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Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(125,594 posts)
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:18 PM Mar 2025

Buttigieg gives the clearest sign yet about his next steps

Pete Buttigieg is expected to announce Thursday he will not run for Michigan’s open Senate seat, according to a person briefed on his decision, clearing a path for a potential presidential campaign instead.

His decision was framed by several allies and people in his inner circle as putting him in the strongest possible position to seek the presidency, and based on a belief it would be exceedingly difficult to run successive campaigns in 2026 and 2028.

The former Transportation secretary acknowledged recently he had been “looking” at a Senate campaign, including meeting with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to discuss the possibility.

Democrats are scrambling to hold onto the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Gary Peters in a crucial swing state. Republicans see it as a top pickup opportunity after coming close to flipping the state’s other Senate seat last cycle.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/buttigieg-gives-clearest-signal-yet-100000959.html

17 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Buttigieg gives the clearest sign yet about his next steps (Original Post) Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2025 OP
I think that getting experience and visibility as a Senator would position him better. SharonAnn Mar 2025 #1
I agree. We need Senate seats to help us with SCOTUS and other judgeships. Jit423 Mar 2025 #10
Let's see a show of hands...who thinks it's worth the risk to run a gay male against Vance? elocs Mar 2025 #12
Are you suggesting that gay males are weak? JoseBalow Mar 2025 #15
Not at all. I am suggesting that there are Democrats who would not vote for a gay male elocs Mar 2025 #17
Luckily.... Think. Again. Mar 2025 #14
I think he should run for Senate and not president. Renew Deal Mar 2025 #2
You heard it here first, Pete Buttigieg will be the next President of the United States. William769 Mar 2025 #3
Better to first run for the Senate, but then the Nazi-in-Chief went straight to the top, soooo.... InAbLuEsTaTe Mar 2025 #4
Bad move, I think he should run for Senate. radius777 Mar 2025 #5
Big mistake. Run for Senate. Passages Mar 2025 #6
I think he's a great fit for Senate. But I do not think he makes sense as a 2028 Democratic candidate for Nanjeanne Mar 2025 #7
Good luck electing a gay man as president in this country awesomerwb1 Mar 2025 #8
He's just 43, so there's plenty of time for him to do this later. Xavier Breath Mar 2025 #9
I'd rather see him in the Senate in two years Retrograde Mar 2025 #11
I think it more prudent to prove misanthrope Mar 2025 #13
Pete for Pres! EndlessWire Mar 2025 #16

SharonAnn

(14,075 posts)
1. I think that getting experience and visibility as a Senator would position him better.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:24 PM
Mar 2025

How is he going to build significant visibility and credibility outside the Senate?

And, let’s face it, being gay will make it tougher than it should be. But that’s a fact.

Like Katie Porter running for Senate against Adan Schiff and giving up her visible House exposure for nothing.

 

elocs

(24,486 posts)
12. Let's see a show of hands...who thinks it's worth the risk to run a gay male against Vance?
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 05:07 PM
Mar 2025

We need a strong candidate who will win because there is a portion of the Democratic Party who will not vote for a woman of color much less a gay male. Reality sucks, but it is what it is. There is no sense in pretending, we need a strong male as our candidate, but I don't believe that we will have free, fair, and not rigged elections in '16 much less in 2028.
If Trump can accomplish as much as he has in less than 2 months from his inauguration, think what it will be like in 2 years much less 4 years.
I am a poor retiree who anticipates being homeless before long, so it's hard to have hope for the future.

 

elocs

(24,486 posts)
17. Not at all. I am suggesting that there are Democrats who would not vote for a gay male
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 07:08 PM
Mar 2025

just as they wouldn't vote for a woman of color. It's the dirty secret nobody wants to admit.
Where did those 6 million votes that Biden got against Trump in '20 that Harris never received in '24?

Renew Deal

(84,246 posts)
2. I think he should run for Senate and not president.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:26 PM
Mar 2025

Though I could support him in a primary and I think he can handle JD Vance in the GE.

radius777

(3,921 posts)
5. Bad move, I think he should run for Senate.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:35 PM
Mar 2025

as I think he'd most likely win. MI is light blue but still difficult to win as it has turned redder over the past decade. Thus we need a strong candidate and I think he'd easily win.

However, as we've seen over and over, president is simply ... different. The swing voters (and even many Dems I'm afraid) won't vote for a gay man for president, even if they may for other offices. I don't think a woman could win either at this point. They somehow believe a gay man or woman can't deal with the likes of Putin and Xi.

Basically (yep, you guessed it) we need to nominate a macho cis het xtian family man for the top of the ticket. White or black. Someone like Mark Kelly, Roy Cooper or Wes Moore.

Nanjeanne

(6,277 posts)
7. I think he's a great fit for Senate. But I do not think he makes sense as a 2028 Democratic candidate for
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:39 PM
Mar 2025

President. Hopefully in a few cycles. But not this next election.

awesomerwb1

(4,778 posts)
8. Good luck electing a gay man as president in this country
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:42 PM
Mar 2025

Assuming there will be an election in 28.
Assuming, if, there is an election it won't be ultra rigged a-la Russia

Unless something changes drastically in this country, I don't see it happening as much as I like Pete.

Xavier Breath

(5,812 posts)
9. He's just 43, so there's plenty of time for him to do this later.
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:47 PM
Mar 2025

In the meantime, he could serve a term or two as senator. And, perhaps attitudes by some in this country about a gay man serving as president can evolve a bit. Oh well, his call, and I wish him luck.

Retrograde

(11,187 posts)
11. I'd rather see him in the Senate in two years
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 04:59 PM
Mar 2025

rather than wait four years for the slim chance that he might be president.

I think he would be a decent president. I also thought Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris would have been good presidents, but the majority of voters in The Only States That Count(tm) thought that actual qualifications didn't matter as much as being a swaggering orange media personality with a few catch phrases.

misanthrope

(8,919 posts)
13. I think it more prudent to prove
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 05:09 PM
Mar 2025

you can win a statewide race before soaking up resources on a nationwide race.

EndlessWire

(7,962 posts)
16. Pete for Pres!
Thu Mar 13, 2025, 06:27 PM
Mar 2025

By the time he would have to campaign, rumpy will have hurt us in every way possible. I think he would have a slight edge over a Dem female candidate, but an enormous edge over whomever is run by the repubs.

The whole country is witnessing the erosion of reason with the Orange Turd. JD Vance can't prevail against the intelligence of Pete B., period. He can't gish gallop Pete, and he doesn't have the experience or background that Pete has. I don't think that Vance will necessarily run against Pete. Some other guy will. All they would have against Pete is that he is a gay guy with a family.

There will never be a better time to run a gay guy. The point isn't to get a gay in there. The goal is to nominate a guy who can fix all the stuff that rumpy et al. have broken. That will be the task. He can run on repairing what trump broke. What are they gonna run on? More tax breaks for the rich?

There are plenty of people who voted for rumpy that now say they should have voted for the female. If ever we are to do it, now is the time. Pete is incredibly intelligent, very well liked, and he can repair all the ill will the country now has against us worldwide. He would be a breathe of fresh air.

We have to determine how to have a free and fair election in 2028. Choice of the VP will be important. I like Swalwell. There are tons of other Dems that are outstanding candidates. A pair of intelligent, patriotic, know-how-to-fix-it Dems will be welcome. We have had about 8 weeks of this trump et al. nonsense, and by the time this election rolls around, the whole damned country will be ready to pick someone new.

We are heading into a depression. That so-called "disruption" is ill thought out as he will put thousands on the street. They are not likely to vote for a Repub after this. People in pain will do almost anything to get away from their pain. Start campaigning now, point out to people the cause of their pain.

I like the idea of Pete campaigning as if the election were tomorrow. It would force the Orange Hellbeast to have a shitfit as he seeks to stop Pete. That way we can hear what he will say against Pete. Do you think that gay or transgender people will not vote for Pete as rumpy seeks to make them 3rd class citizens? There are millions upon millions of like minded individuals who will support Pete. He's tough, he's strong, and there is no reason not to vote for him.

What about Bernie as VP? He's not afraid of rumpy!

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