1/ A 🧵 on the #MayorPeteDoc/#MayorPeteMovie . #TeamPete #TeamPeteForever So last night, we sat down to watch the #MayorPeteDoc/#MayorPeteMovie
2/ I read lots of reviews in advance and expected to cry and find it cathartic on some level. I sniffled a couple of times but it was more of a delightful trip back to the reasons I boarded the Pete Train and never looked back.
3/ Some of the reviews I read in advance suggested that the documentary portrayed the struggles of Pete to "open up" or that it showed sides of Pete that most people didn't know existed. No on both counts for me.
4/ I, of course, do not "know" Pete Buttigieg or Chasten, although I had the opportunity to meet each of them (meaning I got to exchange a few words with them and shake hands) 3 or so times during the campaign.
5/ What I saw in the film was how I experienced them when I met them and from hearing of the experiences of other people that I know. From the first time I heard Pete speak in February 2019, what struck me was how relatable and un-politician he was.
6/ He was this young candidate-mayor who did ordinary things that ordinary Americans do. - game night with family, trips to Dairy Queen etc.
7/ I know a lot about what Pete and Chasten like to do -- I cannot say the same about Vice President Harris, President Biden, Terry McAuliffe, or my representative or senators. So the notion that he was aloof or unrelatable always struck me as odd.
8/This is a long way of saying I can't imagine another politician allowing a filmmaker into his/her/their life like Pete did - u even see him in sweats after he drops out (even scratching his visible stomach). Certainly no female politician could do this easily.
9/Heck, even Obama never pulled this off.
10/When political analysts say he needed to emote more, just remember that 1) he's a self-described introvert; 2) hiding who he was for many years probably did impact him; 3) he's a writer - many writers are highly observant people; and 4) he's just an incredibly disciplined guy.
11/I used to joke that I wondered if he went home after being on a campaign trip and threw dishes at the wall. He doesn't. He could have been a Special Forces officer with his calm under pressure demeanor.
12/Second, I personally from the beginning worried that his campaign did not attract enough support from Black voters. I went to his campaign launch in South Bend in April 2019 and, despite him knowing all sorts of Black leaders and individuals in South Bend, none of them spoke.
13/He instead had Renee Ferguson, a former TV journalist in Chicago (I used to watch her growing up) with whom he lived for a summer as an intern, vouch for him.
14/The "he has no Black support" narrative never let up. It was just that - a narrative - but even when he went to speak in Black areas (like Hyde Park in Chicago , it was mostly white voters/supporters who showed up. FWIW, he won't have this problem I predict if he runs again.
15/Third, the documentary really portrayed well that sense of #Joy & #Belonging (two of the ROTR) that his campaign. I had so much FUN volunteering for his campaign and the friendships that his campaign created among many volunteers are a great gift.
16/ 4th, seeing him in the campaign and watching the documentary now 1 3/4 years years after his campaign ended, I see a larger morality tale for us as a society. Here's a guy who has a genius IQ, attended some of the best universities, and worked briefly 4 a consulting firm.
17/In the way he synthesizes ideas and sold so many of us on his candidacy and his vision, I'm reminded that he could have taken a very different path as - ultimately - a partner in a consulting firm or business executive selling corporation/the public on services or a product.
18/ I'm grateful that he has used his immense talents to advance ideas and a vision and continues in public service.
19/ Finally, reliving the campaign and watching Pete and Chasten through the documentary brought back something very profound - I supported him entirely for positive reasons. I supported him because of his policies and his vision -- not because i actively disliked his many rivals
20/I still think that Pete Buttigieg would have been an amazing president right now. I hope that he will yet be the amazing president that our country needs one day. #TeamPete #TeamPeteForever #MayorPeteDoc #MayorPeteMovie
21/A Postscript. If I could ask Pete any question now, I'd ask him if it was true he wanted to be UN ambassador, how he saw the position and what he wanted to accomplish, and how he saw the role fitting into future plans. I have no doubt he'd have been great at it. #TeamPete
22/FWIW, I think that @USDOT is the perfect position for him. It's an executive position where he can shape/share a vision, rebuild our country, and also have the chance to connect thru transportation w/communities across the country. #TeamPeteForever
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.