THREAD
There is only one person that I agree with 100% of the time on policy, morality, campaign strategy, fundraising, choice of staff and advisors, etc... and I'm not running for President.
So I'm supporting the candidate that inspires me the most - @PeteButtigieg
There is only one person that I agree with 100% of the time on policy, morality, campaign strategy, fundraising, choice of staff and advisors, etc... and I'm not running for President.
So I'm supporting the candidate that inspires me the most - @PeteButtigieg
My support for Mayor Pete is not a rejection of any of the other fantastic candidates running this year and I will have no problem getting behind the ultimate winner of the primary, which is why I'm #bluenomatterwho. But until we have a nominee, Pete will have my full support.
And he has that support in spite of places where I disagree with him on policy, or staffing, or fundraising, or campaign strategy. He has my support because he inspires me and makes me optimistic about the future in many different ways.
1) He inspires me to be a better person. I am one of many #AtheistsForPete who eagerly embrace Pete's open discussion of the universal values inherent in his religious beliefs, and the need for a resurgence of the liberal church. For far too long, Republicans have tried to claim
God as a member of their party, but the evangelical right has always been focused on regulating personal behavior rather than focusing on values like stewardship, inclusivity, acceptance, charity for all, and loving thy neighbor. Pete's policies embody these values.
Furthermore, his "Rules of the Road", which are often hard to live up to, make me want to do better and be better. We are not perfect and we all fall from time to time, but wanting to be a better person even when we fail is not hypocrisy - it's inspirational.
2) He inspires me to look beyond the dogma of the last 40 years by reclaiming language and values that liberals have ceded to Republicans in the past. If he sometimes uses rhetoric that is reminiscent of conservatism in support of liberal policies, I see that as a huge plus.
We have an opening this year to reclaim heartland and industrial voters who have abandoned the party because they feel like Democrats have abandoned them. Pete is using their language to bring them back into the fold.
3) His perspective on the world, based on being part of the generation that grew up under the threat of school shootings and who fought the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, gives me more hope for the future. Pete understands how these issues, along with climate change, student debt
(as far as I know, he is the only candidate who still carries student debt of his own), stagnant wages, and more will affect us long term - because he is living through them personally.
4) Pete's pragmatic and incrementalist approach to politics is not everyone's cup of tea, but it is definitely mine. If I had a magic wand to wave, I'd lean toward more progressive policies than those the Mayor is putting forward - but I also understand that incremental
improvements can help real people right now and lead to further change down the line, while far left plans are pipe dreams and purity tests that have the potential to prevent actual change now.
5) He combines a mastery of language with a frightening intellect and is the most natural retail politician since perhaps Bobby Kennedy. Not only does this make him a strong candidate in the primary, it will give him an edge in the general, and make him an effective advocate
for liberal policies in the Oval.
I don't begrudge the supporters of other candidates their love for their candidate. I'm excited about the width and depth of Democratic talent we have in the field, not just in the primary but in taking on Senate, House, and Gubernatorial races
I don't begrudge the supporters of other candidates their love for their candidate. I'm excited about the width and depth of Democratic talent we have in the field, not just in the primary but in taking on Senate, House, and Gubernatorial races
all over the country this year. People like @AmyMcGrathKY @MarkleTX128 @SaraGideon @ShuttleCDRKelly @harrisonjaime @TedraCobb and hundreds more are mounting credible challenges against Republicans on their home turf and need our support - even if they're more moderate than
we would like. We need them to end #MoscowMitch's reign of terror, stop the gerrymandering of districts, put an end to the frantic pace of right wing nominations to the court, stop the trend of institutionalizing religion in our science classes, and more.
That is what #BlueNoMatterWho is all about. That is why my vote FOR Pete Buttigieg is not a vote AGAINST Sanders, Warren, Biden, or any of the other amazing candidates running this year.
He also inspires me to be a better writer and I'm sitting here fuming at myself for using "that" instead of "who" in the first post of this thread. It's one of my most common grammatical mistakes - and I need people to call me out on it when I do it!
