Candidates

Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks with a thoughtfulness and clarity rare for a politician. He conveys a respect for the intelligence of his listeners and a firmness of conviction. Mayor Pete has demonstrated his bravery on the battlefield and in his unapologetic choice of a same sex marriage. He has proven his appeal to voters by winning elections in a conservative city and has shown that he can govern effectively.

The only concern is whether the wider American electorate is prepared to accept his untraditional lifestyle and the limited nature of his administrative experience. Candidates with less executive experience have won election and governed successfully (Abe Lincoln, Barack Obama). The imperative that our democracy be rescued from the imperial designs, corruption and utter incompetence of Donald Trump mandates that Democrats field a candidate likely to win. That does not mean we must compromise our progressive principles by backing someone with tired ideas and a stale approach. Rather, we must galvanize the young, the underserved, the community of color and the women of this country whose collective might, sufficiently motivated, can carry the day.