Applause for Pete Buttigieg as 2020 Hopeful Strays From 'Trite Script Most Politicians Cling To' During Town Hall
Many viewers of South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg’s town hall on Sunday were intrigued by the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate’s thoughtful remarks and intent on making sure they’re able to hear more from Buttigieg throughout the campaign.
Progressives around the country wrote on social media about their hope that the 37-year-old would be included in the Democratic primary debates scheduled to begin in June, and their goal in helping to make sure he isn’t shut out of the process.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald noted that while he didn’t agree with everything Buttigieg promoted during the town hall, which was hosted by CNN at SXSW in Austin, Texas, the mayor offered a refreshing departure “from the dreary, trite scripts most politicians cling to.”
Buttigieg called for abolishing the electoral college and a federal quality law to forbid states from discriminating against LGBTQ Americans, and argued against attacks on his youth by saying, “I have more years of government experience under my belt than the president.”
“That’s a low bar. I know that,” Buttigieg said. “I also have had more years of executive government experience than the vice president.”
The mayor offered a direct admonition of Vice President Mike Pence, the former governor of his state who he suggested has abandoned all pretense of the mission of public service by enabling President Donald Trump’s racist, anti-immigration, anti-economic justice agenda.
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