Written by Devon Mitchell
Pete Buttigieg (aka Mayor Pete) is the mayor from South Bend Indiana, who is up against big-name democrats such as Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden for a position in the 2020 Presidential election. Once a small name from the bottom of the bracket, Mayor Pete has risen by 16 points in the polls putting him at the top of the Democratic race according to the CNN/Des Moines/Mediacom Iowa Caucus Poll, one of the most reliable and accurate polls. This is an exciting time for Buttigieg supporters and there are hopes that he can pull ahead in the upcoming primaries and caucuses set to happen in early 2020.
We have now established Mayor Pete is beginning to gain support, it is important to look at the appeal and why it might be that he is beginning to pull ahead. As the proud owner of countless Pete stickers, a yard sign, a pin and a “BOOT EDGE EDGE” t-shirt, you could call me a supporter. I fell in love with the Pete campaign when I saw him speak in Dover, New Hampshire back in May. Since then, I have done research and found that the young moderate democrat has many agreeable stances as well as policy proposals. For example, on the contentious topic of health care, he takes an approach which I feel many may agree upon. Mayor Pete believes in universal health care, however, he recognizes that many may not agree with him. Buttigieg proposes a plan in which he calls “Medicare for All that Want It”. In this proposal, Buttigieg wants to offer more affordable healthcare to those who need it but will not make all Americans participate if they do not believe it is in their best interest. This gives the economy time to adjust to a Medicare for All type policy, additionally compromising with those who do not like the idea of Medicare. For me, this shows a desire to work with both parties and reach across the aisle. In a time in which our country is divided, this is the kind of candidate I can stand behind. I appreciate Pete’s ideas for a progressive America while realizing that these types of things will take time. He represents so many different demographics and as a young candidate, Mayor Pete represents the younger generations who are beginning to become the majority of the nation.
