Mayor Pete Buttigieg (via Instagram) The latest polling from Monmouth University for the upcoming Iowa caucus’ show out Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the top spot for the first time. He edges former Vice President Joe Biden by 3 points and Sen. Elizabeth Warren for 4 points. Here are the results of the latest poll – the numbers in parenthesis represent standing when combining first and second place results:
• Mayor Pete Buttigieg 22% (37) • Former Vice President Joe Biden 19% (29) • Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) 18% (35) • Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) 13% (25) • Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) 5% (14) • Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) 3% (9) • Billionaire Tom Steyer 3% (6) • Entrepreneur Andrew Yang 3% (4)
Those numbers show an increase of 14 points for Buttigieg since Monmouth’s last poll in August when he garnered just 8 percent. The South Bend mayor’s gains since the summer have been across the board, with increasing support coming from nearly every demographic group reports Monmouth University. “Buttigieg is emerging as a top pick for a wide variety of Iowa Democrats,” said Patrick Murray, director of the independent Monmouth University Polling Institute. “While he has made nominally bigger gains among older caucusgoers, you really can’t pigeonhole his support to one particular group. He is doing well with voters regardless of education or ideology.” It goes without saying that a first or second-place finish in Iowa would seriously underscore Buttigieg’s standing among the current crop of Democratic White House hopefuls. Mayor Pete is the first openly gay candidate to have a serious shot at the Democratic presidential nomination.
That said, only 28 percent of likely caucusgoers say that they are firmly set on their choice of candidate. The majority of respondents indicated they would not be overly disappointed if they had to switch their support. There are easily identifiable reasons for the upswing in Buttigieg’s standing. One, the 37-year-old mayor has begun to cast himself as an option for moderate Democrats who are also looking at Biden. Two, when the Buttigieg campaign announced its top funding raising numbers ($24.8 million) after the second quarter of 2019, his team said they would put that money to use, which they have. Buttigieg has more than 100 staffers and over 20 organizing offices across Iowa.
However, it’s worth noting that despite laying out a detailed policy platform to help African Americans he calls “The Douglas Plan,” he faces an uphill battle in attracting the support of black voters, both nationally and in South Carolina where the third primary voting will be held. African-Americans make up about two-thirds of Democratic voters in the Palmetto state. It’s been 31 years since a Democrat won the nomination without majority-black support.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (via Instagram) Mayor Pete Buttigieg has released his plan to make college education more affordable. It would tie the price of attending college to a family’s income. Under Mayor Pete’s proposal, public colleges would be free for students whose families earn less than $100,000 per year. Former Vice President Joe Biden has suggested something similar versus the plans of Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders who promise free college for everyone across the board. A sliding scale would come into play for those families whose income lands between $100,000 to $150,000. Families making more than $150,000 would pay full tuition. In his new economic agenda, Buttigieg writes, “Our government can, and should, play a role in setting a level playing field that gives all Americans a chance to succeed.” He adds that “government does need to be a vigorous presence in ensuring that our economy actually works for all.” Buttigieg has previously stated he favors a sliding scale approach because, “I think if you’re a child of a billionaire you can take care of yourself, and you ought to be able to pay some tuition.” Buttigieg’s plan would be financed by raising taxes on the top 1 percent of Americans.
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: From the looks of woofy Jeff Ferreira’s photo (above) today, the high of 57 degrees in NYC must have felt preeeety warm 🙂 • Iowa Caucuses: The latest polling from Quinnipiac University shows Mayor Pete Buttigieg moving into the number two spot. Senator Elizabeth Warren receives 20% support among Iowa likely Democratic caucus-goers, with South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg getting 19%, Sen. Bernie Sanders at 17%, and former Vice President Joe Biden at 15%. • NY Times: The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Gilead Sciences, which sells Truvada used as HIV-prevention medication for PrEP, accusing the company of earning billions from research funded by taxpayers without paying taxpayers back. • Advocate: Scientists say they have discovered a new strain of HIV for the first time in nearly two decades. • Watch What Happens Live:Queer Eye guy Karamo Brown initially told the press he and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer had become “friends” during his time on Dancing with the Stars. But on WWHL this week, Brown backpedaled on that saying there “was no friendship.” • Washington Blade: Two judges have now struck down a controversial Trump administration rule allowing health care providers to opt-out of procedures to which they have religious or moral objections, a policy that threatened care for LGBTQ people and others. • Christmas Music: Political satirist Randy Rainbow releases a 7-track EP titled, HEY GURL, IT’S CHRISTMAS! tomorrow featuring guests Kathy Griffin, Alan Cumming, Norm Lewis, and Lorna Luft.
The Chippendales (photo: Kip Canyon) Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: So, apparently the world-famous Chippendales (above) work out…a lot. #dang • Politico: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has pledged that her first step as president would be to overturn President Donald Trump’s decision to prohibit transgender troops in the military. • Men’s Health: Rugby legend Gareth Thomas, who recently came out as HIV-positive, covers this month’s issue of Men’s Health UK. “It’s a sign of where we are that a man LIVING with HIV is on the cover of Men’s Health,” wrote the 45-year-old athlete on social media.
Thank you @MensHealthUK . It’s a sign of where we are that a man LIVING with HIV is on the cover of Men’s Health. Thank you to everyone who works to ensure this happens for not just me, but millions of people. @THTorgukpic.twitter.com/bMm72psn6j
• Fox News: A new poll from Fox News shows former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton beating Donald Trump in a hypothetical 2020 head-to-head matchup – and she’s not even running. • OUT: A daycare center in Switzerland has come under fire for turning away a pair of twin boys because they have gay parents. The family was informed the boys would not be welcome in the playgroup because their parents’ relationship is “neither normal nor natural.” • Campaign Ad: Mayor Pete Buttigieg, currently landing in 3rd place in Iowa polls, has a new campaign spot out in Iowa that highlights national unity. Titled “Sun Comes Up,” the ad asks voters to imagine the first day when Trump is no longer president, as Buttigieg promises to pick up the pieces of our divided nation.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Instagram) With Mayor Pete Buttigieg moving up in several polls in the Democratic primary, a new survey by Politico/Morning Consult queried voters about the prospects of a gay presidential candidate at the ballot box. Voters were asked, “Do you think you are ready for a president who is gay or lesbian?” The results show 50 percent are definitely or probably good to go with a gay president (33 percent ‘Yes, definitely,’ 17 percent ‘Yes, probably’). On the flip side, 37 percent indicated they are probably or definitely not ready for a gay commander in chief (13 percent ‘No, probably not,’ 24 percent ‘No, definitely not’). Thirteen percent didn’t know how they felt. However, when asked if America is ready for a gay president, folks weren’t as confident. On the plus side, 40 percent felt the country is definitely or probably ready for a gay president (19 percent and 21 percent respectively). But 45 percent responded either probably not or definitely not (21 percent and 24 percent respectively). Similar to the initial question, 15 percent weren’t sure.
But when asked if their neighbors are ready, voters were even more pessimistic. Only 26 percent said they felt their neighbors definitely or probably could embrace a gay president (11 percent and 15 percent respectively). And 46 percent felt the folks next door were either definitely or probably not ready for a gay man in the Oval Office (21 percent and 25 percent respectively). Buttigieg’s sexuality “may be an issue for some voters as he remains in contention for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination,” said Tyler Sinclair, Morning Consult’s vice president. “Notably, 58 percent of Republicans, 32 percent of independents and 22 percent of Democrats say they aren’t ready for a gay or lesbian president,” continued Sinclair. Sinclair also shared the comparative figures for those Americans who are not ready for a female president which are lower and show more progress on that front: 36 percent of Republicans, 15 percent of independents and 8 percent of Democrats. In related news, the New York Times recently wrote that the Buttigieg campaign held focus groups in South Carolina where African-American voters make up a majority of Democratic voters. According to an internal campaign memo, “many of the 24 uncommitted black voters in the groups, men and women of ages 25 to 65, were deeply uncomfortable discussing Mr. Buttigieg’s sexual orientation, the memo said, adding that they felt the mayor was ‘flaunting’ his sexuality by the very mention of having a husband,” reports the Times. I would love to have asked those voters if they felt a straight political candidate mentioning their spouse would come across as ‘flaunting’ their sexuality. #WorkToDo (source: Politico)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (screen capture) Earlier this week, I shared polling results out of Iowa, the first-in-the-nation contest for the Democratic presidential nomination, that showed Mayor Pete Buttigieg had surged into third place. Just days later, a new poll from Iowa State University shows Mayor Pete moving into the number two spot. From the new survey:
Of likely caucus-goers, 20% said Buttigieg is their top choice among the field of Democratic presidential candidates. That moves him to second in the poll – up from fourth in September – just behind Sen. Elizabeth Warren who maintained her lead at 28%.
The Iowa State University/Civiqs poll surveys the same pool of voters each month leading up to the Iowa Caucuses to understand how voter preferences are shifting.
Dave Peterson, a professor and Whitaker Lindgren faculty fellow in political science who organized the poll, says Buttigieg’s ground game in Iowa is paying off.
“You can attribute some of his momentum to basic retail politics. Buttigieg is incredibly well organized and is spending a lot of resources in Iowa. His presence at the Iowa Steak Fry last month was better than any other candidate,” Peterson said.
Former Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders were tied for second in the September poll. Sanders is now third with 18% and Biden is fourth at 12%.
After being the top fund-raising Democrat at the end of the second quarter, Team Buttigieg announced it would put that money to good use. In the past months, Buttigieg has opened more field offices in Iowa than any other candidate. While national polls look impressive, the story (if you’re looking for one) happening in primary season is the early states. A good finish in Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada could inspire new traction for a candidate. If Buttigieg comes in second in Iowa, that will be a notable development.
Eight of the top Democratic presidential candidates appear in a new video underscoring the need for gun safety. The gun control organization named after former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, who was shot at point blank range by a maniac, launched the video on Monday. The candidates featured in the video include former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke; California Sen. Kamala Harris; former Vice President Joe Biden; South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg; Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar; New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker; Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. In the video, the candidates focus on stronger gun laws to prevent school shootings and protect children. From the Giffords campaign for gun safety:
We deserve a president who listens to the American people, not the NRA.
We deserve a president who takes bold action to make us safer, not one who tweets thoughts and prayers then does nothing.
We deserve a president who fights for stronger gun laws, not gun lobby profits.
2020 Democratic candidates are vying to be that leader.
We sat down with Joe Biden, Cory Booker, Pete Buttigieg, Kamala Harris, Amy Klobuchar, Beto O’Rourke, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren to discuss their plans to make us safer from gun violence.
Democratic White House hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg was asked about Donald Trump’s #SharpieGate incident where he had appeared to have drawn a circle on a National Weather Services map to include the state of Alabama as a possible Hurrican Dorian target. “I feel sorry for the president, and that is not the way we should feel about the most powerful figure in this country,” said Buttigieg. “Somebody on whose wisdom and judgment our lives literally depend. I don’t know who felt it necessary to pull out a sharpie and change the map. “I don’t know if it was one of his aides believed they had to do that to protect his ego. No matter how you cut it, this is unbelievably sad state of affairs for our country. If our presidency is not in good shape, then our country is not in good shape. “On one level it’s laughable, on another it is exactly why we’ve got to do something different.”
“I feel sorry for the President,” Pete Buttigieg says on President Trump appearing to show an altered Hurricane Dorian trajectory map. “It makes you feel a kind of pity for everybody involved” https://t.co/jB9dijv8yUpic.twitter.com/ENma54ygE9
Some news items you might have missed: • InstaHunks: Woofy Alex Abramov (above) says “the world is not enough – but it is such a perfect place to start!” • Washington Blade: VH1 has ordered two more seasons of the Emmy Award-winning, dragtastic series, RuPaul’s Drag Race. We can definitely plan on seeing Season 12 of RPDR, as well as a fifth season of, All-Stars. • The Atlantic: Just weeks ago, Donald Trump told the media he supported “meaningful background checks” for gun purchases after the mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton. But it appears he has called National Rifle Association (NRA) CEO Wayne LaPierre to say he won’t pursue the issue, even though polls show Americans support the idea by 80+ support. • Vogue: A fan of Mayor Pete Buttigieg, designer Tom Ford reached out to offer some sartorial advice. While the White House hopeful demurred, Ford wasn’t upset. “Obviously he can’t wear my clothes. They’re too expensive, they’re wrong, they’re not made in America. And besides, whatever he’s doing is working. So does anyone need to fuck with it?” • Washington Post: You must read the latest essay from super-smart guy Michelangelo Signorile on Donald Trump’s devastating record on LGBTQ rights. • Out Music: We already know singer/songwriter Wrabel has the ‘magic’ touch when it comes to penning hit songs having written for major artists like Kesha, Pink, and the Backstreet Boys. So its no surprise this soulful new pop bop from the talented music man, appropriately titled, “Magic,” is a fun, easy on the ears track. And it’s definitely a departure from his more serious songs like “The Village” and “11 Blocks.” From his upcoming EP due out next month.
