez. So when I read that about his essay it was supremely ironic.

[bunnies]

34. Well then, in that case,

I completely support the alternative to the proxy war! It only seems right.

[bravenak]

33. Nope. I opposed Sanders and LOVE LOVE LOVE Pete.

I do not mind him admiring Sanders. There is much to admire about Bernie.

[bunnies]

36. You just made my fucking day, bravenak.

And I mean that with the utmost sincerity. I would kiss you right now if I could.

[bravenak]

40. Well, good!

[KittyWampus]

19. He understands Data Mining... he NEEDS to be our next DNC chair.

To prepare himself for that calling, he spent 2008 and 2009 in the private sector as a consultant for the McKinsey & Co. global management consulting firm that serves leading businesses, governments, non-governmental organizations, and not-for-profits, helping clients make lasting improvements to their performance. “I wanted to learn how money moves and data is mined most effectively,” he says.

[Wounded Bear]

20. Impressive young man...

If he doesn't get this gig, he should be governor of Indiana.

[Warren DeMontague]

22. Add me to the list of people who had never heard of him until yesterday

and are now super impressed.

[KittyWampus]

24. He did Military Intelligence:

In 2009, Buttigieg was commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve Intelligence Unit. He signed up for the Reserve as a result of his experiences while canvassing for Barack Obama in Iowa in 2008.

“So many times, I would knock and a child would come to the door—in my eyes, a child—and we’d get to talking, and this kid would be on his way to basic training,” Buttigieg remembers. “It was like this whole town was emptying itself out into the military.” He felt he should join the effort, too.

In 2013, Buttigieg was deployed to Afghanistan and served a seven-month tour of duty, earning the Joint Service Commendation Medal for his contributions to counterterrorism. A deputy mayor ran South Bend while Buttigieg took his unpaid military leave. When Buttigieg returned from his tour, he was met by a throng of residents at the airport, all extremely proud of their mayor.

[brooklynite]

26. An observation...

...I didn't know Buttigieg was Gay, and made absolutely no difference in the debate last night.

[Doremus]

27. Is he going to push the party back to the left? That's my only litmus test. nt

[Demsrule86]

46. Really? Hopefully he will do something similar to Howard Dean's

50 state strategy and by selecting candidate who can run in red states...we will regain Power in Congress...and the presidency...also hopefully he will help us win back some states...go left are you kidding...we need a big tent.

[bravenak]

49. This is my hope.

[hrmjustin]

29. I have a feeling he will be the candidate for the Second Congressional District of IN.

[MineralMan]

35. I hope that whoever gets that position is

the most capable, most energetic, and most effective person. I don't care about anything else. We need to win elections. That's all that matters to me about the DNC chair.

The only issue I see with this candidate is that he might not have built up a national network of Democratic Party leaders in every state.

I want a DNC chair who is able to bring party leadership into a coalition that will actually help win elections. Period.

[LonePirate]

39. If I had a vote in the DNC race, he would receive it. He's a young, intelligent visionary.

The people of South Bend have a good mayor on their side.

[ismnotwasm]

41. I love that Democratics like this are coming into the spotlight

He sounds as though he would make an excellent chair because he is an excellent Democrat.

[HoneyBadger]

42. I would rather see Ellison as the chair, but Mayor Pete sounds like a strong contender for 2020

First openly gay major party nominee! It is about time.

[W_HAMILTON]

45. I had never heard of him before last night's debate...

...but I came away very impressed. I don't know that I want him as DNC chair just yet, but he is very well spoken and engaging. He surprised me when he was talking about his boyfriend and surprised me again when he said how young he was (mid-30s, I believe?). Hopefully he has big things in store for the party going forward.

And, while I'm commenting on it, I was actually quite impressed by most of the candidates last night, outside of the two on each end.

[Phoenix61]

48. The more I read about him the more I think

he is just what we need. I was just looking at the state Democratic web-sites last night and every one I saw was laid out differently. When you get down to the county level, there is a calendar but they are not being utilized. How cool would it be for them to have one, user friendly layout and actually utilize them. Welcome to the 21st century.