Mayor Pete Holds His Own Despite Lack of Debate Experience

Mayor Pete Buttigieg held his own in the fifth democratic debate held November 20, where he called for an inclusive America. He is leading in the polls in New Hampshire and Iowa although still in fourth place nationally.  Buttigieg has been called out for not having a lot of ‘Washington experience, despite the current U.S. president having zero when he ran. He stood tall in owning his mayoral experience in South Bend, IN, where he has held office since 2012. He gained ground with his stance on issues including Medicare for all, despite the criticisms of his political greenness.

⁦@DanaBashCNN⁩ tryin’ to start something with ⁦@PeteButtigieg⁩ & Pete had an AMAZING answer which he said in the debate! Nothing is going to trip him up! Good job Pete! ???????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/lqhMJ4RySx — Giving THANKS 4 Pete!!!???????? (@destroyurego) November 21, 2019

Now, in Atlanta, Mayor Pete is fighting against voter suppression in the southern state along with many other issues. As he continues through the U.S. on his campaign, he has been called the political equivalent to Mister Rogers, yet holds his own in political debates.  South Carolina’s African American voters have yet to be persuaded in the polls there. Senator Harris (D-Calif.) was set up during the debate to take another dig at Buttigieg on this point, but Harris clearly stated she believed he has moved on, and the two seemed to have come to an agreement on showing up for black voters at not only election time, but all the time.  “While I do not have the experience of ever having been discriminated against because of the color of my skin, I do have the experience of sometimes feeling like a stranger in my own country — turning on the news and seeing my own rights come up for debate,” he said. During the debate, Buttigieg stated, “Wearing this wedding ring in a way that couldn’t have happened two elections ago lets me know just how deep my obligation is to help those whose rights are on the line every day, even if they are nothing like me in their experience,”  Biden, Sanders, and Warren did not address Buttigieg in the slightest, yet he is getting recognition and staying strong on his campaign. The last little bit of shade he directed at Trump was pure gold: “We do not have a 21st century strategy coming from this president,” he said. “After all, he’s relying on 17th century security technologies like a moat full of alligators or a big wall.”