Why is Pete Buttigieg Enemy #1 Now With The Far Left?

It's the Bernie Bros; they've come fucking unglued after that poll out of Iowa. One of them wrote a hit piece in NYMag yesterday and when it didn't gain traction, she posted it on Twitter while calling Pete a scoundrel. No substance, it was literally just an article composed of debunked tweets.

I had no idea it would be this bad, what with Satan incarnate in the White House, but I guess 2016 is repeating itself. They are the absolute fucking worst and one of the latest polls showed his supporters have the highest percentage of those who wouldn't vote for the Dem nominee if it's not Bernie (those who chose Pete as their first choice had the lowest percentage, btw). Nightmarish people. And yes, they're starting to use homophobic language like Buttplug etc, previously mostly used by immature Yang supporters.

Of course, none of them have anything to say about Obama's words yesterday. Not a fucking peep.

FnF'd

Buttigieg is the only candidate positioning himself to win against Trump. The other candidates are running too far left to win the general election. Unfortunately, Bernie is such a toxic figure, whoever wins the nomination will lose because of Bernie’s butt-hurt, vindictive supporters.

Warren supporters are the worst.

Democrats never fail to shoot themselves in the foot. The Republicans stick together no matter what. Democrats need to stop bickering among themselves and start supporting each other and put on an united front.

[quote] The Republicans stick together no matter what.

I beg to differ. This is the primary season where there are more than 10 candidates running against each other for the opportunity to take on tRump. In 2015-2016 the Repukes didn’t hold back when those 16 candidates were trying to get the nomination. Yes, Cheatolini was the worst, but to an extent they all joined in the fight. And, Bu$h certainly didn’t hold back when he ran against McCain in 2000.

Because he's being shoved down people's throats and no one likes that. It's that simple.

Except Buttigieg is not a Democrat. He's a Republican and he governed South Bend like a Republican. Read about his record. Most of his supporters are voting for him because they think he's "cute" or something.

The far left and the far right usually meet coming around the circle.

Take Biden over Pete? That's rich. Biden only became VP because he's a harmless white geezer who would pose no threat to Obama.

Supposedly they don't like the job he's done as mayor of South Bend.

He takes money from pharma, et al.

[quote] He hews closely to the technocratic wonkery he knows best and keeps raking in cash from the insurance, hospital, and pharmaceutical industries.

Attacking Medicare for All, which the far left loves, whatever it's supposed to mean.

Read this. This is why they don't like him.

He's just not a progressive Democrat. I still like him, however.

This all started because he asked Warren and Bernie how they were going to pay for MFA and all of their other free giveaways. Warren and Bernie supporters just want free stuff, they don't care how it gets paid for and don't want anyone calling them out on their lack of real plans instead of pie in the sky promises that will never get through Congress.

Why do you and others on DL view those who aren't strictly Progressive to be Republicans, Boris/Natasha Trolls?

Honestly do you think anyone whom AOC and/or Soros endorses will win a majority of voters in swing/purple states?

He ain't woman enough to take my man.

This is the treatment Barack Obama would get if he ran as a candidate today. The same way leftists thought Barack was a white corporatist Dem in blackface who made Americans feel good because they were voting for the first black president, they fear Pete’s doing the same except masking DNC centrism under the banner of “first gay president.” They know the power of identity politics, and they sense that Pete is a grave threat to the BernieBro takeover of the Democratic Party.

He’s white and that’s a big no no to the far left. They hate him for it. As a separate issue, some of the black voters also don’t like him because he’s a homo.

I don’t know what the hell happened to the Dem party. They didn’t used to be this crazy.

Boo hoo you're ridiculous R20. The frontrunners are ALL white. Bernie included.

[quote] Pete Buttigieg has just published a campaign book, Shortest Way Home: One Mayor’s Challenge and a Model for America’s Future, that gives a much fuller insight into the way he thinks about himself, his ideals, and his plans. It has been called the “best political autobiography since Barack Obama,” revealing Buttigieg as a “president in waiting.” Indeed, I recommend that anyone considering supporting Buttigieg read it from from cover to cover. It is very personal, very well-written, and lays out a narrative that makes Buttigieg seem a natural and qualified candidate for the presidency.

[quote] It also provides irrefutable evidence that no serious progressive should want Pete Buttigieg anywhere near national public office.

[quote] To give a bit of color to the “from elite school boyhood to elite school undergraduate years” story, Buttigieg portrays himself as an Indiana hayseed for whom the bustling metropolis of Cambridge, MA was an alien world. So, even though he grew up on the campus of a top private university 90 minutes from Chicago, the Boston subway amazed him.

[quote]... He dismisses student labor activists with the right-wing pejorative “social justice warriors.” But more importantly, to this day it hasn’t even entered his mind that he could have joined the PSLM in the fight for a living wage. Activists are an alien species, one he “strides past” to go to “Pizza & Politics” sessions with governors and New York Times journalists. He didn’t consider, and still hasn’t considered, the moral quandary that should come with being a student at an elite school that doesn’t pay its janitors a living wage.

[quote]... Pete Buttigieg does not recall his time at McKinsey with a sense of moral ambivalence. Today he says it might have been his most “intellectually informing experience,” and by that he doesn’t mean that he saw the dark underbelly of American business. No, he was “learning about the nature of data.” It was a thoroughly neutral experience, “a place to learn.” The most critical thing he will say is that he was “sympathetic” to those who think consulting careers less worthy than “public service.” But ultimately, Buttigieg only left McKinsey because it “could not furnish that deep level of purpose that I craved.” His sense of purpose. Have a look at the book: See if you can find a single qualm, even a moment’s interrogation of the nature of the company he worked for.

[quote] Here is one thing I keep noticing about Pete Buttigieg: When asked why he wants to hold an office, he talks much more about who he is than what he will do. Here’s his passage explaining why he wanted to be the mayor...

[quote] ...Here’s another remarkable thing you’ll notice throughout Shortest Way Home: When Pete Buttigieg reports having meetings with people, it’s usually party bosses and advisers rather than ordinary voters, around whom he often seems uncomfortable. In a city that is ¼ Black, the most visible encounter he has with a Black constituent is an extremely telling one...

[quote] ... The fireman gets it: Pete is a skilled rhetorician trying to get people’s pants off. How do you know the fireman is right? Because Pete can’t even think of an answer to this extremely simple question. If someone asks you “How do I know you’re not just some bullshitter?” and you’re not just some bullshitter, you can say “Because I have done X, Y, and Z. I have shown that I’m a person of my word. I have clear plans, and I can tell you why they’ll work, how they’ll help you, and exactly what I’m going to do to make sure they come about.” If, on the other hand, you are just some bullshitter, and your entire life experience up to this point has been going to Harvard and working for one of the world’s worst companies, you will flounder. You have no plans, no ideas, you have no record of good deeds and community service. He’s got you figured, and all you can do is “keep on with your pitch” and stammer the word “accountability.”

[quote] One thing I find remarkable is that when Buttigieg listens to other people, he’s not actually listening to them. Check out this little gem from when he’s figuring out if he can run ....

[quote] ... Alright, so Buttigieg sounds like a bit of a Silicon Valley “growth is everything,” “we can make an app for that” kind of guy. So what? Well, so, I didn’t realize the whole way through Shortest Way Home that South Bend actually has a serious poverty problem! Over ¼ of its residents are poor. It’s not just that Buttigieg is interested in hooking the sewers up to wi-fi. (I’m a “sewer socialist,” I like progressive wastewater management.) It’s that he spends zero time in the book discussing the economic struggles of the residents of his city!

[quote] ... But from Buttigieg’s account of his time in Afghanistan, it doesn’t seem as if he has thought very hard about American militarism or empire. Buttigieg served overseas for seven months with naval intelligence, taking a hiatus from his mayoral duties. By his account, it was mostly uneventful, as the U.S. war was winding down and he spent most of his time either doing analysis at a computer terminal or driving gear through the city. He did not apparently meet a single Afghan who he thought worthy of naming in his book, and the people of Kabul appear as anonymous pieces of scenery. (In this respect they are like the Black people of South Bend or the homeless people of Harvard Square: nameless nonentities whose opinions Buttigieg has never sought.)

[quote] ... Buttigieg’s book is actually one of the strangest pieces of writing I’ve ever read by a “progressive.” Buttigieg doesn’t even seem to speak the language of progressivism. Justice. Workers. The powerless versus the powerful. It’s just not in here. Don’t believe me? Read the book! Oh, you’ll find a cursory reference here and there, perhaps something like the students were volunteering at homeless shelter or we need to think about people’s lives. In the story about his publicly coming out as gay, he mentions that he wished reporters would talk about poverty and hunger “that were impacting our city” instead. But you’ll get a lot more that’s completely apolitical: the origins of his husband’s tattoos, what it was like to first get Bluetooth, snowflakes on an Indiana winter morning, the biographies of his professors, a former mayor’s picky eating habits, etc. There is more about the snow in South Bend than the people of South Bend! By the time you finish Shortest Way Home you may be thinking what I was thinking: Where the hell is justice?

[quote] I actually understand the appeal. Not just because of his “attributes” but because Buttigieg is very good at the “getting voters’ pants off” aspect of politics. He can say all the words you want to hear. So when he says things like “bipartisanship and appeal to independents [need not be] the same thing as ideological centrism,” I find myself nodding. When I watch a video of him talking about freedom, arguing in Rooseveltian language that we need freedom from want as well as freedom from outright oppression, I nearly cheer. He says the “system no longer works.” True! That we should think about “the concrete impacts of political decisions.” Yes! That we need to focus on “everyday lives.” We sure do! Cynicism is bad! Don’t ignore the red states! Hope! Change! Not the blue and the red, but the red, white, and blue!

[quote] But the question is always: What do you actually mean by this stuff? I remember one of my high school teachers always marked essays down when they drifted into “glittering generalities.” It was the right approach: If a statement can mean many things to many people, what are you sticking up for? What can we expect of you? You can always achieve unity through vapidity, but you can’t achieve anything else.

[quote] In the last five minutes of his political life, Buttigieg has started making some radical noises, as is necessary to compete in a Sanders-dominated primary. Buttigieg is smart, and I think people should be warned: He’s probably going to say a lot of good stuff. He’s probably going to sign on to major left initiatives, or even try running to the left of Sanders somehow. (“You want to put two more justices on the Supreme Court? How about twelve?”) You’re going to nod, you’re going to cheer, you’re going to say “Wow, he’s really speaking our language.”

[quote] But here’s a fact about Pete Buttigieg: He picks up languages quickly. He already speaks seven of them, and you can find stories online of him dazzling people by dropping some Arabic or Norwegian on them. The lingo of Millennial Leftism will be a cinch for Pete. He will begin to use all the correct phrases, with perfect grammar. The question you should ask is: What language has he been speaking up until now?

[quote] Let me say it one more time for extra emphasis: Pete Buttigieg is going to make good points and make them well. He’s not a dummy. He will adopt proposals you like. In his “Letter from Flyover Country” he touches very briefly on some issues that go undiscussed in the book, such as “dishonest banking practices.” He says that fairness is good and we should have more of it. As he realizes that people care about these things, he will talk about them more. But compare this with Elizabeth Warren’s set of new policy plans, compare Shortest Way Home’s tech-driven governance with Warren’s The Two-Income Trap, and compare Buttigieg’s “I don’t think it’s honest to be specific” thing with the way Warren began her campaign, talking about the centuries-long struggle of the labor movement before spitting out policy plan after policy plan.

[quote] ... Demand the evidence. Examine the record. We have got to learn to see through this stuff. You have to look at what they did and said before it was politically opportune to say what they’re saying now. Five minutes ago, Pete Buttigieg was “the management consultant making the South Bend sewers run on time.” Now he’s suddenly a radical who want to pack the Supreme Court. From Mitt Romney to Eugene Debs in a single news cycle.

[quote]  It matters because of the people Buttigieg doesn’t see, the people who aren’t in the index of his “beautiful” book with its “classic American success story” of “humility and tentativeness.” Read this recent Washington Post profile of Monica Diaz, who is 40 years old, went to college, has a full-time job, and is still having to live in a tent because the rent is too high and her pay is too low. Think about the people who have to launch GoFundMe campaigns for their insulin, and those like Shane Boyle who die when they can’t make their goal.

[quote] These things should make you fucking angry. You should not be able to stop thinking about them. Your hate should be pure and should burn white hot. If you find pothole locator apps more compelling than the lives of people like Monica Diaz, then there is something wrong with you. Get out of politics. Take the shortest way home and stay there.

People have told you repeatedly why they don't like him, yet you refuse to listen. Just like Mayor Pete. He always refuses to listen and thinks he knows better.

R25 You're projecting your own feeling onto others. Take your piss and vinegar somewhere else.

R17, I've just been posting articles in this thread informing OP of the far left's take. I'm a technocratic Dem. I'll vote for any of them, except Tulsi.

The point is that the far left sees him as a centrist technocrat who lacks actual policy proposals because he doesn't want to show you just how centrist he is. They think his social justice rhetoric is just an attempt to co-opt the progressive base's language.

He takes money from banks, insurance companies, and drug companies. They hate that. They think every campaign should be funded by small donors (insane).

They see him as the type who's going to be president, and then afterwards make a billion dollars speaking to bank executives. Clinton did it. Obama does it. The far left hates that.

He has a funny last name not many can pronounce.

I'm a Canadian and Mayor Pete is too smart, rational, clean cut, and well spoken for America. If you let him slip through your fingers then you deserve everything you get, including 4 more years of Trump.

My progressive millennial friends HATE him. except for one, he was chasten's boyfriend in college. they still get along

every one in my generation likes him

"Far left" is a right wing construct. I can't wait for all of you antediluvian geezers to die off - then and only then is America going to get better. The wishy washy centrism which means absolutely NOTHING in any real terms is what has wrought Trump and far-right.

R29 Come out of Sleepy Hollow - just about everyone knows how to pronounce his last name by now.

Oh yeah, a Canadian. That's who I would listen to when it comes to politics. Actually, what the hell do you people know about anything?

R32 Your gibberish is beyond comprehension. Go take your meds.

R25 is right.

We get it, Buttigieg supporters. You like him a lot. He's very respectable, intelligent, and gay. That's great, but you've already heard why the far left doesn't like him, and you just won't listen.

What the far left is saying may be untrue, but it's not like what they're saying about him is incomprehensible or confusing. They're making clear claims about who they believe him to be.

You know their talking points, so show the far left that they're wrong and that he's an actual progressive (past actions vs. rhetoric) and win them over if you want.

I had some Bernie hag SCREECH out of her apartment window - MONTHS ago - at my husband and I walking with our Pete shirts on.

“PETE SUCKS!!!! He’s bought and paid for!!! GO BERNIE!!!”

Fucking unglued. Superlibs also hate him because he’s a white male. Bernie doesn’t count because he looks fucking crazy so he’s seen as a doofus (which is an okay way to be a white male to the weirdo lefties).

[quote]What the far left is saying may be untrue, but it's not like what they're saying about him is incomprehensible or confusing.

wait, it's untrue? like lies? why listen then?

R34 Americans seldom look beyond the boundaries of their own country. Listen to what other people have to say once in awhile, including Canadians, and you might learn something.

R36 You're the one that is confused...…….and then some.

R38, I'm saying it as unbiased observer. OP says he doesn't understand why the far left dislikes him. I'm saying that the far left has these beliefs about him that are the basis of their dislike for him. So the point would be, if you like him, to prove those points wrong, etc.

I'm not saying whether or not what the far left believes about him is true or not. I'm just saying it's there, out in the open, and they're ready to be proven false, if they are in fact false.

Stop saying it's incomprehensible why they dislike them. That's plainly untrue. Show that their reasons for disliking him are false.

R40, way to explain anything. So articulate.

[quote] The word “progressive,” means something. It’s not just the basic definition of moving progress forward, but it is a political ideology that stands opposed to the tenets of the ideology of liberalism. Liberalism approaches politics from the standpoint that the capitalism-based status quo is worth preserving, and policy focus should be on fixing its deficiencies around the edges. Progressivism takes the attitude that the status quo is the problem, and the only solution is to get rid of the system perpetuating the unsustainable status quo.

[quote] ... A lot has changed in liberal politics since 2016, and most candidates do not have political histories that match up with our current political moment. Given that seemingly everyone has moved left to some degree post-2016, we should give folks like Buttigieg enough room to change their minds and explain why, but given that Buttigieg has already branded himself a progressive post-announcement while also endorsing decidedly not progressive positions, you cannot help but be skeptical of him. Progressivism is a specific platform that is simply not represented in much of Mayor Pete’s current or past policies, and like Kamala Harris with “progressive prosecutor,” calling decidedly non-progressive ideals “progressive” is a really good way to lose progressive votes.

Nobody likes Pete. He'll never hold a political office higher than mayor. He's already sold out to big business and media and will be dumping his starter wife soon too.

Now he's moving back to the center.

MEET THE LOBBYISTS AND SPECIAL INTERESTS WHO HELPED LAUNCH PETE BUTTIGIEG’S POLITICAL CAREER

Pete's desperation and ambition, warmongering, corporate whoring and cowardly life in the closet duplicity make him better suited to run for the other team. And he will. He's a Republican. Maybe a Russian asset.

[QUOTE] He’s white and that’s a big no no to the far left. They hate him for it. As a separate issue, some of the black voters also don’t like him because he’s a homo.

Right, and no white people dislike him because he’s a homo. Just the blacks. White people can’t wait to have a gay president. White people adore the gays.

Pete must have really scared the Warren brigade. Look at all the negativity. Lesson learned, don't ask Warren to give details about her plans or her fans melt down.

He takes money from banks and insurance companies.

R59, how do you know it's not the Bernie cult?

Not hard to understand. The left has tossed gay men under the bus in order to ally with muslims and transgenders. Lesbians are getting the boot too.

Troll

[quote] The left has tossed gay men under the bus in order to ally with muslims and transgenders.

There’s always a hierarchy.

[quote] Pete's desperation and ambition, warmongering, corporate whoring and cowardly life in the closet duplicity make him better suited to run for the other team. And he will. He's a Republican.

I don’t agree with all of those reasons, but I have always thought that he looks like Republican. In an alternate universe, where his parents were in the corporate world instead of ivory tower academia, he probably is one.

Simple. They dislike him, because they feel threatened by him. Just like they dislike Biden.

Pete only “looks like Republican” because the Democratic Party has been dragged so far left over the past two decades, especially after the rise of Bernie and “The Squad.” It wasn’t too long ago that he’d be considered a radical leftist. His healthcare plan would’ve been too liberal for the Clinton administration, but now the left calls it “conservative.”

I can’t imagine what kind of litmus tests they’ll have 10-20 years from now that make today’s policies look mundane by comparison.

I really like Pete, but I LOVE Kamala. That said, neither are likely to be the nom. I do think that moderates are the way to go personally. Free college? Do they pay us back for the loans that we already paid off? Or are we just penalized for our age and responsibility? I love Medicare for all - but we need more details really. At the end of the day, we Dems need to work TOGETHER and get the best ticket on the ballet - the ticket to WIN in 2020. Once we accomplish that, the Dem POTUS needs to appoint some of these great minds into the roles that they were meant to play... Kamala appointed as the United States Attorney General - IMMEDIATELY. Pete would make a great White House Chief of Staff. Yang would make an amazing United States Secretary of the Treasury, etc., etc. We are likely looking at Warren or Biden as the nom here folks. VP is such a powerless role (just think of that flaming, current first lady, QUEEN, and hypocrite - "mother" Mike Pence..). We need brains and we need them NOW.

"I really like Pete, but I LOVE Kamala. That said, neither are likely to be the nom. "

The understatement of the CENTURY. Harris will be out of the race by the end of the year, if not sooner.

What the US labels progressive, most of the civilized world considers centrist. Healthcare and gun control and abortion rights, oh MY! What will they think of next, gay marriage? Y'all were late to that too. Do you let the darkies vote yet?

[quote]The understatement of the CENTURY. Harris will be out of the race by the end of the year, if not sooner.

So should Pete retire. Who wastes a hundred million dollars of donor money when he's at 7% popularity? Lil Pete has a complex. He thinks he's far more substantial and interesting than he is. Kamala is ten times the woman that Pete is.

It's irrelevant what the rest of the world thinks. They're not voting.

He is a threat to Bernie. Bewrnie has been nosediving and the attacks on Pete have increased. Funny, but you would expect Harris and Booker to be rising in the polls and they ain't.

Half of it is because he’s more centrist than people like Warren and Bernie, and politics has descended into such a ludicrous exercise in choosing sides that centrists are bullied out of either party. The other half of it is because he’s gay.

Again, until I see some true upheaval, neither Pete, Kamala nor Cory are any real threats to the top dogs. I love them all for different reasons. Remember Warren in 2015/2016? She was a nobody yet did a great job of making a name for herself. This is what this group is doing now (outside of VP or appointed roles). All 3 will be forces in the next 4 years.

If the illegals don't overpopulate the nation, the Democratic Party is going to fail in about 10-20 years. They're too far to the left and Americans don't like it.

This thread of attacks and analyses of Pete are very encouraging. He's being taken very seriously now. Sure, he'll fend for himself. Good prep for when he faces Trump.

I'd give Warren and Pete even chances of being the nominee. Even odds of beating Trump. I'm ok with either or both changemakers.

Pete is a Progressive, but smart enough to make it sound moderate and nonthreatening.

Agree r78. Come spring and everyone will be vying to get into the position he's already occupying now. Smart cookie.

r76, trollin;, trollin', trollin...

R14, I read that article, and yes it does clearly outline why they dont like him. They are totally and spectacularly wrong about pretty much everything else, so it stands to reason they're wrong about him as well

R15 elections are won in the centre. The same is true in my own country too, and probably everywhere. Thats where all the floating voters are, the people who dont like Trump but dont much like what most of the Democrats have to offer either, the independents, the disaffected and disillusioned that are mostly alienated from both main parties but want someone sane in power. Buttgieg is a centrist, that's why he is the best option to win those votes. If I was American I'd vote for him. I imagine he may win over some reluctant Trump voters who only vote Republican for one policy such as strong borders but find him a crass embarassment in all other respects

Its not just the far left.

If you see a hateful comment about Pete on Twitter and click on the profile it is usually a Kamala or beto supporter.

They hate that an uppity gay man is stealing their candidates thunder. Shout out to Pete supporters for not stooping to their racist and homophobic level.

Petey is a cutie

The reasons are simple but nonetheless disappointing--he is not "far-left" enough, he is "part of the system", he's "just a governor", he's "not gay enough". All these reasons are fucking stupid and they all come from the far-left (especially hardcore Bernie supporters), even other gays. Actually, it is the gays who have made the worst comments about him. Why are we eating our own? Do these people not understand how being president works? You can only be president if you appeal to a majority of the nation. You cannot run as some far-left, social-justice obsessed clown. What great things has Bernie Sanders accomplished recently? What ACTUAL accomplishments do Beto, Kamala and Tulsi have?

R84: Oh, look. You've posted the same non-English comment in another thread about him. He is not a Governor! And what has Pete accomplished? Nothing. The rest of your comment is gays need to support a fellow gay. By that logic, we all need to support Miss Aaron for her return to office from Peoria. You troll.

R22, that's all a bunch of BS written. Wow, how dare he talk about working with data at McKinsey when, you know, he was WORKING WITH DATA! It's weird they hate him for having had real jobs before he was in office.

R85, should have said mayor, my bad. Whatever. It doesn't invalidate the rest of my comment. You are incredibly stupid. You don't understand the difference between Aaron Shock and Pete? You don't need to support him just because he's gay but the level of vitriol directed against him is pretty disproportionate.

R87: No. No it's not. It's not disproportionate to say these things, it's just the truth, babe. Deal with it. He's moving to the right, which is easy because his campaign is nothing but platitudes, as is his book. He offers nothing. He's working with Zuckerberg, a man who says he'll let politicians lie in Facebook ads, but only if they lie about their lying. He has no accomplishments to really run on, so I don't know what the fuck you're babbling on about there. In short, you're a troll for him. Go and vote for him, have fun. I refuse to based on the above truths about him.

Independent of politics, sanders connects with more than a few arrogant, narcissistic, sanctimonious people, who take that tone wrt him. Not a coincidence, I reckon, that a disproportionate number of sanders supporters I've come across are going through life with the attitude that movies/bands/parts of the world they don't like are shit, for losers and dimwits, etc.

By the way, I haven't decided on a candidate, have plenty of time before my state's primary. And it's a 100% blue state so the Pres vote won't matter, but of course I will vote for any Democrat that gets the nomination.

"The far left and the far right usually meet coming around the circle."

Yup. Other than philosophical differences, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, etc, all have one thing in common: they were murderous cut throats.

[quote]The reasons are simple but nonetheless disappointing--he is not "far-left" enough, he is "part of the system", he's "just a governor", he's "not gay enough".

pity that, as he's not even a governor

[quote]Yup. Other than philosophical differences, Stalin, Hitler, Mao, Pol Pot, etc, all have one thing in common: they were murderous cut throats.

seriously? trolls resort to this? pete buttigieg as a murderous tyrant? what the serious fuck?

I need a 3way with Pete and Chasten before I decide.

I think if Peter was the Democratic candidate it would ensure a Trump victory: "Agh, he ain't so bad... And the economy!"

R92, I think what R90 meant but didnt put very well is that the extreme left and extreme right have a lot in common (and he's right about that), Buttgieg is very much neither, he is a complete centrist, so anything but a murderous tyrant.

In fact I cant think of any examples of centrist murderous tyrants at all. Plenty on left and right though

The insane lies that they spread about him reeks of such pathetic desperation. He gets no money from the pharma industry or any other industry. He gets money ($2,800 max or $5,600 for primary plus general) from individuals, some of whom may work in different industries. The same applies to Warren, Harris, Biden, and even that saint, Bernie.

As someone mentioned, he is a threat to Bernie and they didn't see it coming. The reason the Bernie-Bros hate Pete more than Biden (even though Biden is more of a centrist than Pete) is that they're used to Biden being front runner and explain Biden's status as pure "name recognition" and being Obama's VP. The Bros have always thought that ultimately those 2 factors will fade and Bernie will come out victorious. They didn't expect an upstart from South Bend, Indiana to start beating or tying with Bernie. Too bad, so sad, Bernie Bros.

Cardi B supports Bernie. That's a resounding reason to vote for Bernie in large numbers!

Lizzo supports who?

Jesus fucking christ support who you want...but Pete ain't getting nowhere near the white house. Not as a Democrat. He's not what we want and his sexual preference has nothing to do with it. He's not sexy so who should care? Gays imagine people are far more fascinated with their sex lives than they are. Do you care about Elizabeth Warren's love life? No. Cory Booker? Yeah, maybe. He's a bit sexy and preachy and sketchy and that's fun to think about. But gay Pete is as sexy as Hillary Clinton or Barney Frank. That's how it should be. Some insane troll on DL thinks that 6% Pete is a big deal? The media loves to detract from the democratic frontrunner. That would be and will remain Elizabeth Warren. Then Biden and Saunders. I'd vote for any of them. I won't vote for Republican Pete. We'll never have to. He's done after this. He's the Van Jones of gay men. "Listening" and reaching out to all our oppressors in Jesus name. YUCK. Pete has a problem being gay. And gay is not the hardest thing to be in America. He's a problem Democrat. Fuck off lil dude. You made your name, now make your money whore. Pete reminds me a lot of Sarah Palin. Think about it.

Warren and Pete are likely not a perfect match, but maybe? (they have very different politics, but I would like to see that ticket personally). I can see a Biden/Kamala pairing though...

r98 Lizzo is a Bernie supporter.

Lizzo I can see beating chasten up

Lizzie would just need to sit on him, no beating necessary!

lizzo and pete could play a duet together

R99 O-tay. By the way, it's not a preference.

He is Republican lite and deserves the scorn.

I very much like Buttigieg, but do we really think he’s going to command the kind of support from black voters necessary for a Democrat to win a general election. In Michigan, where I live, it’s understood that the difference maker in ‘16 was the drop-off of support from black men, who couldn’t bring themselves to vote for a woman (or, at least, a woman with Hillary’s profile). We have to be realistic enough to know that too many reliably Democratic voters will not vote for a gay man to be president.

Homophobia. They want our votes but that's it.

With warren polling so poorly in the battleground states I’m thinking Pete is the answer

If black voters won’t vote for women or gays, aren’t they Republican?

R109 if Warren can’t win swing states then Pete sure as hell cant. They have the same demographic base if voters and at least Warren is progressive. You Pete shills have really let all logic and facts fly out the window. Everyone says Bernie supporters are unhinged but it’s really Pete supporters. Yall are delusional.

Pete is smart and all but he is like a robot. I don't know who started that shit about who you want to have a beer with but I don't want to have one with Pete. I think he look at me condescendingly if I drank it out of the bottle or critique the foam on the top if I poured it into a glass. I get no warmth from him. He is a smart dude. And I have always said I wanted the smartest in the room to have the job I don't care if he/she is likable but as I age, I've changed. He has zero charisma.

[quote]If black voters won’t vote for women or gays, aren’t they Republican?

no, the GOP hates blacks, so no

[quote]Pete is smart and all but he is like a robot.

no, he's not a robot.

[quote] I think he look at me condescendingly if I drank it out of the bottle

no, you're just an insecure ninny. go play in traffic

Getting blacks to vote republican is one sure way to get the white vote back.

[quote] He is Republican lite and deserves the scorn.

In what way, Boris?

I actually wonder - If Biden wasn’t in the race- would Obama stump for Pete?

r116, so true. Calling a Democratic centrist, and he remains a liberal, Republican light is a Republican talking point.

Really, R109? I thought Warren was the answer to all of our hopes and dreams. Hopefully, this Sienna poll (which is one of the most highly-regarded polls out there) will bring the Bernie and Warren bots to their senses. Bernie and Warren are losing tickets. Most people don't want what they're offering. Not sure if Pete is the answer. I support him but he has low name recognition. I'm also sad to say that homophobia plays a huge role in some of the lack of support As flawed as he is, it may have to be Biden.

It's disgusting how pro-Buttigieg this forum is. His supporters are just as insufferable as the Bernie and Warren ones. What's worse is that Buttigieg is just a shifty person and seems like a fraud in most cases. Let's face it the only reason why you all support him is because he's gay, there is nothing else to it. And that's pretty empty of Pete supporters, just admit it already.

I find it funny how so many people said, the only reason blacks voted for Barack is because he's black. And apparently that was a problem.

Now all I see are gays falling all over themselves to support pete, obviously because he's gay at the core anyway. But very liberal gay white men in particular, seem to be very enthusiastic about pete.

You can't tell me it isn't because he's a gay white man. Because we all know it is, no matter what you say.

[quote] Let's face it the only reason why you all support him is because he's gay, there is nothing else to it.

And white and young and slender. Don't forget that. If he was black and fat and 63, he wouldn't get a moment of interest from Data Lounge.

I like how R119 posted a picture of Bernie winning all three of the most important swing states to show how Bernie is a “losing candidate”. Pete supporters are nuts.

[quote]What's worse is that Buttigieg is just a shifty person and seems like a fraud in most cases.

^^THIS

We have a current corporate-loving shill, corrupt president. Do we want to follow it up with another smarmy, wise-cracking, (admittedly intelligent), corporate shill who is “out” for himself?

NO thank you.

If I'm going to go centist, I want the one who is more likely to win. Biden.

All presidents in recent history have been huge corporate shills, they we're all just more discreet and diplomatic about it.

Trump just doesn't give a shit. And not giving a fuck about anything has been working for him for 73 years now.

I’m all for Pete

[quote] All presidents in recent history have been huge corporate shills, they we're all just more discreet and diplomatic

Unlike you, R126, I strive to believe that there exist people who run for the presidency that aren’t SO seduced by corporations.

Not ALL candidates have the corporate shilling down to a fine art like Trump and as-it-seems-now, Pete. Those private planes, past experience at McKinsey, Chasten chasing $$$$$ in Europe, Anna Wintour excursions and Zuckerberg coddling just don’t do it.

There ARE alternatives.

Kamala Harris

I like kamala

Join our 100% people powered movement! No PACs, no lobbyists, and no corporate donors!

Because people think hes clearly a racist.

Buttigieg still isn’t known by a lot of people, so he has room for growth. Several of the candidates people thought would be front runners, like Harris, are going nowhere.

Warren and Sanders were very well known before this election. Bernie has to have an extremely high rate of recognition. Probably most people that vote know about him. The people that like Bernie are already with Bernie, so he may have already topped out on their support.

I’m not saying Buttigieg doesn’t have flaws. But considering he is competing with a guy that may have maxed out his support already (Bernie), a woman a lot of people don’t seem to want to vote for out of misogyny or just ideas (Warren), and Biden, whose age may catch up with him at some point, it’s not unreasonable to say he may gain ground down the road.

I think a lot of what’s holding Bernie and Warren back is they are perceived as too spendy. It’s not likely that sector of the party is going to change their minds about that, because the policies they promote are expensive. If you’re against that, then you are.

I think the bigger problem is the large percentage of democrats that would be willing to settle for joe biden. Grandpa senile idiot Biden is the one nominee trump would have a chance at defeating, despite the polling. The reason I say that.............. is you lose the left wing of the party and they dont vote and even worse you dont get a single vote from anybody under 30 for Biden.

So young people under thirty are supporting Trump? Then why should Democrats give a shit what they want? They’re only interested in reliable voters willing to vote for the Democratic nominee.

[quote] Buttigieg still isn’t known by a lot of people, so he has room for growth.

Americans don't know first gay guy running for president? I find that hard to believe.

Again: all young people know Biden. They know him better than all the other candidates because of memes from when he was Vice President. My students ALWAYS talk about Joe Biden. He is the only politician they know, apart from Trump.

Pete should not have run yet. He is too young and this country isn't ready for a gay president much less one who is trying to beat Trump. He should have waited.

Pete comes across as very entitled, I dont like that. It makes me uncomfortable with him.

Chastina really wants to be the next first lady doesn't she?

She is itching to get into the white house. Already talking about picking out White House China and everything.

We see you chastina!

r140. you are vile

[quote] So young people under thirty are supporting Trump?

If so then it’s good that they never ever vote

R139, he doesn’t come across that way to me, compared to the others.

Pete has a few issues in general - although I will not list being gay as one of them. His obvious ties to GOP-leaning corporations are damning (Facebook, etc.). His complete lack of experience is perhaps an equally negative issue (being the mayor of a tiny town with a population of 100,000 is not equal to REAL experience Petey...). Of course I will vote Dem down the ticket, but Pete is not the best choice here. Kamala is my vote - but others are equally qualified. Pete needs to distance himself from trash (Mark Zuckerberg, etc.) and get some real world knowledge of politics (RUN FOR CONGRESS Pete!). He clearly has the intellect, but is VERY light on the actual experience.

R141 I joking, lighten up. I thought this was DL?

Remember, the old saying? No one is off limits on this site.

That includes chastina. Pete too.

Laugh a little, you don't even know these people.

Sorry r140, you are a cunt cunting.

You are right, this is DL, cunt.

[quote] tiny town with a population of 100,000 is not equal to REAL experience Petey...).

more experience than trump had entering office