Business Insider: Pete Buttigieg's backers hope he'll run against VP Kamala Harris

Influential Democratic donors who backed Pete Buttigieg in 2020 are privately chattering about prodding him to run for the White House in 2024 if President Joe Biden doesn't seek reelection, Insider has learned.

More than two dozen Democratic donors who want to eventually see the 39-year-old transportation secretary in the White House have been attending secret and informal dinners over the summer and into late September in traditional Democratic money-raising hubs including Washington, Wall Street, and Silicon Valley, a former Buttigieg bundler who is familiar with the meetings said.

They're driven in part by a lack of confidence in Vice President Kamala Harris' performance so far, and some don't think Buttigieg should wait in line behind Harris if Biden opts against running for a second term. Other dinner attendees think Buttigieg is better off waiting until 2028 or even later.

"There have been a number of conversations among donors about trying to push Pete to get into the race if that were to be what wound up happening in 2024 because there is not a lot of confidence behind the vice president at this moment, but there is no question that she would be the heir apparent," the former Buttigieg bundler told Insider.

Insider interviewed a dozen people in Buttigieg's and Harris' fundraising circles about the behind-the-scenes 2024 discussions. Most spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of Democrats wanting to avoid the appearance of planning for 2024 before Biden officially announces his intentions. Almost all those in attendance at the informal dinners were "bundlers" — super fundraisers who coordinate and collect campaign contributions from multiple donors, and among those in the attendance were some who had bundled for Biden.

A Democratic strategist who was informed by people who attended the dinners described the gatherings as "a lot of donors getting into a room and bitching about things. It's a lot less about here's how we get this done."

The donors at the dinners thought Buttigieg wouldn't want to challenge Harris, the strategist said, while adding: "In their estimation, it would take the masses gathering to push him to do it, meaning the donors of the world, the political elites."

But the strategist also said there's a growing sentiment that "there's no map in the universe that exists in which Kamala Harris could possibly win a national election." That person said Buttigieg supporters see him as "our best hope," but they aren't the only donors already rumbling about organizing behind other Democratic candidates who might challenge Harris in 2024.

Harris' vice-presidential team has been under scrutiny after reports about staff dysfunction and unflattering headlines about an immigration interview and her recent appearance in a YouTube video spotlighting space exploration that featured child actors.

"She's in Dan Quayle territory for Christ's sake," one former Buttigieg donor who helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the campaign told Insider, name-checking George H.W. Bush's former veep, whom former President Gerald Ford urged Bush to drop from the 1992 ticket after a number of embarrassing public gaffes. "She got herself into that Dan Quayle situation — simply not being taken seriously by her own party, and it's really hard to get out of that one."

Swati Mylavarapu, Buttigieg's former national investment chair, said the donor chatter is just that — chatter.

"Pete is focused on running the US Department of Transportation, delivering the president's infrastructure vision, and being a new dad (to twins!)," she wrote in an email to Insider. "Suggestions otherwise are gossip from people who don't know him."

Another Buttigieg donor told Insider the secretary has long ceased any contact with them since his nomination to last December join the Biden Cabinet. "He's shut that down," this person said. "You don't hear anything from him as a donor. And that's entirely appropriate. Pete people are not out polling."

Planning for '24 — with and without Biden

Democrats are quick to note that Biden has said publicly that he intends to run for president again in 2024, and wants Harris to join him on the ticket. But Biden, 78, was already the oldest person to assume the presidency in January. He'll be 82 if he's inaugurated for a second term on January 20, 2025.

In case Biden isn't atop the ticket in 2024, Democrats say it would be political malfeasance for presidential hopefuls and their allies not to have a backup plan. And it's no secret that Harris and Buttigieg want to hold the top job. They both just campaigned to become president in the 2020 primaries, and they both stand to be historic firsts — Harris as the first woman and Buttigieg as the first openly gay president.

"It would be naive to think that any Democrat planning on eventually being president is not prepared for a number of scenarios in 2024, including the president not running," said a Democratic strategist and veteran of past presidential campaigns.

The GOP polling firm Echelon Insights released a poll this week showing Democratic voters' top contenders for the 2024 primary in a non-Biden field. The poll showed Harris leading with 23% of the Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters, followed by Bernie Sanders with 16% and Buttigieg with 9%.

Steve Phillips, a longtime Harris fundraiser who founded the organization Democracy in Color, said he hasn't seen "that much explicit activity and organizing" among Harris supporters.

"I have not seen any indication or any signs that Biden is more likely to drop out than he is to run," Phillips said. He added that "anybody who wants to be successful in politics should be thinking and planning long-term."

A second Harris donor said they aren't aware of any comparable dinners or concerted organizing around a possible 2024 bid for the vice president. Harris donors are "sad" about the current state of her political operation, that person said. "We're really disappointed that it's falling apart. It doesn't seem to be serving her future."

Buttigieg's office and Harris' office did not respond on the record to requests for comment for this story.

Buttigieg himself has given no public indication that he intends to challenge Harris to be the Democrats' standard bearer in a post-Biden administration, whenever that might be. His confidants insist he's not thinking about his political future beyond his current role as transportation secretary and Harris' colleague on Team Biden.

One person close to Buttigieg dismissed the idea that he's got his eye on a 2024 bid. "It feeds into the narrative that everything he does is calculated, which couldn't be further from the truth," that person said.

Any public indication that Buttigieg or his allies are preparing for a 2024 bid is sure to infuriate Harris loyalists, many of whom see her as their best hope of electing the nation's first woman and first woman of color as president. A primary campaign between two members of Biden's Cabinet could also pose a distraction for the president's policy agenda.

"I think it is politically fraught for anyone closely linked to Secretary Buttigieg to be too aggressive here," said the Democratic strategist who has worked on previous presidential campaigns. "Along with the sensitivities of not getting ahead of President Biden, the sensitivities of not waiting your turn, especially when you would be jumping a potentially historic candidate in the form of Vice President Harris — that would not be well received."

The tension between the Buttigieg and Harris camps dates back to the 2020 presidential primary. "A likable white guy from the Midwest comes out of nowhere. He ran a great campaign, but there's an undercurrent of white privilege," said a former Harris staffer. (Buttigieg and Harris confidants say there is no personal tension between the two high-profile members of the Biden administration at the moment.)

Phillips said any 2024 organizing by Buttigieg's allies "is going to piss off some significant set of people." Harris' devoted followers, known as the K-Hive, are a "very energetic and fiercely loyal constituency," he added. "There's an added element of having seen in lots of other arenas' talented people of color, women of color, women, being passed over by the exciting new white guy with less experience."

This poses quite a dilemma for the Pete- and Kamala-hating troll.

I wasn’t a Pete fan when he was running for prez, but I’m truly impressed with him now.

I wonder who the progressives will want. Not Bernie this time, surely.

[quote] if President Joe Biden doesn't seek reelection

"IF"?? Seriously?

At any rate, Pete Buttigieg will be a wonderful President. Kamala won't even be running.

"Along with the sensitivities of not getting ahead of President Biden, the sensitivities of not waiting your turn, especially when you would be jumping a potentially historic candidate in the form of Vice President Harris — that would not be well received."

Does anyone recall what happened the last time the Democrats worried about whose turn it was.... ?

Bernie, Bernie, Bernie!

So far, I don't think Joe has distinguished himself enough to earn the credibility to run for a second term at the age of 107.

If he does just go one term, the bigger question for PB is what the world looks like. If, God forbid, the Dems are on the ropes, he would do better to bide his time and let the historic candidacy crash and burn. Or Bern.

Another piece of GARBAGE from shit bowl aggregator Business Insider.

You waste your precious life and brain energy of this clickbait garbage. Have at it, dumb asses.

sure way to lose the white house!

Bernie is my man, but I like Pete and Chasen even more.

I'm voting for Gavin Newsom

Democrats live in a fantasy world. If Republicans can manage not to run Trump in 2024 they will sweep both Houses and capture the presidency. This is a Carter presidency. There is now a missle gap with China and there are a host of cultural issues to run on.

Petey is like court officials under the last Chinese emperor who were preparing rituals while the troop were at the Palace doors.

No, just no.

They do that, they’ll lose the black vote. It will automatically go towards Kamala despite her incompetency. The majority of black folks won’t vote for a gay man.

What Pete may lose with the black vote ^ he will make up with middle America.

Delusional cunts.

I've gone from being a Mayor Pete admirer (and donor!) to having an immediate irritation nearly everytime I see him mentioned or see him speak.

Nobody is "scheming" to make him vice president. This is all bullshit, perpetrated by either Buttigieg's PR team, or the small circle of sychophants who won't let go of 2019/2020. He's not even proven he can handle a cabinet position. How, and WHO are these people, after all this time, who see him as ready or qualified for the presidency? He isn't. I hope he levels out and I would love to see a gay American president some day. But so far, he's quickly becoming a Hillary Clinton candidate: someone so hungry and thirsty for the office, that his obsession alone will ensure he never makes it. The more time passes, the more smug he becomes. The intelligence, quick soundbite quips and "modern leader' vibes he once projected are all but gone now. He's over-exposed himself. I think Amy Klobuchar was onto him when we used to bitch about her hating on him all the time. She clearly saw something the rest of us didn't.

Sit down Pete. Wait your turn, do your family leave thing and actually DO SOME FUCKING WORK before you expect us to faun all over you!

Just gonna follow-up on my comment: Can someone write-out, succintly, WHAT Pete has actually done/accomplished to have impressed so many people to want to elevate him to the presidency? He was in the National Guard (or was it Army?). And, okay. He was a mayor of a depressed, broken down city in Indiana. He has lead the U.S. Transportation Department for eight months and the state of American transportation is literally worse now than it was last November, not that it's his fault.

But what has he done? Literally. What are his accomplishments?

I'm only happy he's not the "gay" Candidate. United or widespread Gay support would be the death kiss for his candidacy.

With ships loaded with cargo lined up at ports, and the state of trucking being pretty dreadful, this would hardly seem like the most opportune time for anyone to be floating the current Transportation Secretary for higher office. Yeah, the problems aren’t of his making, but they are currently his responsibility.

Moreover, there are a host of other problems facing this country. If we don’t quickly figure out solutions it will hardly matter who runs in 2024, especially if we’ve already lost the House and Senate in the midterms.

[quote] Sit down Pete. Wait your turn, do your family leave thing and actually DO SOME FUCKING WORK before you expect us to faun all over you!

Buttigieg is either on paternity leave, on punditry shows or on talk shows to promote his film. He does not have time to be chief of the struggling Department of Transportation. His political record is not so illustrious. The guy is full of hot air.....and great publicity.

Neither Pete or Kamala are electable.

If he were truly this brilliant wunderkind he wants us all to believe he is, right now would be the time to show some real innovative thinking.

The Secretary of the Dept. of Transportation could easily order, or arrange for ships to go off the coast and into the bays around San Francisco and Los Angeles, and begin manually, or with special vessels, unloading containers while those ships are still waiting to dock. They could bring them into port where the Transportation Department has waived certain requirements for rail and rig carriers to expedite their deliveries. He could summon the resources of the Federal Government to provide temporary transportation to assist the private marketplace in obtaining its goods, thereby saving Americans billions and billions of excess dollars we'll be spending this year. Cargo planes, perhaps a couple from each state's National Guard, government semi's, dedicated rail lines for certain days/hours to expedite shipping from one coast to the Gulf and East Coasts and to mid-continent and lake states that couild accept them.

This isn't rocket science and it doesn't have to be second-guessed to hell and back. It's a major logistical undertaking, but even if it wouldn't solve the problem, could any of you imagine the positive press both Pete and Biden would receive for truly kicking their asses into action? These guys need to spend a few late nights at the office, wearing their ears out on the phones, etc. Pete has an opportunity to paint himself as "saving Christmas" and helping all those consumers receive their building materials, appliances, furniture and household needs sooner, and without premium pricing being attached to it. How could he not see this opportunity?

If Biden ran in 2024, then I think Pete would have a shot in 2028. Kamala and Biden were sort of sold as a by one get one package. But if Biden manages to hold on until 2028, then I can see the Democratic field open up. But I don’t see how anyone runs against her in 2024 and not make it look like they are stealing her job. A far leftist can, but not someone from in the administration.

Republicans are aware of this, that's why he's being so attacked. Trump Jr just retweeted this:

Duh. She isn’t anointed.

If Pete runs he's going to need Chasten, and the babies, by his side at every campaign event!

[bold]Kamala Harris' allies are worried that if Buttigieg challenges her in 2024 it would be ugly and help Republicans[/bold]

[quote]Democratic insiders are quietly discussing a 2024 race if Joe Biden opts out.

[quote]Kamala Harris' allies think she would face a tough primary against Pete Buttigieg.

[quote]One former Harris staffer called him a "very formidable candidate."

Vice President Kamala Harris' former staffers and fundraisers anticipate a potentially messy primary if she goes up against fellow Cabinet member Pete Buttigieg in a race for the White House.

A free-for-all Democratic presidential primary could come as early as 2024 if President Joe Biden decides he won't run for reelection, though he has said that he plans to. Some Democratic donors and strategists are already privately discussing what the field could look like in 2024 if Biden opts out.

One former rival who's firmly on Kamalaworld's radar: Buttigieg, the transportation secretary and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor who's the only other 2020 Democratic primary candidate now serving in the Biden administration.

A possible Harris versus Buttigieg contest is at least a few years off, but the topic has gotten more attention now that donors who support Buttigieg have been strategizing about how to prod him to run in 2024 if there's an open seat, as Insider recently reported.

"I have no doubt that he's going to run and he's not going to need much persuading," said Steve Phillips, a longtime Harris fundraiser and a San Francisco-based Democratic donor who founded the organization Democracy in Color. The early organization of Buttigieg donors "is going to piss off some significant set of people," Phillips said. "The K-Hive is a very energetic and fiercely loyal constituency."

People close to Buttigieg are stressing that he's not behind the donors' 2024 strategizing, and people close to Buttigieg and Harris say they've become friendly as colleagues in the Biden administration and are focused on their current jobs.

Some of Harris' allies are irked by what they view as contrasting media coverage surrounding the vice president and the transportation secretary early in the administration. Harris has faced criticism for dysfunction in her office, a botched immigration interview, and appearing in a space video with child actors.

"Pete's getting a lot of wonderful stories," one former Harris donor said. "People have such a positive feeling of Pete. It's just this fuzzy feeling. The only news we hear about him is that he adopted two kids."

Insider interviewed a dozen former Harris staffers, fundraisers, and Washington Democratic insiders about early discussions of a 2024 presidential primary. Most of them spoke on background to avoid gaming out future White House elections before Biden makes a formal announcement about whether he'll seek a second term or bow out of presidential politics after finally fulfilling his longtime career goal.

R30 [bold]Buttigieg seen as a 'very formidable candidate'[/bold]

There's broad consensus that a potential Harris versus Buttigieg contest could be divisive for the party, and some are worried it could weaken Democrats' chances of defeating the Republican nominee.

"It would be messy, and honestly I don't know if Secretary Buttigieg wants that smoke, given what ultimately limited his campaign in 2020 — that it was viewed to be not diverse, not representative of a changing country, that it was essentially viewed as a way station for disaffected white liberals," said a Democratic strategist who has worked for past presidential campaigns.

Democratic insiders also stress that Harris and Buttigieg aren't the only Democrats who could run in 2024 if Biden doesn't. Stacey Abrams, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren, and Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Terry McAuliffe are among the names that get mentioned.

But Harris and Buttigieg are viewed as two of the most likely contenders, given their ages, loyal followings, and high-ranking positions in the Biden administration.

A former Harris staffer also predicted a potentially "messy" primary, adding that Buttigieg would be a "very formidable candidate" in the next Democratic presidential primary. There has been tension between Harris and Buttigieg since the 2020 primary, the former Harris staffer said. "On some level, some people in her orbit felt like he sucked some of the wind out of her sails."

Harris dropped out of the race in December 2019 before any of the state nominating contests even occurred, falling short of her supporters' expectations. Harris told supporters at the time that she didn't have enough money to continue. Buttigieg went on to win the Iowa Democratic caucuses in February but dropped out in March after coming in a distant fourth in the South Carolina primary.

Biden picked Harris as his vice-presidential nominee in August 2020; he nominated Buttigieg that December to lead the Transportation Department.

For Harris to succeed in a future Democratic presidential primary, "she's got to prove that she can build a winning campaign," the former Harris staffer said. "She's got to go win. I don't think she's got a stranglehold on the party. I don't think it's like Al Gore for Bill Clinton."

Harris made history as the first woman and the first person of color to be elected vice president, but even many of her allies expect her to face a crowded field of challengers.

"I fully expect that the next presidential election is going to be fiercely contested," Phillips said. He pointed to the more than two dozen Democrats who ran in 2020. "This is not 1980, where Vice President Mondale is presumed to be the Democratic nominee."

Another Democratic strategist agreed that Harris' position as vice president won't mean that she automatically clears the field in 2024, or even in 2028.

"I think a bunch of other candidates say, 'You're not the anointed one here,'" the strategist said.

Pete is very cold and calculating. He'll do anything to win.

He better show some results at Transportation, because he isn't going to be President based on being the Mayor of Bumfuck.

I would love a President Pete (I'm Gen X) but my millenial friends are not fans.

A: Biden will run for re-election. B: Pete isn't involved in any of these discussions. C: He's probably pissed this is being written about, he is good with message discipline. D: Either Pete or Kamala would lose to Trump. 2024 is a long way off and hopefully Biden will bounce back.

How delusional are these people? The Republicans are going to take the presidency for 12 years and the house and senate for at least 6, after this disaster of an administration. Hopefully, now, having alienated their entire base, aside from sex offenders and brainless Twitterati, they'll stop taking their marching orders from cartoon villain Klaus Schwab and regroup. Unbelievable how out of touch they are.

It's questionable whether or not Biden can complete this term.

The thought of him running for reelection is ludicrous.

Kamala will mop Prissy Pete up. He is incompetent. Pete Buttigieg is a Political Prostitute.

[quote] How delusional are these people? The Republicans are going to take the presidency for 12 years and the house and senate for at least 6, after this disaster of an administration.

Wow, a "disaster" in just 10 months?! What time is it in Russia, Comrade?

The Jan 6 Insurrection was a dress rehearsal. If Biden and the Democrats don't fix voting rights they will lose the House, Senate, Presidency and everything worth having at the State level most places for at least a generation.

Democrats are Weak Weak Weak!

R40 = It is too late. The Democrats are doing nothing about Voting Rights. Biden is doing nothing. Nancy is rolling breath mints in her mouth to cover up her "breath"...Pete won't show up for work. Kamala is invisible. We Democrats have no representation. Unless Oprah or Michelle Obama step forward, we are losing everything when Trump makes himself President for Life in 2024.

r40, clearly you're not getting any accurate current news. The FBI led the "insurrection". The same way the DNC and specifically McAuliffe's campaign hired the fake neo-Nazis yesterday. I strongly encourage you to step outside of your echo chamber and find some more accurate sources of news.

And really you DemBots need to realize that your slurs of "Russian troll" "MAGA" "transphobe" blah blah have no effect anymore. In fact, you've accused to many people from so many different demographics of being the opposition, that now we actually are the opposition. When you started insisting that men were women, many of us began to second guess everything you were telling us. And lo and behold, it's 95% lies. The Democratic Party is just another cynical tentacle of the WEF.

My God. Politics in the Trump era has really broken a lot of peoples brains.

R42 You mean Donald Trump's FBI led the insurrection? Don't be stupid.

And why are you telling me about trans rights? Nothing I said has anything to do with that.

Go spew your hatred and vile somewhere else and don't tag me in your nonsense!

FOOL!

R42 Trump led an insurrection. Stop trying to shift the focus to other people.

IF the FBI was involved, they did so at Trump's behest.

Dems need to secure voting rights or our Democracy is gone forever!

[quote] Pete is very cold and calculating. He'll do anything to win.

And Kamala is not?

The dem nominee in 2024 is going to be Biden. Count on it.

Pete is starting this shit. It's a trial balloon to see if people are falling for his shit. He'd have no problem knocking Biden or Harris or anyone else outta the way. He'd step on his own mother if he thought it would help him in the polls.

Pete aint ready.

I don’t trust a gay man in office. Gay men are just way extreme in their views. Gay centrists are unicorns snd Pete Buttigieg is not a centrist. Gays are way into Islam and way into transgenderism. And on the right, they’re into white supremacy, pro-life initiatives. No way will I vote for a gay man for office.

What you described makes it sound like he IS ready, R48.

Buttigieg, Polis, Thiel—all “mainstream” gay men with political aspirations, all extreme. A hard no for all of them.

the homophobia on this site is both hysterical and heartbreaking. i'm sorry so many of you have been so unloved in your lives.

R50 Let me be clear: his ambition exceeds his abilities.

His knocking out (or damaging) more electable Democrats, ensures a Republican victory in the General Election.

Pete's really hung, right? Hugh. I mean he's basically Sicilian with a little North African DNA. He's short but he's got that going for him.

That's how I consider whom I'll vote for.

R54 Biden and Trump didn't rise to power based on their (probably small) Irish/Scottish cocks!

You might wanna re-think that.

I was thinking the other day how Pete would have handled so many things better: Afghanistan, the border, the spending bill.

But, you know, racism in South Bend is all that matters.

Sigh.

R55 Trump has a German mushroom. Since a guy gets Y chromosome from father I expect male genitals would come from father’s side. Scientists claim that intelligence goes through X, so a guy gets it from his mother’s side. A girl can get intelligence from either parent since she gets X from both.

I would be torn between Pete and Beto.

I'd love to see them prove their mettle before aiming for the presidency. Right now both seem rather ineffectual on the national stage. I'm mostly disappointed in Harris because she was so incisive with crooks on the hotseat during the Trump years. She's floundering as a salesgirl for the Biden administration. There seem to be real heroes for Biden's agenda right now, even though Biden himself isn't one of them. Harris needs to step up, because Biden projects nothing but an inability to read a teleprompter when he's called on to be presidential.

will never vote for the gay rodent

[quote]was thinking the other day how Pete would have handled so many things better: Afghanistan,

Bring them ALL to the US, of course. No way would we do the right thing and place them in Islamic countries.

Who is the more annoying spouse, Chasten Buttigieg or Hilaria Baldwin?

What is wrong with Chasten?

But were they Pointless Bitching dinners? One can only assume.

BREAKING = Pete on ABC This Week........Pete is reminding Republicans they can still get on board and vote their support for Build Better Back.....IDIOT...

They’re BOTH ineffective political candidates boondoggled by special interests.

We need more youthful bipartisan options, maybe a young billionaire that cannot be bought or blackmailed.

R66

Finally a level headed comment in a pete post.

This country has not had an exciting and interesting President since JFK.

R66 Do you mean me?

I voted for him in the primary, but find him a disappointment now. Is he back from paternity leave? He should be all over the place talkign about the administration's strategies for moving goods from ports.

I have never, not once, heard of Kamala Harris’ brain dead followers referred to as the “K-Hive.” Gimme a break. She’s awful.

Buttigieg is awful too, but he comes off as less crazy than most of the Democrats and can ride that all the way

Despite being minorities, LGBT and Black, they both struggle to connect with minority voters which is a must for a Dem candidate to win. Im a POC and most of my acquaintances who are over 40 were actually hoping Amy Klobuchar got the nomination.

R70 That's literally what he's doing right now. He already gave interviews to CNN and Fox News today.

R73, the interviews aren't being highlighted. The NY Times is still focused on race, and some other progressive issues. The WP isn't highlighting this.

Kamala and Pete, will be a good match. I'd also like to see her consider Amy, or Congressman Ryan from Ohio. Although truthfully Klobuchar should become our first woman Senate Majority Leader. She is SO much more effective than Schumer. As fa as rising in prominence, dammit I want Sean Patrick Maloney. He projects so much energy! Pete is brilliant but he has no fire. Sean has fire.

Pete on Fox News Sunday

I want a gay Democrat President and a Democrat woman as President ASAP but I don't see either of these people winning the Presidency. I like Pete and I am okay with Kamala but neither of these people can win over enough people to win and more than anything else we need a winner, our Democracy depends on it.

Putin has a better chance of being nominated than Harris. She's a fraud.

R77 Disagree about Pete. He is our best shot at a gay President, when if that chance is slim.

Currently, there is no possible Dem candidate who can beat Trump.

The idea that Pete was a workhorse was dashed over the paternity leave. Pete is boring, stale, and intelligent but he’s no workhorse. And he’s no Calvin Coolidge.

He has a tendency to leave when things get busy. That’s not a president to me. I want boring, stale, intelligent, AND a workaholic. That’s a president to me.

Will he take paternity leave if another child arrives when he's in the WH?

R76, Did Chris Wallace really have to ask Pete what the twins will be wearing tonight for Halloween?

Bottom Pete worked the talk shows to announce we will CONTINUE to have Supply Chain problems until the pandemic is over. In other words NEVER...Idiot..The minute Pete raises a campaign dime or goes to Iowa BOTH Biden and Kamala will kick him to the curb...I will NEVER vote for Pete. He is a fraud. I also think Chasten was at a bathhouse in Chicago when he "met" Pete online. They are both as fake as their teeth.

[quote] I was thinking the other day how Pete would have handled so many things better: Afghanistan, the border, the spending bill.

[quote] But, you know, racism in South Bend is all that matters.

Yes, well, you only get one chance to make a first impression.

I don't think it matters. I believe the GOP (or whatever you want to call them these days) will take the Senate and House in '22, and the WH in '24, keeping control of Congress in '24.

I do not think I will ever again see a Democrat elected as President in my lifetime, and I'm only 54.

R87, The Democrats blew it, big time, by nominating Biden, who was basically dead and buried after embarrassing losses in Iowa and New Hampshire until Clyburn resurrected him.

Choosing a more competent candidate would have the Democrats in a better place now, for Trump would still have been defeated and a second term would be more assured.

R88 = Black Voters would never have voted for Pete. Not in a million years. All of you Pete Lovers ignore his own record--which is terrible with black voters in South Bend and out of South Bend. There is a reason Pete quit when the South Primaries were coming because he knew black voters were going to finish him up.

Pete is the darling of rich white liberals but he will never be president. He got 0% of the black vote in the primaries and 1% of the Latino vote. He has no appeal outside of Manhattan and Hollywood.

What's just as bad is that he truly thinks he can be president without these two core Dem constituencies. His hubris will be his downfall.

Pete's biggest asset is Chasten. He can mobilize a network of MEN from the South Bend baths, to the baths in other major cities like Mobile, AL and Norman, OK (to name just two major cities where Chasten was voted top Top six years in a row by MEN) to spread the word all over the country; to the bars and the bookstores, the baths and the all-male movie houses. America will fall in love with Chasten all over again, once they see him in ACTION!!!

Run for what? lol, I guess we can say the backers of Buttigieg and the backers of Harris share one thing in common, they are both delusional!

R91 = That is the Makeover Chasten....Never forget what he looked like BEFORE donor money fixed his teeth and bought him new clothes. VIDEO of Slobby Chasten.

VP Harris has amply proven that she has risen to her own level of incompetency.

As R89 R90 sagely posted, Petey . . . sorry . . . Secretary Buttigieg has no support in communities where homo hatred is entrenched.

It's a complete waste of time/effort attempting to make these two happen, when there are far more suitable possibilities.

r93 "Slobby" Chasten, as you put it, was at that time becoming a legend in the South Bend baths, taking on all comers as "Most Tantalizing Top in the Midwest" (Anal Walls magazine). Pretty soon he was getting engagements in the baths of Warwick, RI, Lakewood, CO, Goldsboro, NC, and Frankenmuth, MI.

EVERYBODY wanted to know!

my god chasten has always looked 45 and 20 simultaneously

r96 He's lived an extremely sexual life.

[quote] my god chasten has always looked 45 and 20 simultaneously

I see the 45 as well. I don't see the 20.

Pete used to travel to meet "friends" before he became famous. The guy who said he met him in Indianapolis, etc. I cannot imagine Pete would get the same free pass he got the first time around. Maybe they think their brats will protect them from the stories next time?

He's too inexperienced!

Pete and Kamala are two sides of the same coin. Both pet candidates of certain constituencies, both compete empty suit with zero ideas. And i really liked Kamala when she first announced. Until I realized that she brought nothing to the table.

Michelle, please save us. I know you don't want to, I know you went through hell for 8 years, but your country needs your now more than ever.

Bernie is my guy, but between the two mentioned I choose Pete. He seems a dutiful and dedicated husband and a good guy, although he would not be my political choice.

Kamala is not a bad girl either, but as a politician, and with her Hollywood husband, hmm. She was a good choice for VP as a woman, because she seems the type that would slap Sleazy Joe if gets too fresh.

But Michelle I couldn't stand. I remember her greeting cheerfully Weinstein in White house in the time when everybody knew about him. From her husband I remember best the wars he fought in Middle east for oil domination. So no.

Between Pete and Kamala the DNC would totally freeze out the gay guy. Then if necessary they could alibi a 2024 loss on racism against a black woman.

R103 Good point. When brown skinned woman loses from orange skinned guy they can blame the racism and not their own incompetence.

Wall Street Pete would be a disaster./

I still like Peter...much better than Kamala. He'll have more Washington experience by '24.

If those two run then Trump is guaranteed to win. Either Biden runs for relection or a different candidate steps in. That is the only way to stop Trump from winning. His supporters are not tired but more energized.

Lots of the big multimillion-dollar houses all over Northwest DC in Kalorama-Sheridan, Cleveland Park, Cathedral areas had Buttigieg campaign signs throughout the primaries until he dropped out. I didn't see signs for any other candidates at all. I found that really interesting.

Then when the nomination was made, the "BYE DON" and "Biden/Harris" signs went up all over, including all the houses surrounding the Kushner house.

I saw a few big "WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, KAMALA" signs after the inauguration.

Washington DC is blue...many Democrats. I think that's why the push to make it a state is met with a lot of resistance from repubs. It would not be in their favor..lol. I'm sure Pete would have lost to trump in 2020. Biden was the better choice at the time because he's had years of experience in Washington, we know about him as VP, and comes off as kinder and empathic. I think Pete would have a better chance in 2024, but would be a tough fight if trump also runs.

R109 It's totally anecdotal, but in addition to all the Buttigieg signs all over NWDC, in Feb of 2020, I was at a conference and a woman from Western Iowa, near Omaha, Nebraska, was excited to tell me she voted for Buttigieg in the primary. She is a Democrat in a very red state, but I thought it was really interesting that of all the choices at the time, this woman in her 70s went with the inexperienced young gay guy. His quasi-conservative, clean-cut corny traditional whiteness appeals to a lot of people.

And yes, DC is reliably blue and Republicans absolutely will not make it a state unless a red state is made at the same time. That would put two more Democrats in the Senate permanently. My dad said Alaska and Hawaii were made into states both in 1959 because of this. But there's no current new-state option unless Texas were to divide itself into separate states, which it's not going to do.

Regarding Buttigieg in 2024...I don't know. I like how he presents himself. He reminds me very much of Obama. I think he's an ideal diplomat because of his oratory and conversational brilliance. But he has only been a mayor. He has no governing experience and no congressional experience and no foreign-relations experience. Of course, this doesn't mean he can't get the job, but in my opinion it means he shouldn't get the job until he has some of this experience. Gladhanding in Congress is a whole different world than the work he has done to date and he should know how that is done firsthand before being president. I think he could adapt well to foreign relations because he's highly educated, intelligent and emotionally intelligent and he's a polyglot, and all his credentials will guarantee he is respected by people everwhere that doesn't punish homosexuality with imprisonment or death.

R95 That joke wasn’t funny the first time you said it, and it isn’t funny now.

[quote] I don’t trust a gay man in office. Gay men are just way extreme in their views. Gay centrists are unicorns snd Pete Buttigieg is not a centrist. Gays are way into Islam and way into transgenderism. And on the right, they’re into white supremacy, pro-life initiatives. No way will I vote for a gay man for office.

A: you’re as homophobic as any bible-thumper

B: you’re a fucking idiot, and…

C: you don’t belong here. The essence of bigotry is the refusal to see others as fully human. ‘Gays are this..gays are that..’ is no different than ‘blacks are this…’ or ‘Jews are that…. Its an inability to understand that we all, each of us, is AN INDIVIDUAL!

Your lazy generalities are a perfect example of refusing to see the humanity of others, as you’d want them to see yours. People like you are the bane of human existence. Go away.

r111 What seems like a joke to you is no laughing matter to MEN like Pete who gets dicked down severely by Chasten's massive roll of construction paper every night; his tank filled to bursting with Chasten's MAN fluid. When he was Mayor of South Bend, ALL the municipal employees would spy Pete limping into his office and then give each other sidelong glances; with knowing nods! They knew.

Hey R113 I was just asking about you yesterday, you disappeared. I was posting how you know about Chasten's days of the most in demand Top in the bathouses of Midwest.

This old man not going to be the president for the next SEVEN years.

Pete lived in a White Neighborhood in South Bend. Bought a house in one of the Whitest counties in Michigan. Lives in a White neighborhood in D.C.....Oh yes, blacks will vote for a man who goes out of his way to never live next to one of "them"....And I really thought Kamala was going to be a real go getter and it just hasn't materialized. For some reason I just don't see her out.

Out of curiosity, if Trump runs and wins in '24, is he eligible to run again in '28, considering he will have then served two (non-sequential) terms? This is assuming he doesn't thrown out the Constitutional Amendment and declare him ruler for life of course.

No, R117, the limit is two terms, they don't have to be sequential.

R118 Thank you. Next question... will the two term limit stop him from seeking a third?

Trump has already said he is going to abolish the 2 term limit when re-elected. ALL Dictators do--it's sort of what they do. And of course Mitch will support it.

What do you mean 'if Biden backs out'?

[quote] Trump has already said he is going to abolish the 2 term limit when re-elected. ALL Dictators do--it's sort of what they do. And of course Mitch will support it.

Yeah, but it’s not up to either Cheatolini or Mitch. There are four ways to amend the Constitution.

[quote] (1) Both houses propose an amendment with a two-thirds vote, and three-fourths of the state legislatures approve. Twenty-six of the 27 amendments were approved in this manner. (2) Both houses propose an amendment with a two-thirds vote, and three-fourths of the states approve the amendment via ratifying conventions. Only the 21st Amendment, which repealed Prohibition, was passed in this manner. (3) Two-thirds of the state legislatures call on Congress to hold a constitutional convention, and three-fourths of the state legislatures approve the amendment. (4) Two-thirds of the state legislatures call on Congress to hold a constitutional convention, and three-fourths of the states approve the amendment via ratifying conventions.

There is absolutely no way that the House and Senate will pass an amendment to allow tRump additional terms by a two-thirds majority. And even if they did, they would need 37 state legislatures to ratify it. The Repukes don’t have that, and likely won’t. Ordinarily, an amendment such as this would not even apply to the person currently holding office when it is passed and ratified, so the removal of the limitation would not inure to tRump’s benefit. But there would be nothing ordinary about this attempted dictatorship.

The photo in the OP is giving me [italic]Feud: Pete vs. Kam[/italic]

to quote M in Postcards From the Edge........these are the options?

Has Kamala done anything noteworthy yet?

^To add to that, has Pete done anything noteworthy yet?

He made babies.

^ Has Pete done anything for those he serves: the taxpayers....since they’ve been paying for all his time off?

He was sly about this extended personal time off at others’ expense. He did not announce it formally.

Chasten needs help with the babies! They're living a life any gay man in the world would envy. Leave Pete alone!!

[quote] Chasten needs help with the babies! They're living a life any gay man in the world would envy. Leave Pete alone!!

Fine. Will “leave Pete alone” when he leaves us alone. Don’t want to pay for a politician to help his husband care for children instead of doing his job.

If helping his partner and taking months off to do so is his priority, he needs to step down as the head of the struggling Dept. of Transportation.

Pete was chosen to head DOT because Joe wanted a gay man in his Cabinet.

I think that Joe may resign after two years of his second term and let Kamala run as an incumbent in 2028.

R132, Then, she will have the shortest Presidency in history, next to William Henry Harrison.

R132, 2024, sweetie.

I've stopped following Pete on Twitter and Instagram.

r134, I believe that Joe will run and win in 2024, ducky.

R136, From six feet under?

That's a terrible pic they used of Pete in OP's link.

R138, Pete is not photogenic.

r139 Chasten is!

R140, From what angle?

Have you seen his pix in fatigues?

He is a hot fuck on the way to dad-bod.

WE HAVE ARRIVED!

R142, Bless your heart, but no.

r143, go cunt somewhere else.

As it stands now, Harris is unelectable.

She has all the people who hated Obama for race and HRC for her being a woman standing against her and few, if any, of either of their bases of support.

Newsflash to the Rip Van Winkles on this thread thinking Biden has tiny meat. Did you sleep through election year?

Oh and by the way, the intertube seems to be have wiped clean of Hunter's huge dick. 😣

R146, As if his dick pics weren't universally downloaded.

[quote] [R143], go cunt somewhere else.

Not R143. Peter Buttigieg = Alfred E. Neuman

R148, When Pete first appeared on the national scene, all I saw was Mr. Bean.

I 💕 Pete. He's our only chance for a better world. If only more people were like him...

R150, I would take Beto over Pete any day of the week. At least Beto is attractive and hot as fuck.

[quote] [R148], When Pete first appeared on the national scene, all I saw was Mr. Bean.

Now that you mention it, can see it.

The AEN from MAD mag is what I always see when I see him.

R152, And when Trump mentioned that publicly, Pete said he had no idea who AEN was.

Pete looks like the guy who has some freaky stuff going on behind the scenes (NOT a compliment). He reminds me of that Gov McGreevey who was having 3 ways with his wife and then "came out" right before he was outed. ...Wait and See...

r141 From the bottom!

[Quote]I was thinking the other day how Pete would have handled so many things better: Afghanistan, the border, the spending bill.

It is amazing the amount of competence that is assumed of Buttigieg when he was barely able to run a small midwestern town. 🤔

R75 If it is gonna be Kamala then put her with Sean Patrick Maloney. They'd be a great team! Just leave Pete out of this. Every other word out of his mouth is "But I'm gay." Um ok, fine but what have you done for the gays... or anybody???

I really like Maloney. He is a politician who happens to be gay. He doesn't hide it but nor does he flaunt it like a cheap gimmick. He's very savvy and connects well with working class people. I'd like to see him or maybe even Beto with Harris.

Joe Biden has been the weakest Democratic Party POTUS we've had in decades. He makes Carter look like FDR. Despite Democrats owning the federal gov't (which he heads) for almost a year, Democrats haven't done shit! What happened to Build Back Better?

Joe gotta go in 2024.

"Republican-light Pete" is not the answer though. No way he wins a national election. He seems aloof, naive and of course grossly inexperienced despite being handed many opportunities to garner experience and grit.

Klobuchar would make a great Senate Majority Leader, but frankly, my shoe laces could do a better job than Schumer.

Say what you want about that fucktard McConnell (and there is plenty negative to say) but he managed to ram all the GOP's shitty policies through and stack the entire federal court system while Schumer just stood on the sidelines and whined like a bitch! McConnell even got some Dems to vote with him sometimes.

No more weak Democrats! Pete is extremely weak. ANY Republican would wipe the floor with his ass! My Gosh! Please don't let him ascend any further!

R107 Biden can't win reelection. Have you seen his polling numbers?

There's nothing he can do to bring himself up in the polls. Even if he ekes out some watered down, GOP-Approved version of his Build Back Better policy it won't be enough. The curtain has been pulled back. The whole world sees he's weak!

He's also never gonna fix the Voting Rights Act which will prevent a Dem win. The GOP and attacks a little more every day! He fecklessly stands on the sidelines like nothing can be done. EXCUSES , EXCUSES, EXCUSES!

Finally, with his inability to get anything done, the GOP will surely own Congress by 2024 and they'll never approve him as POTUS even if he does get the votes. Hell even some Democrats in Congress may even be ready to say "Fuck Joe" by then.

Biden is more focused on undoing everything Trump did in the last four years, rather than deal with the problems this country is facing NOW.

Oh, REALLY? Do you ALWAYS speak in boilerplate, R159? Patently false boilerplate?

I voted Biden. He doesn't seem to understand the current political climate. Listening to him talk about bipartisanship is cringe inducing. What alternate universe is he living in?...Biden says Manchin is going to come around!!...WTF?

R160, Bless your poor, pathetic soul.

R161, Manchin said on Thursday that he doesn't see a passing of the bill until around Thanksgiving.

Manchin is saving the country from even worse inflation.

Is that $450K to each family member separated at the border shit in the bill they're trying to pass?

R161 It's not just Biden. Most elected Democrats don't know what the fuck they're doing.

Democrats don't know how to focus on what most Americans want.

Biden is the official leader of the party. That is what he signed up for and he is showing himself unable to steer this ship!

Biden's a failure and he is fucking it up for whoever runs in 2024 (which better not be his unelectable ass).

Obama famously said "Never underestimate Joe's ability to fuck it up."

[quote] Is that $450K to each family member separated at the border shit in the bill they're trying to pass?

Not in this bill. That's separate.

r159, Biden is correcting 40 years of Republican neglect. He is restructuring the workforce and the economy for the 21st Century.

R169, Delusional much?

R169, If you honestly believe that, I pity you.

[quote] It's not just Biden. Most elected Democrats don't know what the fuck they're doing.

U.S. Energy Secretary Bursts Out Laughing When Asked Her Plan to Increase Oil Production in America

The Child Tax Credit helps women.

The Childcare Subsidy helps women.

Paid Family Leave helps women.

White Racist Republican men, who want to keep women in their place, call this WELFARE.

It is a restructuring of the economy to level the playing field for women.

Only ONE part of the Biden BBB Plan.

r172, get ready to move to electric because once the oil and gas subsidies are removed, envision $10 a gallon gas. The price of gas will be the motivator to move to electrics. Look for a surcharge on electricity used to charge cars to replace the road tax...eventually.

R173 Nobody is saying that Biden doesn't have great "plans" but it has been 11 months, why has BBB not been implemented? He campaigned on these things.

Anything Democrats propose is better than the Bullshit Republican anti-American agenda, but we don't have anymore time for "plans" as Democrats are in danger of losing their seats across the country.

It's time to get on with things.

AND fix voting rights while you're at it Biden!

r175, The American Rescue Plan, was a 100% Biden/Democrat Plan THAT BECAME LAW. It was implemented in the 11 months you jerk off about, and included:

Economic Impact Payments

Child Tax Credit

State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund

Capital Projects Fund

Homeowner Assistance Fund

Emergency Rental Assistance

State Small Business Credit Initiative

Employee Retention Credit and Paid Leave Credit Programs

Unemployment Compensation

Not one FUCKING REPUBLICAN voted for it. It was MASSIVE RELIEF.

Biden campaigned on these things, and he delivered.

The American Rescue Plan Act, passed by congress and signed into law March 11, 2021.

EIGHT MONTHS AGO.

Meanwhile, Chasten took the babies to the park so he could meet some friends.

[quote] Biden is correcting 40 years of Republican neglect.

Huh? The past 40 years have had 2 Dem Presidents representing 16 of those years..

R176 NONE of that did anything for my life or the people I know.

I want him to do something for me. We were raped for 4 years by Trump. It is time for some massive reforms.

I want the BBB and voting rights restoration he campaigned on and I want it NOW!

Can you imagine a political party so stupid as to not prioritize voting rights when you desperately need votes to win elections to do ANYTHING???

This is the problem with most Democrats. As Nancy Pelosi would say we are so used to getting "crumbs" and we are so grateful to get anything. When Republicans are in power they implement their Agenda ASAP because they know the time may be limited. And that is why they keep getting elected and control EVERYTHING!

Stop settling for crumbs!

[bold]Pete Buttigieg hyped infrastructure from the White House while Kamala Harris flew to France. Dems think Buttigieg got the better deal.[/bold]

[quote]Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is reveling in the passage of the infrastructure bill.

[quote]Vice President Kamala Harris went to France and hasn't been a central figure in the victory lap.

[quote]Democratic insiders think Buttigieg is having the better week.

Karine Jean-Pierre marveled at the size of the crowd in the White House briefing room when she stepped up to the lectern on Monday.

"Wow, this is all for Pete," Jean-Pierre, the deputy press secretary, said. "I know, it's all for — we like to call him 'Secretary Mayor Pete,'" she added as she introduced Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. He was at the White House to take a victory lap after the Biden administration's $1 trillion infrastructure bill cleared Congress last week.

It was also Buttigieg's first time at the lectern as a new dad — he and his husband, Chasten, recently adopted twins — and Jean-Pierre and the press congratulated him. On Twitter, fans of the transportation secretary swooned over how presidential he looked.

He's become the face of the administration's push to sell the sweeping and expensive bill to the public. The White House released a video of Buttigieg hyping the bill on Saturday morning, the day after the late-night vote in the House. He touted the bill on MSNBC and Fox News that day.

Vice President Kamala Harris hasn't been as prominent in the infrastructure victory lap. She stood next to President Joe Biden during his speech on Saturday when he reveled in the bill's passage, but she didn't speak. The day Buttigieg appeared at the White House, Harris was getting ready to fly to France.

Her foreign visit comes at a thorny diplomatic time for the US, after Paris accused Biden of stabbing it in the back over defense-contract negotiations. She traveled at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron and plans to discuss everything from the climate crisis and space to technology and cybersecurity while she's there, according to the White House.

Buttigieg is having the better week, Democratic strategists told Insider. They spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect professional relationships.

"I'm sure anybody who was a big Pete person in '20 looked at that as, 'Wow, he just did something huge, and he's going to be on TV everywhere and do this big victory lap,'" one Democratic strategist told Insider.

The infrastructure investments could come in handy if Buttigieg decides to make another run at the White House someday. "He can literally campaign in places and be like, 'See this highway? I built that,'" the strategist added.

R181 [italic]'Even more unpopular than Biden'[/italic]

Democratic insiders are paying close attention to the vice president and the transportation secretary, who are the only two Biden 2020 primary rivals now serving in his administration. They're both viewed as rising stars in the Democratic Party, and supporters of both think they could go head-to-head — or join forces — in a future White House contest.

In addition to being well versed on the wonkiness of infrastructure issues, Buttigieg is seen by Democratic insiders as a capable spokesperson who's nimble and polished on cable television. Harris isn't always comfortable improvising, according to several of her former aides.

Of course, there's still plenty of time for Biden's administration to sell the infrastructure bill ahead of the 2022 midterm elections, and Harris could still play a major role in the public-relations campaign.

A senior administration official told reporters on Tuesday that the vice president was "fully engaged" with negotiations on the infrastructure bill and would publicly make the case for it next week.

But Democrats suspect that her team doesn't love the optics of her flying out of the country just as the victory lap is getting started.

"There are probably Kamala people that are like, 'Hey, this is supposed to be our opportunity for this to be a win for us, too,'" the Democratic strategist said.

A former Democratic Senate aide said it was "fair to assume that not only are her staff bent out of shape over this, but they're also pissed because of the recent polling that shows her not doing too well."

A poll released Sunday from USA Today and Suffolk University found that Harris' approval rating had plunged to 28% — worse than Biden and a historic low for a modern vice president.

"Do you really want your messenger on this issue to be someone who's even more unpopular than Biden?" the Democratic strategist said.

Gil Duran, who worked for Harris when she was California's attorney general, said it was "a bit early for the horse race" between Harris and Buttigieg.

"It's early yet, and there will be ups and downs, and one news cycle in which a secretary gets to take a bow is hardly determinative of the future," said Duran, who's now the opinion editor of the San Francisco Examiner.

Buttigieg "is an interesting and dynamic character who's going to get attention in his own right," he said. "He will also have hard days ahead.

"Hopefully at this point they all view each other as being on the same team," he added.