Tag: Pete Buttigieg

Posted on

Country Radio Host Interviews Mayor Pete, Bosses Say Chat Can’t Be Aired

Radio host Blair Garner interviewed Mayor Pete Buttigieg for his syndicated radio show, but bosses later told him the segment couldn't be aired
Country radio host Blair Garner interviews Mayor Pete Buttigieg (image via Twitter)

Blair Garner, whose syndicated country music radio show is heard in nearly 200 cities, was recently contacted by the presidential campaign of Mayor Pete Buttigieg requesting an interview.

Garner openly admits he was “stunned” by the request considering his radio show isn’t political, and most country music fans tend to be on the conservative end of the political spectrum.

But the veteran radio host also says he was “extremely flattered” by the approach.

“One of the few truly viable candidates in the race raised his hand and asked for a place at the table,” says Garner. “I was willing to give him that seat.”

Garner shares, via social media, that his only condition was that the Buttigieg campaign “value and appreciate our listeners, and never treat them as pawns.”

You’ve got to give it to Mayor Pete – he’s not leaving a single vote on the floor.

But after recording the 20 minute chat, Garner was told by his bosses at Cumulus Media he couldn’t share the interview on air.

“I was proud of it,” says the National Radio Hall of Famer. “But in the end, I was told I couldn’t air it.”

Cumulus issued a statement explaining their decision was based on the “large number of political candidates” currently running and the FCC’s Equal Time Rule, which requires media companies to provide equal airtime to all candidates.

Cumulus Nashville’s programming managers made the decision not to air Blair Garner’s pre-recorded interview with Mayor Pete Buttigieg because of the large number of political candidates currently in this race. The decision was made by local programming management based solely on concerns related to the application of the FCC’s Equal Time Rule. The effects of the FCC’s Equal Time Rule are widely understood and considered whenever these types of issues arise.

Garner says he would “GLADLY” welcome other serious candidates as a guest but “nobody else reached out.”

Garner did ask for, and received, permission to post the interview on his Soundcloud account.

You can listen to the chat between Blair Garner and Mayor Pete below.

As I was writing this post, I realized the third man in the photo below is Garner’s husband, Eric.

I’m not a political guy. My radio show isn’t political, nor does it aspire to be. I’m just the host of a syndicated Country music program who loves his country – both the amazing land in which we live, and the outstanding music from today’s Country artists. The phrase, “I love my Country” is one that I state proudly and without reservation. I mean it to my core. I was stunned when we were contacted by Mayor Pete’s team requesting an interview. Absolutely stunned. Since Country music tends to lean in a conservative direction, I was surprised. But more than surprised, I was EXTREMELY flattered. One of the few truly viable candidates in the race raised his hand and asked for a place at the table. I was willing to give him that seat. I would have also given a seat to any other viable candidate, from both sides. The only condition? They must also value and appreciate our listeners, and never treat them as pawns. Nobody else reached out. I assume nobody else even thought to reach out. The interview is twenty minutes in total length. I was proud of it. But in the end, I was told that I couldn’t air it. Again, I would have GLADLY welcomed any other viable candidates to be a guest, especially President Trump. To my thinking, the best way to a reasoned, thoughtful position on any topic, is to hear from both sides. Regardless, the interview was killed. I did, however, ask for permission to post the interview on my own personal SoundCloud account. I was given that blessing, and I am happy to share it with you there. (Link in Bio) #buttigieg #petebuttigieg #mayorpete #pete #peteforamerica #presidentpete #chastenbuttigieg #warren #democraticprimary #firstgent #biden #peteforprez #bootedgeedge #harris #election #beto #iowa #joe #sanders #bernie #runningforpresident #nextgeneration #policies #democracy #hope #youthvote #democrats #partywithpete #mayorpetebuttigieg
A post shared by blairgarner (@blairgarner) on Jul 19, 2019 at 12:30pm PDT

Posted on

New Republic Apologizes For Pete Buttigieg Hit Piece

The New Republic's editor-in-chief, Win McCormack, issued an apology to Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the readers of NR for its recent hatchet job on Buttigieg penned by Dale Peck.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg


The New Republic’s editor-in-chief, Win McCormack, issued an apology to Mayor Pete Buttigieg and the readers of NR for its recent hatchet job on Buttigieg penned by Dale Peck.

“I want to extend our sincerest apologies to Mayor Buttigieg, as well as to our readers for an article that was inappropriate and offensive,” McCormack wrote in the statement. “We have high standards at The New Republic, but sometimes we fall short. Yesterday we made a mistake, but we remain committed to honoring the tradition of high standards and journalistic integrity that have been the hallmark of The New Republic for more than 100 years.”

Keeping it classy, Buttigieg kept his comments on the subject brief telling the Associated Press, “I appreciated that [the] article was taken down. I don’t think it really reflects the New Republic that I know.”

Posted on

Mayor Pete Buttigieg: “I Do Think We Should Be Realistic About What’s Going To Work”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in an interview that will air on “The Axe Files” tonight at 7pm on CNN, shared his thoughts with David Axelrod about promising pie-in-the-sky programs being bandied about on the campaign trail.

“I do think that we should be realistic about what’s going to work,” said Buttigieg. “And just flipping a switch and saying we’re instantly going to have everybody on Medicare just like that — isn’t realistic.”

More from CNN:

“I think that when it comes to a lot of these policies that we’re being pushed to do — say that we can pay down the last penny of tuition for any student including the child of a billionaire. These are things that are questionable on their merits and of course also pretty far out … from where Americans are.”

Of the 20 candidates on the two debate stages during the first round of Democratic debates, just four raised their hands when asked who backed the elimination of private health insurance — Sens. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Kamala Harris of California, along with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

“The best way to do that is a Medicare for all who want it. We take some flavor of Medicare, you make it available on the exchange as a public option. And you invite people to buy into it,” he said at a CNN town hall in March.

From Mayor Pete’s website:

For lower-income families, we must make public college truly debt-free. We can do this through a state-federal partnership that makes public tuition affordable for all and completely free at lower incomes — combined with a large increase in Pell Grants that provides for basic living expenses and keeps up with inflation.

Middle-income families at public colleges will pay zero tuition. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs) are vital for this country and our communities and deserve to receive more dedicated support.

Additional policies:
• Confront student loan debt
• Provide more support for students entering public service
• Ensure the highest degree of transparency and accountability for higher education institutions
• Apply strict standards to for-profit higher education institutions

I agree with Mayor Pete. I think there are lots of people (perhaps those who get their health insurance through their employers) may be happy with what they have.

I would totally support a program where folks can buy into a version of Medicare or keep their existing insurance. It seems more realistic than wiping out all private healthcare insurance companies.

Maybe some day we get to a place where we don’t have private companies, but I believe the path to that result will take incremental steps.

Posted on

Bitter Queen Pens Ill-Written Hatchet Job On Mayor Pete Buttigieg

A hack writer (using the term loosely here) somehow got a tacky, ill-written hatchet job on Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg on the New Republic website.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg

A hack writer (using the term loosely here) somehow got a tacky, ill-written hatchet job on Democratic presidential candidate Mayor Pete Buttigieg on the New Republic website.

I won’t link to it because it was yanked down once the writer, Dale Peck, was presumably tackled and handcuffed to a radiator somewhere.

The author, who’s clearly a bitter old queen, took Mayor Pete to task for coming out in his mid-30s and claims that disqualifies him from the presidency.

When contacted about the article, editor Chris Lehmann (who must have been at happy hour when the author hacked into NR’s website) responded saying, “The New Republic recognizes that this post crossed a line, and while it was largely intended as satire, it was inappropriate and invasive.”

Here’s just a sample. Click to enlarge.

Trust and believe, this was not satire. Satire requires wit.

Posted on

Podcast: Buttigieg’s Big Bucks; Former Mr. Leather Europe Aids African Refugee; Church Steps Up For LGBTQ Teen Prom

In this week’s podcast:

• Mayor Pete Buttigieg announces largest campaign donations of any Democratic candidate for the second quarter

• A former Mr. Leather Europe comes to the aid of an African lesbian refugee as she starts a new life in Manchester. To help Shadia, click here.

• A local church stepped up after haters shut down an LGBTQ teen prom

• A new study shows there’s still a LOT of stigma to overcome regarding HIV

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

You can also listen to The Randy Report podcast (for free!):

• On Soundcloud here

• On iTunes here

• On Spotify here

• On iHeartRadio here

• On Stitcher here

For portability, its useful to know all of those outlets have apps you can install on your phone – for free!

Thanks for listening, folks!

Posted on

Pete Buttigieg Campaign Expands After Huge 2nd Quarter Donations

Mayor Pete Buttigieg on CNN

Earlier this week, the presidential campaign for Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced an eye-popping $24 million in campaign donations.

According to Politico, those funds are now being utilized to expand the size and scope of the Pete For America campaign.

For months, the South Bend, Ind., mayor has run one of the more frugal 2020 campaigns, eschewing on-the-ground organizers in early caucus and primary states and instead focusing on fundraising, media appearances and the candidate’s travel. But Buttigieg is now rapidly expanding his campaign’s footprint to try and build on his gains in the first half of the year.

In Iowa, Buttigieg’s campaign added 30 organizers at the end of June, filling out what had previously been a four-person skeleton crew. A dozen staffers are now on board in New Hampshire. And by the end of the summer, there will be many more: The campaign plans to swell its staff to 300 people by Labor Day, according to multiple people briefed on its plans.

“As we go into the summer toward the fall, we really need to make sure we’ve got the right kind of ground game. And part of that is how we use my time, and part of that is in between [events] making sure we’ve got folks day in and day out on the ground,” Buttigieg said during a recent campaign stop in Sioux City, Iowa. “So you’ll see the numbers of organizers and volunteers that we have really growing.”

Posted on

Mayor Pete Claps Back At Racist Troll At Campaign Event

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (L) shuts down racist troll at campaign event

Speaking to voters in Iowa during an Independence Day event, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg clapped back at a man for making a racially-charged comment about black Americans.

Due to the recent police shooting of an African American man in his hometown, Mayor Pete has encountered questions and scrutiny on matters related to race on the campaign trail.

“Mayor Pete, there has been some controversy in South Bend between the police and the black community, and I have a solution for you, and I’d like you to make a comment on my proposal,” said a man who later identified himself as Dave Begley. “Just tell the black people of South Bend to stop committing crime and doing drugs.”

After a pause in the crowd, Begley was roundly booed as Buttigieg shook his head before responding, “Sir, I think racism is not going to help us get out of this drama.”

“No, no, just stop committing crimes,” insisted Begley. “It has nothing to do with race.”

p.s. when the subject of your suggestion is “black people,” the issue has intrinsically turned to race.

“The fact that a black person is four times as likely as a white person to be incarcerated as a white person for the exact same crime is evidence of systemic racism,” Buttigieg told Begley, as the crowd applauded. “It is evidence of systemic racism.”

“And, with all due respect sir, racism makes it harder for good police officers to do their job, too,” added the Democratic presidential contender. “It is a smear on law enforcement.”

As chants of “USA, USA” began, Mayor Pete stared the man down before continuing, “Sir, when black people and white people are treated the same by the criminal justice system, it will be easier for white people and black people to live in this country.”

“And it will be easier for law enforcement to do their job,” he added. “But racism has no place in American politics, or in American law enforcement.”

Politico reports that Begley spent the rest of the event looking at his phone.

Begley later told reporters he is not a member of the Carroll County Democratic Party, but he attended the event as a writer for a conservative blog, Power Line. According to the website, he is a practicing attorney in Omaha, Nebraska. He has posted several ‘reports’ following Democratic presidential candidates out on the campaign trail.

Saying he planned to file a “full report on this,” Begley insisted that he didn’t believe his comment was racist and said he “resented” Buttigieg’s response.

Begley told reporters after the question-and-answer session said he resented Buttigieg’s response. Begley said he didn’t think his comment was racist.

“I just urged him, in order to resolve the racial controversy in South Bend, to urge the blacks in South Bend to obey the law so they’re not going to have confrontations with the police,” said Begley. “And he dismissed me as a racist, which I resented, and he knows he’s wrong.”

Watch the confrontation below.

Posted on

Oscar-Winning Producer Working On Pete Buttigieg Documentary

A film production company is currently shooting a documentary that will chronicle the presidential campaign of openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg

A film production company is currently shooting a documentary that will chronicle the presidential campaign of openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana.

The production company, Story Syndicate, was founded by veteran filmmakers Dan Cogan (Oscar winner for Icarus) and Liz Garbus (Oscar-nominated for What Happened, Miss Simone?).

According to Axios, the independently funded film will document Mayor Pete’s “rise to national attention.”

Film crews have been seen filming at Buttigieg campaign events as well as at last week’s first Democratic presidential debates in Miami.

Buttigieg isn’t the first millennial politician to get the indie film treatment, though.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was the focus of the campaign trail doc Knock Down the House, and former Rep. Beto O’Rourke was the subject of HBO’s Running with Beto.

Documentaries have been useful tools for younger politicians to be a part of creating their own narrative. The Ocasio-Cortez and O’Rourke projects helped establish the candidates with younger voters as the films landed at platforms that appeal to those demographics.

The Buttigieg project hasn’t been picked up by a distributor or streaming service as of yet, according to Axios, as the film’s future is “contingent on the outcome of Buttigieg’s campaign.”

That said, it’s easy to imagine the narrative taking several directions.

As the first openly gay presidential candidate to be a serious contender, that story alone could warrant documenting.

If he were to clinch the nomination, he’d be the youngest Democratic presidential nominee in history.

Or, there’s been much talk of him being considered as a running mate for other Democratic candidates. Lots of chatter about a Kamala Harris/Pete Buttigieg ticket going on…
All of these could make for a compelling documentary.

But, there’s a long road ahead in this election cycle, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

(source: Axios)

Posted on

Mayor Pete To Lil Nas X: “Welcome To The Family”

Mayor Pete Buttigieg (L), Lil Nas X (R)

Democratic White House contender Pete Buttigieg gave Lil Nas X props for “standing in his truth” after the country-rap artist came out on the last day of Pride month.

“@LilNasX has gone from viral sensation to groundbreaking musician. As a fan, I’m thrilled and inspired to see him standing in his truth as a member of the LGBTQ community. Welcome to the family,” tweeted Mayor Pete.

It’s been a great week for the 20-year-old as his hit, “Old Town Road,” became only the 12th song in the history of Billboard’s Hot 100 to stay at number one for 13 weeks or longer.

And more celebs praised the artist on social media as well:

There were some haters as well, it seems, but Lil Nas X had no problem handling the trolls on social media.

A post shared by Lil Nas X (@lilnasx) on Jul 2, 2019 at 6:18am PDT

Posted on

Poll: Harris & Warren Surge After 1st Democratic Debates

The results of a new CNN poll conducted by SSRS shows Democratic presidential contenders Sens. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) have each surged nearly ten points since the first debates last week.

Harris saw the biggest increase from 8 percent support to 17 percent, and Warren jumped 8 points from 7 percent to 15 percent.

Former Vice President Joe Biden dropped a precipitous ten points from 32 percent support to 22 percent.

And Mayor Pete Buttigieg, despite getting strong response for his debate performance, dropped one percent.

Asked ‘who did the best job in the debates,” the hands-down favorite was Harris with 41 percent saying she won.