Howard Dean endorses Buttigieg in DNC race

[demmiblue]

Source: The Hill



Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean endorsed South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg to lead the DNC, MSNBC's "Morning Joe" reported early Wednesday.

Buttigieg said in a tweet he was "honored" by the endorsement.

"Gov. Dean is calling for not just a 50-state but a 50-year strategy. That's what I will work to establish as DNC chair - time for a change," he tweeted.

Earlier this week, Dean, a former Vermont governor, said he was "kind of" rooting for Buttigieg, The Washington Times reported.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/320576-howard-dean-endorses-buttigieg-in-dnc-race

[TexasTowelie]

1. I've listened to the videos of Buttigieg and I am very impressed.

I believe that he would be able to draw the millennials into the party with his intelligence and overall style of speaking. His military service would also appeal to a segment of the population that has drifted away from the Democratic Party over the years. He has to be doing something right if he can be elected in a red state like Indiana.

[madokie]

2. I like

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

I also like Howard Dean. In fact I'm a Deaniac and proud of it. Under his leadership we were going places

[BlueMTexpat]

9. + a million or so! eom

[Hortensis]

3. Mayor Buttigieg on NPR:

Well, I think the most important thing is to remind everybody of what we're for. Look, there have been a lot of outrages coming from Washington in the last few weeks, and they rightly inspire a level of anger, but we can't have that be the only thing anybody hears from us. We've got to be talking about what our values actually are and what the policies are that flow from them. When we're talking about things like the deportation rates, we should also be talking about the importance of family, why we believe it's important to keep families intact and allow families to stay together. Every time we're saying no to something, we've got to be saying yes to something else. And I do think that we can have an energy that is at or above the level of what you saw with the tea party.

Well, of course we've got to compete and win in 2018. But one thing that I've noticed about the other side of the aisle is they are very patient in building their majorities. You know, you had organizations that started by running people for school board in the '80s and are seeing dividends on that now. And we've got to have the same patience. We, as a party, can't treat the next cycle like it's the only one that matters. For example, you know, 2020 is a year that will have huge implications for redistricting. And so we've got to be looking at the statehouses, not treating the presidency like it's the only office that matters.

Well, look, the math is tough, especially when it comes to the Senate, but I also think Americans have woken up, whether it's people on our side of the aisle who stayed home in the last election or people who are up for grabs and a little bit skeptical about where this country is being led. I think there's tons of potential for pickups in 2018, but I'm not naive about what we're up against. And I certainly don't think the ordinary historical rule about midterms for the party in power is something that you can simply assume will carry us to victories.

Sounds like a sensible man. Worst thing I can see so far is his name, Peter Buttigieg. What were his parents thinking?

[potone]

16. He does sound good...

but I agree that the name is unfortunate; it is really the last name that is a problem, and neither he nor his parents can be blamed for that. Looking on the bright side, it certainly is no worse than Reince Priebus, which is a name I still have trouble getting my brain around, and that is before I even listen to a word that he says, all of which are no more appealing than his name.

[Hortensis]

18. Lol. Me too. I was thinking the same about Priebus.

Btw, Salon says the mayor's name is pronounced Boo-ti-JUDGE. If he can live with it, and seemingly he does very nicely, I guess I can.

[OnDoutside]

25. I wonder what people thought when they first heard the name

Barack Hussein Obama ?

[Mr. Sparkle]

4. I heard him on the Bill Press Show a few weeks ago.

He was very impressive. If he wins or loses, i would like to see him more involved on the national level.

[CousinIT]

5. Just posted a piece from MSNBC on this. Wondered what everyone thinks.

I know little about the guy but he sounds good at first listen. I agree with Dean about the 50-state/5-year strategy -- and that we need some younger energy in the party - not to replace existing leaders, but to enhance the party's position esp with younger Dems and bring fresh perspectives and ideas.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028691258

[watoos]

6. If Ellison doesn't get it

I will still push for Democrats but I will donate my money to the ACLU.

[LovingA2andMI]

7. Buttigieg is very impressive BUT....

It is Keith Ellison or Else for many including myself. If he is not picked the energy now in the Democrat party will disappear to a small spark.

[hrmjustin]

8. Or else what?

[lapucelle]

28. Hypothetically, some will defect to Jill Stein (again) in 2020

and send the money they never donated to the DNC to another organization instead.

[hrmjustin]

29. Well that worked out well in the past.

[geek tragedy]

10. Ellison is my preferred candidate, but he's not the messiah, and no single person is indispensable,

[otohara]

13. I Feel The Same Way

if Ellison is chosen.

My years of voting will cease.

[demmiblue]

14. You wouldn't vote in any election if Ellison becomes the DNC chair?

That is rather extreme.

All y'all need to get a grip.

[leftynyc]

24. I wont be giving a dime to the DNC

but give up voting? That sounds very extreme and very self defeating.

[moonscape]

20. If everyone felt that way about their pick then the Democratic Party would be doomed. n/t

[obamanut2012]

22. Oh Good Lord.

I am so tired of this ridiculous threats.

[Me.]

27. I Think WE've Heard That Tune Before

And look where it got us.

[geek tragedy]

11. He could wind up being a consensus candidate if the trenches get dug too deeply for the other two nt

[Recursion]

12. O'Malley and VoteVets both endorsed him too

I don't know that he's got the administrative chops, but those endorsements bring me a lot closer to being on board.

[obamanut2012]

23. I would actually really like Dean in there

So, if this guy impresses Dean, he has my backing.

[FSogol]

26. Buttigieg was endorsed by Martin O'Malley and Howard Dean. That's good enough for me.

[Hortensis]

15. Reportedly pronounced "Boo-ti-JUDGE."

"As someone trying to represent both wings of the party, however, Buttigieg sees no contradiction between reaching out to people who no longer feel welcomed by Democrats and reconnecting with voters who feel a strong loyalty to the party.

“Right now 50-state strategy is gospel,” he said in a telephone interview with Salon. “We forget when it was first introduced, it was quite controversial.” ...

Under Dean’s chairmanship of the party, Democrats stopped “running away from our values,” Buttigieg said. Instead of moving to the center, left-leaning politicians should instead be honest about their beliefs and focus on actually delivering results to benefit everyone, he said."

Btw, check out the graph below for a little perspective. House Democrats were about as liberal as they ever have been during the 1990s and the 2000s to date. Senate Democrats (not shown here) are always somewhat more conservative, but like House Democrats they are actually far more liberal than those during the New Deal and Fair Deal years--when they really were working with moderate conservatives to make real change happen. Howard Dean was DNC chair from 2005 to 2009.



I understand the need to win, but I am super-tired of politicians who think they need to repeat commonplace lies to do so. Boo-ti-JUDGE is nearly a generation younger than Tom Perez, and that's likely a good thing, but I still like Perez best. The best I can hope for the other two is that they wouldn't actually base their strategies on their rhetoric.

Btw, a significant number of those who don't "feel welcomed by" Democrats have problems with how far and fast Democrats have gone with LGBTetc and minority rights. It's interesting that so many don't have any doubts about choosing a black Muslim man or a gay white man to be the official face of the "reach-out" to these repelled voters. Not saying we should pander to them, just wondering about the sincerity.

"Reaching out" should be more than a campaign slogan. And it should be changed to "welcoming in."

[msanthrope]

17. Punt. nt

[sarcasmo]

19. Go Pete, a fresh face is what the DNC needs. Called Trump a Chickenhawk.

http://heavy.com/news/2017/02/pete-buttigieg-south-bend-indiana-mayor-gay-boyfriend-dnc-chair-democrat-who-is-bio-age/

[joshcryer]

21. I endorsed him Feb 4th.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10028594151#post22

[calguy]

30. I like him a lot

I doubt he will have enough support to win the job but hopefully whoever wins the job will enlist the help and fresh ideas from him and people like him.