Would a 37-Year-Old Woman Be Where Pete Buttigieg Is?

Tulsi Gabbard's father was a huge local politician. Not exactly like she clawed her way up from nothing.

She's not wrong, but Pete's rise to national prominence wasn't SOLELY because of male privilege. He's clearly a very intelligent guy with strong political acumen. I can acknowledge that even though I don't support him. I'm a Bernie or Liz guy.

How many men would be where Pete is today?

I dare say not many.

Nothing makes me fall asleep faster than the thought of Amy Klob.....zzzzz

Oh please, Amy’s rise to power was the 5 minutes she was given during the Kavanaugh hearings

I like Pete, but there's truth in this.

I was leaving the gym the other day and an older guy was collecting signatures for Elizabeth Warren. I stopped to sign, and the guy told me that no men had signed for Warren all day. He said he experienced the same thing when he campaigned for Hillary.

I'm certainly seeing the misogyny--again!--with Bernie Bros, who are now attacking Warren supporters on social media in particularly aggressive and vile fashion.

Klobuchar and Warren are struggling to stay in the mix in large part because of their sex and not because of their qualifications.

The problem with playing the Oppression Olympics, Ms. Klobuchar, is that it falls into two traps:

1. While DEMANDING understanding and empathy for your own oppressed situation, you belittle and demean the experiences of other groups. You demonstrate a decided lack of empathy and understanding for what OTHER people go through, even as you DEMAND it for yourself.

2. As you compete in the Oppression Olympics, you lay out your case and oppressed bona fides for adjudication for who has suffered and experienced more oppression. Since the point of the competition is to achieve meaningful redress for past crimes, the problem is that the only meaningful adjudication arises from those same people who oppressed you in the first place. One can only oppress if one has the power to do so. In turn, one can only redress wrongs if one has the power to do so. Ergo, you are essentially asking to be judged by the same people who've always judged you.

Poor Amy Klobuchar, who went to the wealthiest public high school in the Twin Cities, then Yale, then U of Chicago law. She has been so oppressed.

Yes, Society dislikes overtly ambitious and independent women

It's the same white women screeching about the same tired bullshit. Instead of bitching about Pete, maybe they should fix their own damned house and start some outreach. A lot of white women vote for a lot of republicans. Maybe they should focus on why that is, instead of trying to trash Pete.

Democrats don't have probably voting for a woman, just give us a woman that we want to vote for. Amy K would be great, but she isn't offering enough free stuff for this crowd.

In Finland, she might.

A country like America is much more backwards and chickenshit, so not there, no.

A man of color would also not be where Buttigieg is. Imagine if Andrew Gilliam, who was the Mayor of Tallahassee, which has almost as twice as many people as South Bend, had run for President this year. Don’t think he’d be polling well in Iowa or New Hampshire.

R6, How is what Bernie's supporters are doing any different then what Warren's supporters do to Pete?

Warren's organizers created the #RefundPete hashtag to encourage people to get refunds back from their donations to Pete. Then just yesterday, another Warren staffer organized an anti Pete protest in Iowa.

She plays just as dirty imo.

I know of women who say females shouldn’t be president because only men should be leaders

Oh, a NYTimes hit piece of Mayor Pete. Must be ***day.

Save it, r10. White women are Pete's base. I had to laugh when I read some idiot on this board refer to Warren's supporters as fraus. Pete Buttigieg IS the frau candidate. If you don't believe me, go look at the vast majority of people at his rallies.

The reality is that it's purely conjecture whether a woman or black man or anyone else would be in the position Pete is in because there are none who have comparable bona fides who have attempted to run.

It's like arguing that we wouldn't be discussing whether a 47 year old woman would have been where Barack Obama was.

The media acting like Sanders supporters trending #NeverWarren is the crime of the century. What a joke. Warren supporters have been tweeting #NeverPete and #SneakyPete for months so that must be sexism too right r6?

R3 is missing the point.

White men in particular are given leeway that isn't given to others. You think Obama could've been scum both professionally and personally like Trump and have gotten as far as he did? You think any minority/female being as repulsive as Trump, could become president?

So it isn't far-fetched to believe a woman or any non-white male would've been taken seriously having Buttigieg's CV - even as accomplished as he is and undoubtedly brilliant, he's still got a light CV.

^wouldn't* have been taken seriously.

I mean yeah of course there is an element of truth to this - it would most likely be harder for a woman with Pete's background/resume to be doing this well - reasons are ingrained misogyny and America. But also would a 78 year old woman whose heart exploded only a few months ago even still be in the race? Fucking hell no.

Warren decided that remaining a well liked DC insider was more important than her values which is why she endorsed Corporate queen Hillary instead of Bernie. I will never forgive her.

Yeah, but women are used to being sidelined for straight men. Being sidelined for a gay, up until very recently, closeted mayor is extra hurtful.

R19 Why don't they ask the same questions of Yang then? Would a woman with Yang's credentials be taken seriously as well?

And the last time I checked, you do have a woman with an even thinner resume that Buttigieg who's still in the race by the name of Marianne Williamson.

Klobuchar is going after Buttigieg for other reasons than simply his experience. And that's a main reason why I don't like her.

R23, Homophobic much?!??!

R24, be serious. No one is taking Marianne seriously. She's isn't a legitimate candidate.

You really can't see why Pete Buttigieg would be getting more attention than Andrew Yang, who is polling at 3%. All this "Looky here, look at that candidate over there polling at 3%! Why aren't you picking on them?" from the Pete camp is really making me think less of him. If he wants to be in the lead, he needs to take the heat that comes with it.

[quote]be serious. No one is taking Marianne seriously. She's isn't a legitimate candidate.

Someone must think she is, because she's lasted longer than Harris and Gillibrand.

[quote]You really can't see why Pete Buttigieg would be getting more attention than Andrew Yang, who is polling at 3%

The question was not about polling. The question was about credentials and experience.

[quote]If he wants to be in the lead, he needs to take the heat that comes with it.

Pot meet fucking kettle. Kloubachar's pissed because she isn't doing better so she decided to go after "the easy target" to get him out of the race. Typical entitled white woman bullshit. Gays are fine as long as they don't stand in your way.

She needs to address why she voted for Trump's anti-LGBT rights judges and stop with wanting everyone to feel sorry for her.

A 37 yo woman? She'd get the same attention if she was as astute and qualified as Pete. #notamy

Why are some of you Pete "stans" such thin-skinned idiots? This is politics, fools. Even within the same party, you go after each other. Amy K. has been consistently awesome in the senate. Let them rip each other, but don't make this personal for you. Even they know the game, but in the end, they close ranks to defeat that steaming pile of orange shit. Hillary and Obama went at it and in the end, she became his SoS - that's how it works. I shouldn't have to remind you of these things.

I mean, my God, you saw the shit Miss L said about Trump, right? Then he became a complete suckass.

Fight the real enemy.

R19: You talk like if Pete was not a member of a minority. How many gay men reach that far on an election?

Sorry, but i don't believe for a second that a woman has more difficulties than a gay man on a presidential election

R31, how many women have been elected president? I'll wait.

And we sure as hell know there are a shitload of closeted gay white men in power who are the very reason openly gay people have had difficulty in life and continue to carry the water of bigots.

[quote]Let them rip each other, but don't make this personal for you

She makes it personal when she approves judges that would make Mike Pence green with envy.

Go suck her twat someone else, you moron.

R33, you're so full of rage on behalf of a political candidate that it renders you semi-literate when trying to insult me.

Imbecile, you're so obsessed with Pete that you automatically assume I'm her supporter? I'm telling you how it works. And BTW, I can say the same shit about Pete's FP leaning more right-wing and I'm disgusted by it. Fucking asshole.

Warren was the one who took it personal. Whining like a little baby because Bernie's volunteers were mean to her in that script.

Fuck Warren.

Some of you really do remind me of Harriet Christian. Psychotic-level devotion to a politician.

[quote]you're so full of rage on behalf of a political candidate

Pointing out that she approved judges who are against LGBT rights is hardly being "full of rage".

[quote]Imbecile, you're so obsessed with Pete that you automatically assume I'm her supporter

Where did I say I was obsessed or that I'm even his supporter? Let's just throw anything out and hope it sticks, huh?

[quote]I'm telling you how it works.

Okay to whatever that's supposed to mean.

Dear, you've made a fucking mess all over this thread. If this was an attempt at trolling, try much harder the next time. If it wasn't, well, let's just hope it was.

Somebody else, please get a janitor.

I think Amy has found the DL.

R37, your reaction to what I wrote was ridiculous. You personally attacked me for merely telling you that politics is ugly. I mean for fuck sake, have you seen the quotes from Graham about Trump. Or Ted Cruz after Trump went after his own wife?

This is NOTHING. The Dems going after each other is nothing compared to what was going on with Trump and the others who were running...and look how it ended up.

You cannot take this personally and you cannot pretend that anyone who isn't Buttigieg is the devil reincarnate. I have no candidate who I support. I'm just voting for the Dem nominee no matter who it is, but we have to stop this shit where we attack these candidates. They're not meant to be meek little wallflowers. They're supposed to go after each other - that's how it works.

To be fair, how many 37 year old men OR women have been where Pete is? In the past, it would have been unthinkable and laughable that someone that young would run for president. But the world is changing, and many people want younger people to be in office. I think a lot of that is due to the Obama presidency. He was young and did well in office for 8 years.

Uh being gay is much stronger political headwind than being a woman, as proven by multiple political polls. Pete is also the first open queer to make it to a presidential debate stage. Amy is not as smart as Pete and took fewer risks than him, and is now bitter about it.

So she suggests that if she had the same experience as Mayor Pete, she wouldn't be be standing on that stage and then decries what she is surmising.

She could just as easily suggest that if she had the same experience as Mayor Pete, they'd cancel the whole election and appoint her emperor. Or that she would easily win the election by demonstrating the ability to tele-transport herself through walls. Or maybe if she had the same experience as Mayor Pete, the universe would collapse upon itself. If she's going to address one hypothetical she should address them all.

Pete's lack of experience is his selling point--the public hates Washington and he's perceived as an outsider. Amy keeps harping on her Senate experience and wondering why that's not counting for more, but the Senate is the least popular government institution in the country. Before Obama, no one had gone from the Senate to the White House in over 50 years.

R43, the fact that she throws staplers or whatever at her assistants and aides also makes her seem like more of an insider...if that makes any sense at all.

[quote] Pete's lack of experience is his selling point--the public hates Washington and he's perceived as an outsider.

He may be an outsider, but he's no outsider. In spirit, he's as much of an insider and established ment type as any of them.

Pete is just an uppity queer, how dare he be in the position where a woman or POC has a right to be.

Isn’t this the same false equivalency BS that black twitter called Pete out on when he said being gay gave insight to the struggles of minorities?!

I agreed with him, but not really with this argument. But maybe I’m biased as a young gay man.

[quote]Pete is just an uppity queer, how dare he be in the position where a woman or POC has a right to be.

Are you having some dumb debate in your own head where this response meant something, because it sure as hell has zero to do with what is actually the point she was making.

Everyone’s just mad that Pete didn’t stay in “his place” and act like a scared little homosexual boy, AND IS PULLING IT OFF!

I have a question for Amy: How many straight men with the same credentials would have to answer to this same line of inquiry?

Nobody to compare to?!?! Well I guess he’s just a trailblazer, and until there is, the point is moot.

Amy, its called the "IT" factor and you don't have it!

[quote]How many straight men with the same credentials would have to answer to this same line of inquiry?

Name the straight men with the same credentials who were the nominee for the Dems. Even Obama took shit for merely being a senator...or are you pretending that Hillary and other opponents (including Biden) during the campaign, didn't specifically attack Obama for his inexperience. I still remember the ridicule he took during one of the debates when he said he'd go into Pakistan to get Bin Laden.

Some of you really have such short memories.

Who knows if a 37 year old woman would be in the same position as Pete Buttigieg is! A lot has to do with capturing the public eye at the right moment. Very few people outside of Minnesota knew who Amy Klobuchar before the Brett Kavanaugh hearings a year and a half ago. Those hearings made her viable...gained her notice.

A lot of it is serendipity. And being in the right place at the right time. He's smart, has done public service, and he has a gimmick ("You've gotta have a gimmick!")...he's gay. Makes him stand out.

AOC is 10x a better candidate than Buttigieg. If she decides to run down-the-line, she will become president.

newp

Hahahaha, R53. She's an ill-informed attention whore who believes that her every utterance is poetry, no more, no less. Mark my words. That bitch will never be president.

OP's article should be a lesson to all those on Datalounge who support SJW's. It doesn't matter that you're gay, to them you're still just an privileged white male.

I think a lot of white gay men need to wake up to the fact that if you aren't the right kind of gay, you will be dismissed as just another white male. Democratic primaries always bring out the worst in our party.

R55, AOC is the only "rock star politician" right now in the millennial set. I'm sorry you're not well-versed in reading the tea leaves.

If AOC decides to run for president, "that bitch" will be elected president. Mark MY words.

Would a female 19 year old high school dropout get Edward Snowden’s highly classified job!

Would a female college dropout be in charge of NBC political News division?

When Klobuchar is talking about this topic, I never know who she is talking to or what the purpose of her talk is. So, she complains to Pete that he shouldn't be where he is right now. Well, first of all, right now he is not anywhere. Right now he is just a former mayor. Everybody can run. That's not an accomplishment. Hardly anything to envy him for. When she complains about his - currently successful - campaign she can hardly blame PB. He is not running a misogynistic campaign or utilizing misogyny in unfair ways. He may be the beneficiary of misogyny, but he is hardly to blame for that.

So is she complaining about and to his fan base? May not be the best way to sway people. Complaining about others doing better is just not sexy. Hillary never complained, Obama didn't either. And they were better candidates for it.

That’s true r51, but the context is different. Pete is not only said to be inexperienced, but it’s also implied that he’s skating by on his white privlege and flashy CV and “staged” military service, which is an insult to his accomplishments. Would they do the same with a straight man? It’s the same old trope of the gay man “passing” as means to an end.

Fuck Amy. This is what 37 in 2020 is. It’s not 1998 any more. Sorry if we’ve progressed. And she acts like he doesn’t face any backlash at all. Newsflash, he just doesn’t whine about it.

I honestly don’t know how this is even an argument worth pursuing for ANY candidate, when we have a FORMER REALITY STAR AND BUSINESSMAN in office?!?!

r58 I would bet my entire net worth of assets and real estate in that challenge against "your words" I am so certain of that.

R58, If she doesn't ever decide to run, there is no bet to make.

I have no idea what her political aspirations are. She may not even want the job, and she may be more interested in being Speaker of the House or eventually a Senator.

Anyone who doesn't have their head up their ass can see she has a rare charisma and electrified voting base. That's a rare combo in a politician with wide national exposure. And she is already positioned at where the party is headed. She's leading the way to the future. If she decides to run for president, she will get elected. I don't really care about your assets or your obtuseness. They don't interest me.

Bubble life suits you R63, I can tell

No, I can just tell which way the wind is blowing sometimes (not always).

Seems like a no-brainer.

*shrug*

I am SO sick of women whining and crying. Try actually working instead of playing the victim all the time. Better yet, bitch at your fellow women for not supporting other women. You can’t keep just blaming men.

Cunts can't help themselves from cunting.

Anything anyone else achieves is because someone doesn't give them enough.

As they hold grudges against their parents, betray their spouses, fuck up their children, frustrate their colleagues and coworkers, and generally show that they are as ready for true leadership as a sex (not referring to gifted individuals of any description) as a herd of cows are ready to send an Angus heifer over the moon.

"bitch at your fellow women"

"Cunts can't help themselves from cunting ... herd of cows are ready to send an Angus heifer over the moon."

No misogyny detected whatsoever. Nope.

These are comments from rational men. Yeah, sure ...

[quote]Try actually working instead of playing the victim all the time.

Isn't that what Hillary did all of her life and yet she lost to an absolute pos who wouldn't know the constitution if you stapled it to his face.

[quote]Better yet, bitch at your fellow women for not supporting other women.

In the case of white women, I do.

[quote]You can’t keep just blaming men.

Yeah, we still can.

[quote] He is not running a misogynistic campaign or utilizing misogyny in unfair ways. He may be the beneficiary of misogyny, but he is hardly to blame for that.

Read his book some time to see what he thinks of women, or anyone who is non-white "straight" male for that matter. Or look at the way his husband uses social media to appropriate women's struggles.

Coo coo alert at R70 !

R68 Again, playing the victim and refusing to acknowledge the suggestion that you should start being angry with your fellow women who support men over women. Start there considering there are more women than men.

R69 Feel free to keep blaming men for women’s issues and see how far it gets you.

Oh get off your high horse, r72. Do you know how many times we have to hear accusations of "homophobia" when there is any criticism of a white gay male? White gay men have playing victim down to a science.

Who cares?

There were almost 84 million women registered to vote in 2016, compared to about 74 million men. Yet Trump still won.

Are women just not ready for a female president?

For a smart lady Amy can be pretty dumb. It isn't Pete's fault that woman have a rougher time than men and then there is the personality thing, Pete has one, Amy doesn't. If Pete was a straight male, instead of a gay male, he would probably be further ahead than he is now but he isn't whining about it holding him back.

If Amy and Elizabeth could get most of the women to support them, they wouldn't have to worry about the men's vote.

Pete has a personality? That's hilarious. Now, I know you're full of shit.

Women are ready, WHITE women...not so much. It was black women who kept Roy Moore from the senate. Whereas the asshole, white racist trash women down there voting overwhelmingly for him because they lack brains and self-respect.

[quote] If Pete was a straight male, instead of a gay male, he would probably be further ahead than he is now but he isn't whining about it holding him back.

If Pete was a straight male, half his idiot supporters wouldn't give a shit about him. He would be a non-factor.

voted*

I think it was actually just a careless remark Amy made in the heat of the moment, as she dialed it back in the last debate. UNFORTUNATELY, it got in the wrong hands and now everybody’s acting like Pete is part of some male problem.

I think the women candidates should never bring up gender. It never goes right. Same for Pete. Skip the “gay guy in Mike Penceland” dodge.

R78 you are so full of shit yourself if you can't see Pete has a better personality than Amy. Probably because you have a shitty personality yourself. Clearly you don't like Pete and that is your right. No one is going to be liked by everyone, sad that you think because your don't like Pete, then no one should.

Bitch, Pete is dry as white bread. I'm not the only one who thinks so. He has the personality of cardboard. Taking it up the ass does not equal a personality.

Fucking hell, I'm no big fan of Pete's, but I am so fucking sick of this "personality" crap. Stop being fucking children. We don't need another "personality" because that's what Trump is.

We need someone who takes this job seriously.

God, Americans are such fucking idiots in what they think we're supposed to have in a president.

Please sign Pete’s virtual birthday card. He’s 38 tomorrow!

R84, Bitch Please. Nobody criticized his personality until he started become a threat to well established candidates.

Kate Gallego was a classmate of Pete’s and is currently the mayor of Phoenix, Arizona - America’s fifth largest city.

End thread.

Nobody gives a fuck what you think about Pete's personality, r84. You've been trashing him on DL for months. Vote for the "personality" you like. He's clearly doing better than anyone expected and it pisses idiots like you off. Good. Keep crying.

R85 AMEN!!🙏🏼 Say it one more time for the people in the fucking back!!!

[quote] A lot of white women vote for a lot of republicans.

A lot of white men vote for republicans. And a lot of white men will never vote for a woman. There's nothing wrong for focusing on those facts.

*with, not for

Women are the biggest voting block in the US, and have cast more votes in every presidential election since at least 1984. Why haven't we had a female president yet? Men can't decide the election on their own - they don't have the numbers.

r89 is they typical whiny Pete supporter. Pete talks about unifying everyone and he's done nothing but alienate people. He's not an unifying force, he's an alienating one. Fuck him.

R70--

Giving you the benefit of the doubt here.'

You might want to read his book before making stuff up about it.

I don't like her politics or her tendency for self-promotion at the expense of the party, but I guarantee AOC will be running for the presidency before she's 40. She's 35 in October, 2024, just a month before Election Day, and 39 in 2028. I hope Amy is questioned on disqualifying her for her age, too.

“Would a 37-Year-Old Woman Be Where Pete Buttigieg Is?”

Blowing me while I drive him to townhalls across the country? Definitely not!

On top of Chasten? No, that bottom boy is a gold star gay.

Pete's inspiring and an adept politician. Amy's bitter.

I like Amy as a politician a lot. I’m sure she has a terrible personality, but I think I agree most with her and then with Buttigieg policywise.

I was shocked when I looked Amy up during the most recent debate and saw she is 59 years old. I don’t see her as a 60 year-old woman...I guess I assumed mid- to late 40s.

R100 = Amy.

R101 LOL, no, I am not Amy. I’ve been surprised by how many other people I know also like her. I’ve discussed it with lots of people and many of us share a sentiment that it’s not socially sanctioned to like Amy K, but we all like a lot of what she says. Otherwise, we like Pete Buttigieg a lot but feel like the party and the media are shoving Biden down our throats and we want to like Warren more than we viscerally like her but he we like her generally and would be fine with her nomination. And for Sanders, everyone seems to either LOVE him or fear that he would be the other side of the same coin that Trump operates from. I’m in the fear/dread category with him.

Given the polling, if it’s any indication of public sentiment, and Warren is the only viable option of the ones I like, then my first ticket preference would be Warren/Buttigieg (which won’t happen), second would be Warren/Klobuchar and third would be Warren/Harris.

[quote] Fucking hell, I'm no big fan of Pete's, but I am so fucking sick of this "personality" crap. Stop being fucking children.

I'm with r85. This has to stop. We are starting two years before the general election to micro-dissect every tiny little aspect of candidates from OUR party. Yes, I have a clear preference, I think my candidates has great policies, a solid approach and a pleasant personality. And overall he has the best package (no, I haven't seen it.) But other parents have pretty children, too. If Amy, Liz or Joe make it, I don't get completely out of shape. I don't care if Amy throws staplers or is emotional like a robot. I don't care if Warren is native American or not. If they can win this election they will be my president, and gladly so. Same for Joe, Bernie or Andrew.

Would Amy’s prom date be where Pete is?

[quote]Fucking hell, I'm no big fan of Pete's, but I am so fucking sick of this "personality" crap. Stop being fucking children. We don't need another "personality" because that's what Trump is.

Hate to tell you this but if the personality of the President wasn't important than all we'd do is look at a packet of info on them and make a decision.

Your resume gets you an interview. Your interview gets you the job.

How they behave when confronted, how they hold a conversation, how they interact with other people: is all important.

I'm not saying I believe any of these things but: if Pete comes off as arrogant, if Biden can't complete a sentence without stuttering, if Elizabeth seems as if she's "screeching," if Amy can't stop shaking when she's nervous, if Bernie can't stop pointing his finger and yelling .... then how do you think a foreign head of state would see them?

The problem with Trump's "personality" is that it appealed to the people in the states that gave him the election in a system where a woman can get 3 million more votes and lose.

All head of states have their own funky personality traits, some more annoying than others. They don't care. The problem with personality is that it may not gel well with yours, but the individual can be effective nonetheless. I think the interview analogy works. After interviews, too, you assess if the personality works with the entire team and business partners, not just with you.

R104 Now we know why she’s so bitter towards Pete! He reminds her of when she found out that her high school prom date was gay!

The Left is so insufferable.

[quote] Would a 37-Year-Old Woman Be Where Pete Buttigieg Is?

Would most 37-year-olds be where Pete Buttigieg is? I can answer that question very plainly -- no! It takes a very special talent for someone of our age group to propel themselves for such an unlikely, meteoric rise. The OP's piece sounds like a whole lot of sour grapes to me!

[quote] if Pete comes off as arrogant, if Biden can't complete a sentence without stuttering, if Elizabeth seems as if she's "screeching," if Amy can't stop shaking when she's nervous, if Bernie can't stop pointing his finger and yelling .... then how do you think a foreign head of state would see them?

As a massive improvement over the giant orange toddler, I would guess.

Would a gay man who was married 3 times and known to threw fits in the office by throwing staplers at peoples head be where Amy Klobuchar is? I dont think so.

Woman also have a special kind of privilege gay men don't have the luxury of in a professional job situation. If a gay man did that, no one would ever take him seriously ever again.

[quote]Women are the biggest voting block in the US, and have cast more votes in every presidential election since at least 1984. Why haven't we had a female president yet? Men can't decide the election on their own - they don't have the numbers.

I will not risk losing again putting a woman up against Trump because woman themselves don't support other woman that much. More white woman voted for Trump in 2016 than the first woman ever to get that close to the presidency! If woman are that unsure of woman, or believe their lying pussy grabbing eyes that a Trump is still better in the office, then we are all doomed if we fallow their claim they want a woman in the office.

Do woman vote as a block? No but for that matter neither do people of color? Hillary go 96% of the black vote, they saw through Trumps lies, but straight woman didnt have a problem voting for him even with all the misogyny, pussy grabbing, cheating, multiple marriages to trophy wives and paying strippers hundreds of thousands of dollars to have sex with him and shut up. Their vote should have been closer to 90% not 50/50.

What should we assume is R112’s country of origin, where the singular and plural forms of “woman” are the same?

Your only complaint is the use of woman vs women? I guess the rest of the content was 100% correct.

Horseshit, R12. Obama was where Pete is today, and went on to take the Presidency, and he was 46, which isn't much older than Pete when you look at today's field.

Men who don't want to vote for Warren aren't necessarily misogynist, any more than those who didn't want to vote for Hillary. I'm a woman and they both repulse me, at least when they're in Campaign mode. They seem so inauthentic. (Hillary has been much more digestible when on talk shows with Chelsea post-Disaster.) Klobuchar is OK but she hasn't done anything to impress me so far, and Harris is an attractive personality and a great undercutter, but seems light on policy. (None of the men has impressed me except Pete, mind you.)

IMO there were lots of calls for Michelle Obama to stand because she DOES seem authentic (but of course we haven't seen her in campaign mode to test it). I think she would have attracted lots of male AND female votes.

It's a great modern fallacy that any time a woman or a person of color doesn't do well it's discrimination. Absolutely, both have to face discrimination in their lives (that Corey Booker's Rhodes Scholarship is barely mentioned in the press but Pete's always is is a case in point), but as we saw with Obama, if you have enough else to offer, a whole lot of people will forget to discriminate. Corey Booker, when seen in person, hasn't overwhelmed anyone, and that's his real problem. Iowa and Indiana so improbably love the gay Pete because he's so much the opposite of Trump, and potentially offers so much, that those who might be put off by his gayness are letting it through to the keeper. And they'd do exactly the same for a woman or another person of color if they were impressive enough. I know the DL doesn't like AOC, but she won against the odds, and is still attracting attention, because she looks like she believes what she's saying.

It's totally discriminatory to say the problem is that women won't support women. Why the hell should we vote someone we don't think will do a good job, whoever and whatever they are, into the Presidency? You guys have to remember that the kind of woman who makes it that far has often got there by playing games favored by her male superiors [professionally], and that women who despise that can spot it a mile off, unlike straight men who can't spot a nuance when it sits on their face. Also, most women don't like being hectored because they cop so much of it, and Warren and Clinton both do that.

I believe women should support women to get to even numbers in the whole public sector, in the grass roots of the political parties and in the Congress and the Senate, and that once that occurs the real talent will rise. Helping to select a dud to go up against Trump is S-T-U-P-I-D, whoever you are and whoever the candidate is. (Obviously, everyone needs to support whoever gets the nomination in the end, though, because not voting Democrat for President at all would be by far the stupidest thing anyone could do in 2020.)

AOC didn't win against the odds. And there's nothing impressive about her win. She won in an area very few people even voted in a very left-wing city. Hardly impressive.

[quote] Would a gay man who was married 3 times

She wasn't married three times. Where are you getting that from?

[quote]The Left is so insufferable.

Better that than to be outright scum like the right. Idiot.

I'd rather be a jaywalker than a drunk driver who killed a bunch of people...or a white supremacist terrorist who kills a woman and injures others for daring to use their right to protest, but then, you'd be on the other side carrying a tiki torch and ugly, Kohl's slacks.

wearing* ugly, Kohl's slacks.

If the DNC and their media handmaidens weren't huge sandbagging cunts toward Tulsi Gabbard, then YES. She could easily be where Pete is.

But they've frozen her out because she won't suck Hillary's balls. Not because she's a woman.

[quote] Obama was where Pete is today, and went on to take the Presidency, and he was 46, which isn't much older than Pete when you look at today's field.

Your math is so warped.

It's almost a decade older, that isn't merely a couple of years. And if you have to fucking lie on behalf of your candidate, you're no better than a Trump supporter. Pete was mayor for only six years of a SMALL town - that's his political career. Obama almost two times that number in political office prior to the presidency.

I'm not saying Buttigieg isn't brilliant, but don't start padding his CV because you know if he were a woman or a non-white guy with that light a CV, the idea of the presidency would be considered preposterous. Obama -with twice the number of years- got as much shit for inexperience.

[quote] I'm a woman and they both repulse me, at least when they're in Campaign mode. They seem so inauthentic.

WTF does that even mean and why is authenticity an important quality in a presidential candidate, anyway? I'd say Trump is quite authentically whom he appears to be—a mean, childish, thin-skinned, egotistical, half-demented, raging asshole—but he's not getting any points from me for that.

[quote] If the DNC and their media handmaidens weren't huge sandbagging cunts toward Tulsi Gabbard, then YES. She could easily be where Pete is. But they've frozen her out because she won't suck Hillary's balls. Not because she's a woman.

Or maybe it's because she's a Russian asset, a DINO, and a fucking crackpot? Pretty sure that if the media did decide to give her heavy coverage, the more we learned, the less we'd like her.

And every one of Tuli's "supporters" would never consider voting for anyone but Donald Trump.

[quote]. Pete Buttigieg IS the frau candidate.

Yup.

Ivanka, maybe.

R121, I'm currently reading Michelle Obama's book, in which she makes it clear that although Obama worked hard, and no doubt learned a lot, while in the State legislature, he had very little power there, and was unsuccessful when he ran for State Congress. At least being Mayor gives you Executive control, even if it's only at city level.

Certainly Obama had some time in the Federal Senate before he ran, but it was the minimum possible.

I'm not trying to say Pete is as experienced as Obama, but he was pretty damn inexperienced, and if being a black man was going to stop him, all the conditions were in the right place to do so, including his relative youth.

Pete is only where he is because he is a gay white man. That propelled him forward. Us gays were united behind the earlier, more progressive, yet mid-west common-sense Pete. Then he caught fire with other demographics, propelling him further than anyone could imagine. Now, that same spark that lit his fire is the last thing holding him back.. Voting for a gay nominee is also a major risk. So its a double edge sword. There were two other mayors running for the office, one from Florida, that didn't gain a quarter of the attention glared on the gay vet, Pete.

A better question would be, would a 37-year-ld lesbian be where Pete is? The answer is hell no! None of this is Pete's fault, he's working with what he's got.

If the woman was as well-spoken, even-keeled, intelligent - yes she could be. I think it's time to stop playing our cards and just elect the best qualified person - isn't that was civil rights, gay rights and the women's movement was all about?

He hasn't changed a single position, r128. He's just not frothing at the mouth like Bernie. I understand that for Bros, that's a necessity to be considered a progressive.

[quote]Pete is only where he is because he is a gay white man. Yeah, those gays always just coast through everything. Stupid gay privilege.

As far as evolution goes (and what else matters) unless the 37-year-old woman has already spawned, she really doesn't have anything to contribute to the continuation of the species.

Get fucked r132.

r131 stop acting like his white-boy-next-door Leave It To Beaver persona didn't check off boxes for people when Pete came on the scene. He's always harping up his midwest roots, again not his fault, work with what you've got. A gay person of color from the midwest might not receive the same welcome as Pete. His donor base, especially in the early days around Chicago, fell in love with the deep voiced white boy. No one said white men have it easy, but this and every other election has proven that being a white man makes it a hell of a lot easier to at least run for president.

Just because someone is pointing out a specific point of view, doesn't mean they are attacking the guy. We have gay white Pete against Wayne Messam from Florida. Wayne received basically no media attention, while Pete was able to magically book political shows and Podcasts. The biggest IT factor between the two was the fact that he is a gay white man, sort a twist on the traditional white democrat, especially when you add his military history.

Back to OP's question, I don't believe a woman with a similar resume would have been afforded the same amount of attention. I don't think even a gay person of color would go this far either because the Party is jaded and looking for a white male savior to battle Trump.

Heterosexual women, especially white ones who are not Jewish, are privileged in ways gay men are not and never will be, so to accuse Pete of having any sort of unfair advantage in this race constitutes both homophobia and misandry.

God I hate liberals. Can't we be happy that an openly gay married man has gotten this far in a Presidential primary ? Must we destroy everything. Gay white men are still the only minority group it's okay to hate.

Pete doesn't have any background or history of really doing anything for people of color. His background has been all about himself. Yes, he was a decent mayor, because he enacted run of the mill small town Democratic policies. Clinton and Obama all have a history of serving minority communities, before it was politically expedient. Hell, I can't even find a time when Pete helped white poor people before getting into politics. Would it stop me from voting for him? No. But he rubs me the wrong way and when he speaks he rarely sounds authentic, I don't think Independents will buy what he and Chasten are selling .

[quot]A better question would be, would a 37-year-ld lesbian be where Pete is? The answer is hell no! None of this is Pete's fault, he's working with what he's got.

Cough, cough, bull shit! The Lesbians practically run the town I live in. From city counsel members to the entire pride organization.

Which is why LB Pride now sucks. Old Lez deciding what good music and fun is for gays.

[quote]Pete doesn't have any background or history of really doing anything for people of color. His background has been all about himself.

And what did Obama do for the LGBT community BEFORE he wanted our vote? NOTHING. All about himself. Did he come to West Hollywood and hang out with us? Did he ever visit a gay ghetto and talk to gays about their needs?

The idea that Pete or any candidate now haw to kowtow to the black community is ridiculous. We are electing a President not a social worker. You don't see this same kind of whining in the Hispanic community or the Asian community.

Great R138, but we are talking about a presidential election, not your irrelevant town.

if it wasn't for Trump even Pete wouldn't be where he is today

R139 did closet case Pete? No! So by your logic we can add two strikes against the Mayor. Thanks for making my case for me!

[quote]And what did Obama do for the LGBT community BEFORE he wanted our vote? NOTHING.

And after he got your fucking vote, he did what no other president did, despite the fact that a lot of you assholes would vote GOP in a heartbeat the moment they gave you even the most minimal support as a gay person....but turn this into an attack on Obama because you're such a fucking asshole.

Obama was in his second term when he had the White House lit in rainbow colors to celebrate the passing of marriage equality. He didn't need anybody's vote then. Michelle and Malia were so excited that night they tried to escape their Agents to get out and join in the celebrations. (They were eventually metaphorically wrestled to the floor and forced to have protection, but they were smuggled out a service entrance so they could mingle undetected.)

Also, R142, what is the logic of sneering at Pete as a closet case, when he has laboriously explained that as soon as he stopped fighting internally with the thought that he might be gay and made his own peace with it, he did come out, and has in fact been one of the most matter-of-factly out gay people on the world stage ever since? I mean, are you a closet case at 12 because you haven't told the world you're gay yet? At 16? Surely it's permissible to accept it yourself before you announce it in the papers? Are you going to be targeted for life if it takes you longer than most people to get there?

In my feeble understanding, having a wife and three kids and hitting up the bars or Grindr every second night = a closet case.

The short answer is YES IF SHE WAS AS SMART (graduate of Harvard College and Oxford University, and Rhodes Scholar), A COMBAT VET WHO SERVED IN THE MILITARY and city MAYOR FOR 8 Years. I don't see why not. But just some house frau with 2 years of community college and 2 kids, no.

No one cares.

Republicans are rubbing their hands saying blacks and Hispanics won't vote for a gay man. If the alternative is Trump, I don't think that's true.

Notice the effort and money that has gone into taking down any successful female like Janet Napolitano. Buttigeg flew under the radar. It was the job of Indiana politicians to get up a resume on him and start faking incidents in order to take him down but they surely didn't think "Mayor of South Bend" a big enough threat to worry about yet. It's harder for a female to be essentially a stealth candidate because the sex gap in voting is so large that Republicans are hyper aware of it and keen to personally attack anybody who starts to rise or could start to rise. Gabby Giffords may be a sort of warning about what they are liable to do.