Tag: Pete Buttigieg

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Mayor Pete Raises Over $7 Million In First Quarter For White House Run

Openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced today his team raised over $7 million in the first quarter of 2019 for his potential presidential campaign.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana

Openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg announced today his team raised over $7 million in the first quarter of 2019 for his potential presidential campaign.

“This is just a preliminary analysis, but our team’s initial report shows we raised over $7 million dollars in Q1 of this year,” tweeted Mayor Pete. “We (you) are out-performing expectations at every turn. I’ll have a more complete analysis later, but until then: a big thank you to all our supporters.”

In an email to supporters Monday morning, Buttigieg added, “With a first fundraising report like this, we certainly cannot be ignored.”

Even though he has only announced an exploratory committee and not officially entered the race, the 37-year-old’s campaign haul definitely puts him squarely on the map.

Although, the South Bend mayor will still have some catching up to do.

CNN reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont reported taking in $5.9 million the first day of his campaign. And former Rep. Beto O’Rourke raised $6.1 million in the 24 hours after his announcement.

In addition to campaign dollars, Democratic White House hopefuls are also looking to qualify for the first two debates according to the rules set by the Democratic National Committee.

To take the stage for those all-important debates, candidates must show donations from at least 65,000 individuals from 20 states, or earn at least 1% support in multiple polls.

Buttigieg has already announced he’s surpassed the 65,000 threshold.

And, he’s begun moving up in the polls.

A recent Emerson Poll of Iowa caucus-goers, Buttigieg surged to a double-digit third place garnering 11% support behind former Vice President Joe Biden (25%) and Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont (24%).

In the January edition of that same poll, Buttigieg was getting zero percent support.

Even though he’s the youngest contender in the Democratic field, Buttigieg points to his two terms as mayor as well as his experience as a military veteran as worthy credentials that more than qualify him for the presidency.

Just a few weeks ago, we were seeing comments like, “Never gonna happen” in reference to a realistic run by Buttigieg.

Now, that statement doesn’t seem to be so accurate.

Stay tuned, folks…

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Podcast: Pete Buttigieg, Alabama, Missouri, Tennessee, Digital Series ‘After Forever’ Gets Emmy Noms

In this week's podcast: • Openly gay presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg surges in a new Iowa poll • Alabama lawmakers are trying to eliminate marriage licenses entirely because they don’t want LGBT couples to have them • A Missouri couple were turned away by a homophobic dance instructor • Tennessee teens actually found acceptance and support as they prepared to attend prom together • Digital series 'After Forever' gets a LOT of Daytime Emmy nominations All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report.

In this week’s podcast:

• Openly gay presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg surges in a new Iowa poll

• Alabama lawmakers are trying to eliminate marriage licenses entirely because they don’t want LGBT couples to have them

• A Missouri couple were turned away by a homophobic dance instructor

• Tennessee teens actually found acceptance and support as they prepared to attend prom together

• Digital series ‘After Forever’ gets a LOT of Daytime Emmy nominations

All that and more on this episode of The Randy Report.

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Iowa: Mayor Pete Buttigieg Jumps To Double-Digit Standing In Democratic Poll

Openly gay presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has jumped to a double-digit third-place ranking in a new Iowa poll.
Mayor Pete Buttigieg

Openly gay presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, has jumped to a double-digit (11%) third-place ranking in a new Iowa poll.

Via The Hill:

Eleven percent of likely Democratic Iowa caucus goers surveyed by Emerson Polling said they would pick Buttigieg to be their 2020 presidential nominee.

Overall, Buttigieg placed third behind Former Vice President Joe Biden, at 25 percent, and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), at 24 percent.

The only other candidate to receive double-digit support was Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), who was the choice for 10 percent of respondents.

“The biggest surprise in this poll is Mayor Pete, last week we saw him inching up in our national poll, and now he’s in double digits in Iowa, America is going to be asking who is ‘Mayor Pete’?” Spencer Kimball, director of the Emerson Poll, said.

Buttigieg, who has formed an exploratory committee but has not officially declared, was polling at 0 percent in Emerson’s January survey of Iowa, which shows his recognition and support have grown significantly in the last few months.

Here’s the full ranking from the Emerson Poll:

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Pete Buttigieg Trolls Trump Over Draft Dodging

Mayor Pete Buttigieg

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg called out Donald Trump this week after the Trumpster whined that he wasn’t “thanked” for “approving” the late Senator John McCain’s funeral.

“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve,” Trump told supporters at a factory in Ohio, even though it was Congress that allowed McCain to lie in state.

“I don’t care about this, I didn’t get a thank you. That’s OK,” Trump complained.

This being seven months later, I’m not so sure how “OK” he really is with it since he brought it up.

Buttigieg, who is running for president, clapped back at Trump, bringing up the topic of Trump’s draft dodging by faking bone spurs, while McCain fought in the Vietnam War and was held as a prisoner of war for six years.

“When a president (who faked a disability in order to avoid serving) attacks a departed war hero, it’s for attention,” Buttigieg tweeted.

Incidentally, NBC News reports that the National Cathedral rebuked Trump’s claim he “approved” McCain’s funeral.

In a statement Thursday, a spokesperson for the Cathedral said relatives organize funerals and it doesn’t need approval from the president.

“Washington National Cathedral was honored to host the funeral service for Senator John McCain. All funerals and memorial services at the Cathedral are organized by the family of the deceased; only a state funeral for a former president involves consultation with government officials. No funeral at the Cathedral requires the approval of the president or any other government official,” read the statement.

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Podcast: The Equality Act, Utah’s hate crimes law, Pete Buttigieg, Out Recording Artist NIKO Releases New EP

In this week’s podcast:

• The Equality Act is reintroduced in Congress

• Donald Trump finally fills appointments to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS

• Utah moves towards a more effective hate crimes law

• Openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg qualifies for the first Democratic presidential debate

• Ireland’s gay prime minister meets with uber-anti-gay Vice President Mike Pence

• Out recording artist NIKO releases his new EP

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report

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News Round-Up: March 16, 2019

Some news items you might have missed:

• Finally, a public bathroom sign (above) that makes sense.

• The Advocate takes a look at newly-announced presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke’s history on LGBTQ issues.

• GOP Sen. Ted Cruz has been fined $35,000 for failing to disclose $1 million in campaign funds.

• Michael Jackson fans are suing his alleged victims for taking part in the recent HBO documentary Leaving Neverland for sullying the memory of the pop star.

• Having surpassed over 65,000 donors, out White House hopeful Pete Buttigieg has qualified for the 2020 Democratic presidential debates.

• Indie singer/songwriter/producer Lauv (nominated for “Best New Pop Artist at the 2019 iHeart Radio Music Awards) drops his stripped-down video of hit single “i’m so tired…” with Troye Sivan.

Lauv said on the stripped performance, “Troye and I went to Henson Recording Studios to make this acoustic version of ‘i’m so tired…’ and we ended up including the infamous bridge. Also, Troye is an angel…go check it out and enjoy.”

Troye added, “I’ve had the insane joy of playing this song live now for the last few weeks and have never felt a ground swell like this for a song I’m on before. So excited to put out this acoustic version of ‘i’m so tired…’ with Lauv!”

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Openly Gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg Definitely Impressed During CNN Town Hall

Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at CNN Town Hall in Austin, TX

Openly gay Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, appears to be building some momentum in his bid to become the Democratic candidate for president in 2020.

This past weekend, Buttigieg took part in a CNN town hall at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

Also taking solo turns on the stage were Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former Rep. John Delaney of Maryland.

But by many accounts, it was Mayor Pete who found the most traction.

While he isn’t out-polling former Vice President Joe Biden or Sen. Bernie Sanders, Buttigieg showed he knew how to make the most of an opportunity.

Veteran political expert and chief strategist for the Obama campaigns, David Axelrod, gave Buttigieg high marks and predicted an uptick in his standing among the other candidates.

During his hour onstage, the 37-year-old displayed impressive poise and composure while throwing some shade on the Trump/Pence administration, including his now infamous “cheerleader for the porn star presidency” description of Vice President Mike Pence.

The former Navy intelligence officer and Afghanistan war veteran also took aim at Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor, John Bolton, who has defended the invasion of Iraq for years.

Referencing Bolton’s suggestion that the U.S. use military force in the current conflict in Venezuela, Buttigieg replied, “I don’t understand how somebody leading us into the Iraq War is allowed near that situation.”

He also addressed some issues specific to the LGBTQ community.

The two-term mayor reaffirmed his support for the Equality Act, which would bring uniform civil rights protections to LGBTQs across the nation by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to existing civil righs laws.

He also called for an end to the “war on trans Americans.”

“For a transgender teen to get the signal from the White House that the highest officials in the land can’t tell the difference between her and a predator and make it harder for her to go to the bathroom shows you just how out of whack the climate is in our country right now. We’ve got to end the war on trans Americans and we need a federal Equality Act that would say that you cannot be fired just because of who you are or just because you love.”

There was also a fairly innocuous but human moment that occurred when CNN’s Jake Tapper tried to clarify how to pronounce the mayor’s last name.

Noting that Buttigieg’s husband has indicated a slightly different pronunciation (“I don’t want to get in the middle of a marital squabble, but…”), Tapper asked the mayor for the definitive answer.

Buttigieg said his name quickly (which sounded like ‘Booda-judge’) but added that either option worked, and at home, he just goes by “Mayor Pete.”

The day when reporters blithely ask a presidential candidate about daily interactions with his husband has come.

Clearly sensing the appearance had gone well, Buttigieg was the only participant in the town hall to make a direct appeal from the stage for donations to his campaign.

According to CNN, Buttigieg had the single biggest fundraising day of his 2020 campaign after his appearance raising more than $600,000 from over 22,200 donations in the 24 hours after the event.

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Out Mayor Pete Buttigieg Shades Mike Pence As ‘Cheerleader For Porn Star Presidency’

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday night that he and Vice President Mike Pence (former governor of Indiana) have different views on biblical scripture.

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in the hunt for the Democratic presidential nomination, said Sunday night that he and Vice President Mike Pence (former governor of Indiana) have different views on biblical scripture.

CNN’s Jake Tapper, hosting a town hall in Austin, Texas, asked Buttigieg if Pence would be a better or worse president than Donald Trump.

After several moments of bewilderment, the 37-year-old mayor said that, while he disagreed with Pence ‘ferociously’ on things, he always felt Pence “at least believes in our institutions and he’s not personally corrupt.”

However, Buttigieg wondered aloud, “But then, how could he get onboard with this presidency?”

The openly gay mayor shared that his view of the Bible is based on “protecting the stranger and the prisoner and the poor person – that idea of ‘welcome,’” while Pence’s take on scripture seems to have ”a lot more to do with sexuality and a certain view of rectitude.”

“But, even if you but into that, how could he allow himself to become the cheerleader of the porn star presidency?” asked Buttigieg, referencing the allegations that Donald Trump made hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels and former Playboy model Karen McDougal.

“Is it that he stopped believing in scripture, when he started believing in Donald Trump? I don’t know. I don’t know.”

The Harvard alum also talked on coming out as gay in his traditionally conservative state.

“Frankly, when I first got into politics, elected politics at the beginning of this decade in Indiana — In Mike Pence’s Indiana — I thought you could either be out or you could be in office, but you couldn’t be both,” Buttigieg said.

“I came out in the middle of a re-election campaign because it was just that time in my life when I had to do that,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “Pence was governor. We weren’t sure what it would do to my political future in a socially conservative community.”

“I wound up getting re-elected with 80 percent of the vote,” he concluded.

Asked how he could be qualified for the White House having never held statewide office, Buttigieg pointed to his resume: “I actually think that experience is one of the best reasons for somebody like me to be in this — I have more years of government experience than the president.”

“I have more years of executive government experience than the Vice President, and more military experience than anyone to walk into that office since George H. W. Bush,” said the former Navy intelligence officer and veteran of the war in Afghanistan. “Experience is what qualifies me to have a seat at this table.”

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Podcast: Georgia vs Gays, Billy Porter Slays On The Red Carpet, Terry Crews Calls Kids Of Same-Sex Parents Emotionally ‘Malnourished’

In this episode of The Randy Report podcast:

• Georgia lawmakers look to legalize LGBTQ discrimination

• The United Methodist Church doubles down on anti-LGBTQ animus

• Formerly homeless valedictorian kicked out of his home for being gay is thriving in college, and just landed a Congressional internship. He also set up his own scholarship foundation. Click here for more info.

• Pose star Billy Porter brings political discourse to the Oscars’ red carpet

• Out singer/songwriter Kisos shares his ‘five stages of grief’ with “Happily Ever After”

• Brooklyn Nine Nine’s Terry Crews got called out for saying kids of same-sex parents will grow up emotionally ‘malnourished’

All that and more in this episode of The Randy Report.

I want to send a big shout-out to everyone who’s hit up the podcast over the past couple of years.

It’s amazing to see the growth in numbers of folks discovering the podcast in such an organic manner, and I want to thank everyone for taking a listen and spreading the word about the podcast.

I always look at the podcast as the kind of “LGBTQ catch-up” I would want to hear, with a mix of stories that spans the wide spectrum of political and pop culture news.

I was excited to be contacted by an advertising exec who has a list of clients looking to advertise on the podcast.

!!!

Now, you know, ad execs only show interest when they see an audience they value.

Tip of the hat to all of you 😉

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Presidential Hopeful Pete Buttigieg On Whether America Is Ready For A Gay President

Appearing on The View today, presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, was asked the question everyone wants to know: Is America ready for its first gay president?
South Bend Mayor and presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg

Appearing on The View today, presidential hopeful Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, was asked the question everyone wants to know: Is America ready for its first gay president?

Buttigieg’s answer was perfect.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” replied the 37-year-old mayor with a smile.

He continued:

“When I came out it was 2015, I was in the middle of a reelection campaign. I was ready – you know you’re ready when you’re ready? – and I wanted to have a personal life.

“It was not obvious that was going to be a safe thing to do – it was in Indiana, Mike Pence was the governor at the time – and I wound up getting reelected with 80% of the vote.

“So I think people will evaluate you for the job you’re doing.”

Buttigieg also says coming from a different generation isn’t a bad thing, and that he promised his father (who passed away this Sunday) he would make him proud.