I have never voted for a candidate with whom I agreed 100% on specific policies.
Instead, I think I do what most people do; we vote for candidates who share our values, candidates we feel we can trust, who possess personal characteristics we deem admirable. If the Trump presidency has taught us anything, it is the supreme importance of those characteristics–sound judgment, integrity, intellect, diligence, respect for the institutions of government and the rule of law, and a genuine desire to work for the common good. A little humility helps a lot.
Trump possesses none of those qualities– I doubt he is even able to recognize them.
Character does count, and it counts far more than this or that specific policy prescription. (Which is why Democrats’ predictable “circular firing squads” and insistence on total purity drives me nuts.)
There are a lot of talented people running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. I like several of them, dislike others, and worry that still others would not be as competitive as necessary. That said, I will obviously vote for anyone who emerges as the party’s choice. (Hell, I’d probably vote for Beelzebub if he was running against Trump and his cabal.)
But my top choice so far is Mayor Pete, for a number of reasons.
As I have previously written, I am convinced that it is time for younger leadership. Mayor Pete’s performance thus far–and his rise from obscurity to third place in national polls in a matter of months–bodes well for a general election. His obvious intellect, extensive knowledge and thoughtful demeanor are all reassuring and would be a welcome change from the embarrassing ignorance bloviating daily from Trump’s White House.
Above all, I appreciate his authenticity; everything I’ve seen or read, and everyone from South Bend I’ve talked with, says this guy is the “real deal.”
I think a recent article by Ezra Klein at Vox best captures why Pete’s message so attracts me.
Some excerpts:
There was a word missing from the speech Pete Buttigieg gave in South Bend, Indiana, announcing his presidential campaign. It’s a word you heard twice in Bernie Sanders’s and Beto O’Rourke’s announcement speeches, nine times in Cory Booker’s, 21 times in Kirsten Gillibrand’s, 23 times in Kamala Harris’s, and 25 times in Elizabeth Warren’s.
That word? “Fight.”
Instead, Buttigieg returned to a word those speeches shied away from, a word whose relative absence from the Democratic primary is all the stranger given its potency in past Democratic campaigns.
That word? “Hope,” which Buttigieg said eight times, Gillibrand said three times, O’Rourke uttered once, and Sanders, Harris, Warren, and Booker avoided entirely.
Klein cites to 70 years of research confirming that fear motivates conservatives and hope motivates liberals.
At the core of this worldview divide is hope, in its most basic, literal form. Are you hopeful about new things, new people, new places? Does change excite you? Does difference? If it does, you are more likely to be liberal. If you look at the new, the different, and feel a spike of fear, you’re more likely to be a conservative….
Obama and Trump, in their respective campaigns, took this subtext of American politics and made it into bumper stickers. A black man with a strange name won the presidency tying together the words “change” and “hope.” He was succeeded by a white man who won the presidency promising to turn back the clock, who built a campaign around the word “again.”…
A lot of liberals, temperamentally and psychologically, don’t want a fight. They don’t want politics to be an endless war; they believe that mutual understanding is possible, that the country will respond to someone willing to believe and call forth the best of it. That’s not just their view of politics; it’s their view of life. It’s the view that Obama spoke to in the speech that made him a star:
Even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters and negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes. Well, I say to them tonight, there’s not a liberal America and a conservative America — there’s the United States of America. There’s not a black America and white America and Latino America and Asian America; there’s the United States of America.
Klein compared aspects of Buttigieg’s announcement speech to Obama’s messaging, and then quoted Pete saying :“It’s time to walk away from the politics of the past and toward something totally different.”
I don’t know about other people, but I am so ready for something totally different. I am so ready to hope again.
There’s an old political maxim to the effect that Republicans fall in line and Democrats fall in love. I think I’m in love.
Sheila,
Yes to all this and you did not mention how well he handles the Religious Right.
What’s not to love about Pete?
Although, I’m not voting for HOPE…I’m voting for justice and equality and an economic system which supports both.
Pete has yet to produce a new system which treats all Americans as equals. He is even described as a Centrist.
Yea, we need more Centrists in D.C. — NOT.
Can we have Governor Pete?
Put together a platform for governor and he will get my support. Running on that “Hope and Change” thing is what Obama ran on and then provided NONE OF IT.
Well, except if you were a corrupt Bankster.
After reading his book and listening his reasoned and calm responses to questions during interviews, I have been leaning his way. I want to hear more about his stances on healthcare and public education before I commit to him in the primary.
I agreed with a previous blog regarding the issue of age with both Biden and Sanders. The stress of the 24/7/365 grind of the Presidency on anyone who is in their eighties could be a real killer, literally.
As an aside, while listening to an interview on NPR yesterday, a woman commented that she was sure that there were men who would never vote for a woman as President, no matter how qualified she might be. Sad to say, I think she is right. I suspect there are women who would never vote for a woman President as well. It remains to be seen if conservative religious voters would ever consider supporting a gay man, especially one who is married.
The number of declared Democratic candidates is too reminiscent of the Republican field in the 2016 election. Will the most aggressive, negative campaigner emerge as the frontrunner as happened then? It would not surprise me.
Right now, mark me down as “undecided”.
Mayor Pete is a person I can trust. That is a big deal to me. The Orange menace is not capable of telling the truth about anything. We need a President that we can trust.
Pete has already faced big obstacles in his life. And he is so smart. What a treat that is.
I agree Prof K – Mayor Pete could just do this. I sure hope so
I am a 56 year old woman, former Republican, who has never donated to a political campaign. I have now donated twice to Mayor Pete! I really love how thoughtful and measured he is. And smart. This is exactly the antedote we need to Pres. Trump!
Pete has not committed to public schools and the problems with vouchers and charter schools – keeps tippy-toeing around that subject. His husband teaches at a private school. We need someone who will fix what Betsy DeVos has done – and unfortunately – also the disaster of Arne Duncan under Obama. I strongly supported Obama, but he truly was misguided by keeping Duncan in office so long. Obama listened to the wrong people about education….
I like Mayor Pete too, and am looking forward to seeing his policies fleshed out. Also, Iʻd go another step more and say itʻs hate versus love as well as fear versus hope. And although heʻs not in the top tier of candidates yet, Andrew Yang advocates lifting people out of cycles of poverty through Universal Basic Income. Yang has a full platform on policies including medicare for all and climate change https://www.yang2020.com/policies/
Reading Senator Barack Obama’s book, “The Audacity Of Hope”, inspired me to follow his campaign and support him all the way to the White House…twice. Senator Obama’s hope was that both parties would ONCE AGAIN sit at the bargaining table and work together to find solutions to our problems. In 2016 the Democratic party could not bring their voters to come together for the betterment of the country; not even to prevent Trump from becoming president.
“That word? “Hope,” which Buttigieg said eight times, Gillibrand said three times, O’Rourke uttered once, and Sanders, Harris, Warren, and Booker avoided entirely.”
Hope has less to do with our upcoming election than uniting the Democratic party; 2020 will either save us or sink us. That includes the uniting of the candidates to bring their supporters fully behind the chosen nominee. Personally I hope we can come together to select the presidential candidate who will fight to bring voters together to support the Democratic candidate who may not fill our every personal need or belief. The misplaced Trump administration and their White Nationalist supporters stand together in racism, bigotry and hate and they are a diametrically opposed group if ever there was one. We outnumber them as evidenced in the 2016 race but still lost. The infighting and back-biting within the Democratic party let the Republicans again appoint the president; there seems to be a glimmer of that same action again between Mayor Pete and Bernie regarding their voters. This is no way to win an election…or the nomination.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” Neither can the Democratic party.
Right now there are too many candidates for the Democratic ticket. This tends to dilute the strength of the field. While Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders may have good messages, I think their time has passed, partly due to their age. Despite what I’d personally like to see, I do not believe that this country will elect a woman for the number one spot here (yet). Mayor Pete seems to be the “real deal”, however the conservative religious right will not be able to get past his sexual orientation, but then, no Democratic candidate will. He appears to be an excellent choice. Nothing is wrong will a little hope. Go Pete Go!
Amen. Should there be a word limit on comments?
“ . . . fear motivates conservatives and hope motivates liberals.“
YES!
I like Pete too and Bernie was my first choice last election. I would vote for Warren in a heartbeat. I can’t decide which I want more. I wish Biden would retire (like Bernie) so there’s that too. We need young thinkers running our country and putting age restrictions on congress critters would be a start to that. But we can’t do anything democratic if we don’t remove money from politics!
Good luck Pete with your run. I know many from “the Bend” that are very enthusiastic about Pete and many on the right that think he made South Bend worse.
we hope, its not lost words, or diffrent meanings,like draining the swamp,or change. im tired of words,from the politicians mouth,same gathering,same speach. we the people seem denied we can not, sit down with these candidates and talk openly,and without a bush getting beaten to the ground without a difinitive answer. sure,they can not promise,but, never have i heard a real need,,,,like, we need to vote out the otherside to make our dreams a reality.or am i missing some false words to that,i never recognized ? no one party will allow another to stop this runaway train, and the other sounds like a fence sitter talking shit. as a life long progressive, im never heard fight make a damn bit of difrence in the demos talk. lack of backbone this time will send us to the board room… and sans democracy.like a war, we need to literally run over the mob,and throw them under a bus. if we dont,those who we need,will only laugh at us as snowflakes and send America to its grave.
I am not very familiar with Mayor Pete yet but I have long objected to the word “fight” as used by politicians. I want a politician who will represent me and “work” to bring about the change I value. I do not think fighting will ever get us to a better society but compromise and civility will.
The republicans are working very hard to dig up dirt on Mayor Pete. They haven’t been able to uncover anything that hasn’t already been in the news. Mayor Pete has put them in a bind that they have not been in before and it really is funny. He has already “outed” himself on anything that could have been of value to the opposition.
Like everyone else, I admire his intelligence, authenticity and thoughtfullness. He just may be able to pull this off if he can get the younger generations to go to the polls and vote.
Watching the Supreme Court yesterday just reaffirmed for me what really matters… winning. We need to quit tearing the candidates apart over policy positions. Just pick any position you care about and ask yourself, ‘which person is best for me on this position, any generic democrat OR Trump?” And if that doesn’t answer it for you, then just realize that with four more years, Trump will most likely get 3 more picks on the Supreme Court. I like Mayor Pete – a lot. I dislike only one candidate in the field and if I am being completely honest there are a few that I wouldn’t know their names if they were standing before me (and I pay a lot of attention to this stuff). But I’d rather have any one of them picking the next several members of the Supreme Court.
We may be so enamored of Pete because we have become accustomed to such idiocy in Trump. He is pretty impressive, but I am not ready to jump on the bandwagon until I hear some definite policy proposals.
Mayor Pete has been pretty sketchy about the details of his platform, but he has said he will be fleshing those out in the months to come. In fact, the only candidate who has been the policy wonk that most of us would like is Elizabeth Warren. I very much doubt that she could win the election, but I think her policies are long overdue. Sadly, it seems the American public doesn’t care about policies.
I know and like Pete and have contributed to his earlier campaigns for state treasurer and mayor, but I am currently supporting Warren for president and Mark Kelly of Arizona for Senate in 2020, though like Sheila, I will vote for any Democrat for president if Trump is the alternative (and I am not convinced he will be the Republican candidate – it could be his successor in office, one Pence, or a Jeb, Ted, or Mitt). Things can happen.
That said, it’s early, and with so many candidates from which to choose I want to hear what wares they have to sell before committing to vote for one of them in the primary. Pete is a breath of fresh air in our Trumpworld of hate and division but has not yet fleshed out his stands on important issues of the day, and as an issue wonk I will not support him until he does, however magnetic his personality and whatever his hopes. I am not “against” Pete or any other Democratic presidential aspirant; it’s simply that I want to hear positions on issues which in the political marketplace I consider to be more important than those selling their takes.
Today I am for Warren (who certainly fleshes out her stands on the issues), but as noted before, things can change and my particular vote is not set in stone. We’ll see.
Yes, the adjective I hear most often with Mayor Pete is “thoughtful” and then “optimism” and “hope”.
He is getting some criticism for not having a laundry list of policy positions; I think that’s wrong-headed. I believe Pete is putting things in the right order- values first, then policy. I also agree any leader isn’t going to have all the answers on day one.
What’s more, I think that some candidates are offering specific policy proposals that they can’t possibly deliver on unless they magically have a far-left House and Senate (heavy emphasis on the magic here). Over-promising and under-delivering is a sure recipe for cynicism.
I’m not looking for Superman (or Wonder Woman) — that sort of magical thinking is what got us the current occupant of the White House. I want someone who is smart, honest, curious, articulate, uncorrupted and who has values that many of us share.
There may be some other good candidates out there – but Mayor Pete has my attention and my money.
I respectfully disagree. Buttigieg is very thin on policy and that troubles me. With 20 and counting in the field we need to distinguish who is worthy of our vote. I’ve said before and I’ll say it one more time, I will vote for the ultimate Dem candidate. However, I will not be silent with my concerns about lack of experience or lack of policy knowledge or other “lack” while in the process of determining who I will ultimately support in the primary. “Nice guy” isn’t the overriding factor we should be using to elect a president. And with so many far more experienced and qualified candidates, right now “Mayor Pete” falls to the bottom of the list.
IMHO Pete is an ideal candidate.
In the race, there is another bright educated young man with a wife and children, member of Congress. His name is Eric Swalwell, D-Cal.
Check out Eric Swalwell on YouYube and watch for him in the news.
One or both will make an orange flat splat of Trump (if Trump shows up) in the 2019 Debates.
In the words of Monty Python “…and now for something completely different.” Go Mayor Pete!
I’m concerned with Mayor Pete’s stance on Israel’s horrible treatment of the Palestinians. IMHO Israel treats the Palestinians virtually the same as the Nazi’s treatment of the Jews only without (so far) building crematoriums. He would certainly be a huge improvement over tRump, but for now I’m supporting Elizabeth Warren.
So the “test” for who should be the Democratic Candidate for President is – How many times he or she uses the word “Hope??? So the “test” for who should be the Democratic Candidate for President is – How many times he or she uses the word “Fight”???
I would agree with Jamie > “Buttigieg is very thin on policy and that troubles me. With 20 and counting in the field we need to distinguish who is worthy of our vote.”
Actually, if you go to Pete Buttigieg for President Web Page it is all fluff. Statements of Policy are non-existent. https://peteforamerica.com/meet-pete/
Hope is just a mirage, without policy, without a foundation of what you stand for or against. The three standouts are Sanders, Warren and Gabbard. Sanders and Warren have been in the political trenches, they have detailed policy positions.
I’m with Jamie and Monotonous. I would add Pete’s has some splainin to do about racial matters.
Think about it, everyone. You are all waiting for complex policy positions. The average person votes based on 10 second sound bite fictions from Faux News. Warren is not going to connect with those people. Pete will.
Also, and it makes me sick to have to say this, though his homosexuality may turn some away, he is a Christian white man, and for those who vote for Trump, you could think of them as two groups: the evangelical fools who will never vote for any Democrat, and the garden variety knuckleheads — racists, sexists, gun nuts, and the fearful in general. He will get some Trump votes, and 100% of the Hillary votes. That is enough.
I met Pete when we were both running for state offices in 2010. Here is what he didn’t say: He didn’t boast of being a Rhode’s Scholar, speaking several languages, being an officer in the National Guard, or for anything else for that matter. What we spoke about was what we/he hoped to do for the state of Indiana if elected. We were both swept aside in the 2010 Republican tsunami/backlash against Obama.
I said then, and I say now, that I had never met a young person so ready to serve and to lead.
Pete is “the real deal.” He has some work to do. As Stan Lightner pointed out his stance on Israel is awful, and he has to make some progress reaching out to the disadvantaged. That said, he can fix those things. All he needs to do is to get out among the people, meet them, listen to them and talk to them and his natural empathy will shine through.
I don’t want him to lock him into “undoable” promises as Kurt Weigand points out. He is young in the game and should cautiously form his policy positions and not be swept up competing with others foolishly.
Finally, I believe that Elizabeth Warren is not only the most prepared candidate, but the most qualified, but I simply believe she is unlikely to either attain the nomination, or if attained, beat Trump.
I’m supporting Mayor Pete right up until the day he wins the presidency or gives up the race, and like the rest of the commenters I will support whoever the Democrat nominee is.
Go Mayor Pete!
Folks, Mayor Peter seems like a nice young guy…but, governing the US is a big job. Take a look at Governor Bullock – got big things done on a bigger stage in a red state….https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/steve-bullock-montana-governor-democrat-president-2020.
Some more reading for y’all https://www.npr.org/2019/04/14/712412977/pete-buttigieg-helped-transform-south-bend-as-mayor-but-some-feel-left-out
My fantasy is a Buttigieg/Harris ticket and I care not who heads it. Both have intellect, character, likability and integrity so many orders of magnitude beyond Trump that the President would fail a DNA test to determine if he belongs to the same species. There is compelling evidence that both love the same country I do. It appears to me that both would fight for fairness and justice on all fronts. I see no indication that either would sell out his/her country to gain political advantage. Both are youthful enough to understand today’s issues and culture in ways that I can’t. Perhaps I’m projecting my hopes onto these promising candidates, but without hope there’s little to look forward to. I’m embarrassed that my generation has devastated the climate and the environment and our politics so the next president should be someone who will be directly affected if those problems are not fixed – and who cares about it.
I’m proud that those same words apply to many of the Democratic candidates. The only way we can lose in 2020 is to squabble in ways that provide an opening to self-destructive Donald Dirtbag. The candidates need to communicate continually about how to compete without damaging the party’s prospects.
Bravo Terry!
I’ve read his book, articles both pro and con, and watched many of his campaign speeches. I am awash with happiness that an intelligent person oozing integrity has stepped forward. BUT we couldn’t elect a woman for cryin’ out loud. Do you really think we could elevate a gay person? Tragic, but there it is. I’m hoping whomever emerges as the necessarily bland ‘most electable’ chooses Pete as running mate. Would be a ‘solution’ to (for instance) Biden’s age problem, provide balance, and inspire the young voters. If I ruled the world a Warren/Buttigieg ticket would be a winner, but alas I do not.
@Lester Levine:
I’ve seen some of the articles on folks who felt “left out” of the progress that’s happened in South Bend. Nobody is suggesting that anyone is brushing their hands off and saying, “Well, that’s all done…Mission accomplished” – least of all Pete. He’s been very clear that the city is on a different trajectory, but there’s still a lot of work to do.
My opinion is that there are limits to the role of government. That there should be a much more level playing field and a dedication to lifting people up – but that doesn’t mean that government is going to take care of everyone. Individual initiative and responsibility are still key. At some point the “war on poverty” became “the war on poor people”. I’d be thrilled if we could just change that back around.
Poverty – particularly inter-generational poverty– requires a long-term commitment. It’s not something that can be fixed in 4 years or even 4 more years. However, some of the policies that helped to create those inequities can certainly be changed in that time.
Looking fro the best candidate is what we are all here to do, but we really do need to make sure we aren’t looking for a mythical superhero to save us.
“… the supreme importance of those characteristics–sound judgment, integrity, intellect, diligence, respect for the institutions of government and the rule of law, and a genuine desire to work for the common good. A little humility helps a lot.
“Trump possesses none of those qualities– I doubt he is even able to recognize them.”
Trump lacks these qualities because his personality defects qualify him to be, perhaps, both a malignant narcissist and a psychopath.
Mayor Pete seems like a very good man with all the qualities needed to be a world leader.
South Bend is barely majority white, more than 50% single parents, 53% with bachelor’s degree of higher (US is about 33%) Not exactly the profile of the US. Decent stuff to win DEM primary…but, combined with lack of experience…how far can values take you (see current Duck)?
“Nothing is wrong will a little hope.” Except when the opposition is big and bad and mean and crooked and wealthy and willing to kill to keep its power.
Never enter a gunfight with a hope.
Of course, if your intent is to acquiesce to the status quo and run from the bullies and the fights, I guess being nice and hopeful at least looks good — like flowers at a funeral.
Which candidate(s) will drive big money out of our politics with public campaign funding? If we continue to let them pay for our politicians’ campaigns, the radical rich will continue to rule.
Where is the specific policy in JFK’s words “Ask not what your country can do for you………”?
No policy but the words echo in all our hearts full of hope and inspiration. Donna Belch, my spouse and I, are 100% for Pete. He gives hope and inspiration.
As to the other candidates; no one has been more consistent and for a longer time than Bernie, Elisabeth is the candidate with the most well reasoned positions, Kamala also inspires me, I like them all. But you hit the nail on the head with HOPE. Thanks, Sheila
@Larry Kaiser,
There is some truth to what you are saying. Trump is a Machiavellian.
And if we can’t win a general election then all the great policy positions in the world won’t matter.
That said, I think the primary process is going to help clarify things. The fact that Pete can stand out in a crowded field, raise money, and be a contender in a very short time is encouraging.
It’s a little unconventional to put so little emphasis on policy… but he’s done a great job with his campaign so far – Let’s see what he can do.
I’m still in receiving mode until the Primary concludes and will certainly consider carefully what I hear from all of the candidates. The first question for me is, in these days will a woman get the same consideration as a man by the electorate through the campaign. I don’t know yet. I know they would by me but don’t know the degree by which I’m representative of the greater population.
I thought that this was profound though. “Klein cites to 70 years of research confirming that fear motivates conservatives and hope motivates liberals.” It confirms what I have thought that conservatives need to hang on to the receding past while liberals need to prepare for the inevitable future.
Mayor Pete certainly seems like he’s able to adapt to the future that is coming regardless of what we wish for.
Tom Strong – Governor Bullock is the only candidate who has actually done something about “dark money” – in a Red/Libertarian state, no less. Check it out.
Larry,
There aren’t (so far) any guns in this gunfight – there are only words and the challenge of helping people understand where their self-interest lies. Part of my lean towards Buttigieg (and Harris as well) is my belief that they are the best quipped to parry the disgusting verbal thrusts that have won Trump the allegiance of the permanently piqued, and to do it in a way that reveals the hollowness of their president’s positions.
When he was dying of cancer, friends told Christopher Hitchens that on his deathbed he would convert to Christianity. “You may be right,” he replied. “After all, it would be better for the world to lose a Christian than an atheist.” That’s the quality of riposte that I’m hoping for from my dream ticket.
I love Pete. If chosen as our president,our First Lady will actually be a white-man!
How exciting!!!!
For anyone who would like to learn more about where he stands on important issues. :]
https://meetpete.org/
I’m eager to know Pete’s policies that go along with his positions, and am hopeful that he will share them soon. Meanwhile, you can look at a big collection of videos that is searchable by keyword to find Pete talking about dozens of issues: meetpete.org (be sure it’s .org!).
Re: His husband teaching at a private school. Several things are possible here: 1) it may have been the only open teaching position when Chasten moved to South Bend (this is very likely in a small school system); 2) Chasten might have been strongly attracked to the Montesori pedagogy, too. Pete went to private schools, but remember that was his parents’ decision, not his.
Re: Palestinians– I agree. Troubling. I hope he will change his positoin if enough people urge him and instruct him about the real situation.
Re: race relations. Pete has acknowledged very publicly and several times that he and his campaign need to do better here. So far at least two of his top campaign staff are Black (finance director and director of Rapid Response team) and I bet by now there are more. The campaign is still adding staff. Also, I saw at least one video where Pete asked the audience to help him to expand his understanding and outreach to people of color. I like that Pete is willing to listen and change. He’s definitely smart enough to do that.
Re: religion. Pete has been very clear, and repeatedly so, in saying he believes strongly in the separation of church and state. He also has been very clear that his interpretation of Christian scripture is to care for the poor and needy, welcome the stranger, be humble, and let love be his guide. He said his responsibility is to be a leader for people of all faiths and no faith.
My ideal ticket: either Warren or Harris for president, Buttigieg for VP. Or Buttigieg for prez and a woman (a current candidate or someone else with federal government experience).
I will vote for whoever the Democratic candidate is. Period. End of story. That being said, I think Bernie and Biden are too old. I don’t think Elizabeth Warren is going to be able to beat the orange menace despite her being an exceptionally well prepared candidate. And, I’m not sure ANY woman can win this time around. Let’s face facts. It’s virtually impossible for the Democrats to take back the Senate. Therefore IF we can get our acts together and coalesce around an electable Democratic presidential candidate, IMHO the one we need is one who doesn’t necessarily check all of our boxes on policy but one who is able to work on a bipartisan basis to get some things accomplished. AND, most important of all, one who will make good Supreme Court decisions. Medicare for All may be a great policy position but it’s going nowhere with the Senate in Republican hands. Ditto MANY other policies. I’m with you here, Sheila. I think we need someone who can begin the healing process. And, someone much younger. It’s time to pass the torch.
Sheila, would love to hear your thoughts about the candidates you don’t really like! I am so impressed with all of them, some more than others. But they are ALL very intelligent and compassionate, which gives me hope for our country. I like Pete, but feel it is way too soon in the process. While the “hope” thing sounds good, we all know what happened to Pres. Obama. With the Republican party today, obstruction would be their only goal. Pete would be great as our governor–we certainly need change in the legislature. I am looking forward to the debates, and am already impressed with the town halls I have seen.
I’ve fallen behind on your blog posts… vacation and catching up as my excuse. But I wanted to express — I feel that same sense of hope for our future as I did when I first heard Barack Obama speak. it feels optimistic, and it looks a lot like Mayor Pete.
I like Mayor Pete’s compassion. That, above all, is the main thing that attracts me to his candidacy. He actually recognizes–and acknowledges–disabled people as citizens of this country.