If Democrats Nominate Buttigieg I Will Vote For Him

This evening I went to a restaurant in Midtown West to watch the Democratic Debate with supporters of Pete Buttigieg. The viewing party was held in the upstairs section of a restaurant called Etcetera Etcetera. There was a good crowd as a partition dividing the room opened and extra tables were added. Unfortunately there was no waiter service and I practically had to tackle someone in order to get fed. The same was true with regard to having a conversation with anyone. But I find this wherever I go in New York. Perhaps I was expecting more than I ought to have.

Obviously this was very pro-Pete crowd so it might be hard to be objective about his performance. But as with the last debate Buttigieg was under fire more than any other candidate and once again demonstrated he could take a punch and then come back with a volley of counterpunches. This was best illustrated in his exchanges with both Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar.

Warren foolishly picked up the "Wall Street Pete" mantel and scolded Buttigieg for the fundraisers he had with wealthy donors including one right here on the Upoer West Side. Buttigieg skillfully reminded the audience that Warren had done fundraisers with wealthy donors during her Senate runs. He also made the compelling argument that Democrats were going to need a broad coalition to defeat Trump and engaging in purity tests that neither former President Obama, Nancy Pelosi or Warren could pass was counterproductive.

Klobuchar, still smarting from Buttigieg pointing out that Washington experience wasn't the only experience in the November debate, targeted Buttigieg throughout the debate. While Klobuchar landed some shots about Buttigieg's unsuccessful run for state office and the DNC Chairmanship those attacks made her look petty and desperate. It's understandable because for Klobuchar it's Iowa or go home. So she's pulling out all the stops. While she had a few witty moments many of her answers were long winded. By contrast Buttigieg comes across as calm, confident, even tempered and reasonable.

As for Joe Biden, pro-Pete or anti-Pete, the former Vice-President doesn't get any love. That doesn't mean Biden won't be nominated. But I suspect that he'll have the same problem as Hillary Clinton had. Democrats will stay home.

While many in the audience agreed with Bernie about health insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry, he mentioned health care so often that it became a running joke. Tom Steyer had go away heat from the crowd. But Andrew Yang engenders a certain warmth because he has a genuine sense of humor about himself such as when he said, "You're probably still asking yourself, "What's this guy still doing on this debate stage?" Whatever goodwill Yang has earned will more likely translate into book sales than primary votes.

Given all the heat Buttigieg has taken over the past couple of months, I am convinced he is the only Democrat who can trade punches with Trump but get the better of him while keeping his dignity intact. With this said, if the Democratic Party is smart enough to nominate Pete Buttigieg then I will vote for him. But wisdom isn't one of the Democratic Party's strong suits.

Naturally the Buttigieg campaign was trying to recruit volunteers. The caveat is that one must register as a Democrat. I'm simply not prepared to do it. I left the NDP, the GOP and am in no mood to join another party. The Democratic Party's hostility to Israel turns me off and many of Buttigieg's supporters cheering Bernie's anti-Israel rhetoric makes me cautious about getting too close. At this point, I'd rather remain an independent, admire Buttigieg from afar and, should the time come, cast a ballot for him as a viable alternative to the now impeached Donald Trump.