It was a very good official launch. Go Pete!
I’m surprised we have so few candidates. There’s no downside to running for president:
Today’s primaries tend to produce one nominee but many winners. Beyond the long-shot candidates effectively auditioning for cabinet positions or building a profile (and donor base) for future races, there are prospective books to sell and television contracts to sign, boards to join and paid speeches to paid-speak. Any setback is temporary, any embarrassment surmountable.
“There’s just absolutely no downside and only upside,” Antonia Ferrier, a longtime Republican strategist and former senior aide to Senator Mitch McConnell, said of quixotic presidential runs. “It is an industry of self-promotion. What better way to self-promote than run for president?”
From a NYT article titled: The Many Reasons to Run for President When You Probably Don’t Stand a Chance
Bernie, Pete and Kamala all have books to sell. Running for president is a great way to sell some books. I expect Pete’s book will do well.
Yeah, it’s a real shame there are a number of people who are willing to run on the Democratic ticket. We’d be so much better off without any candidates at all.
Or maybe this is snark. Or projection?
Pete’s book is a bit different from most “candidate” books. For one thing, he wrote it himself. For another, it has been in progress since his first term as mayor.
The best part may be that it is actually readable - and a good read.
Neither. I’m just pointing out that there is no real downside to running for president. I have no idea right now who can win our primary and who can’t. I agree, the more the merrier. We’re going to need to have at least two debates before a stronger candidate will emerge.
Obama wrote his book himself also. He wrote it 13 years before he ran for president. Didn’t sell very well until he ran for president. I’m not insinuating in any way that’s why he ran. I’m saying that getting publicity sells books if you have one to sell. If you don’t win the primary but sell a lot of books, there’s no downside.
“I recognize the audacity of doing this as a Midwestern millennial mayor,” he said to cheers of “Pete, Pete, Pete” from an audience assembled in a former Studebaker auto plant.
Damn millennials! I don’t care what you say! I want cilantro in my salsa!!! With a beer, too!!!
Going to the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Automobile Museum in Auburn, Indiana way back in the 80’s was well worth it.
Awesome cars. Back in the 70’s, my boss had a mid fifties Studebaker Golden Hawk. That was his prized possession.
I had an ugly used Studebaker Lark in 69 or 70. The axle broke on West Hennepin Ave before the highway 12 entrance. I took the plates off and abandoned it. A well known politician driving a black Mercedes picked me up and gave me a ride to Waverly where he had to turn off. Didn’t have a clue who the hell he was until years later. Wasn’t much into politics at that age.
Pete also wrote yesterday’s speech himself as well. His campaign doesn’t have any speech writers yet, maybe it won’t need any.
His speech was very good. One part that really touched me -
“To those in charge of our border policy, I want to make this clear - the greatest nation should have nothing to fear from children fleeing violence. And even more importantly, children fleeing from violence should have nothing to fear from the greatest country in the world."
No one does it better than Newt Gingrich or Mike Huckabee. They’ve parleyed improbable presidential runs into enduring and lucrative grifting careers.
I too had a Studebaker Lark that someone said I could have if I could get it out of their driveway. I traded it for two like new Schwinn Super Sport bikes. Best trade I ever made. Then I got another one that would break down every time it went outside of the city limits. I carried one of the bikes in the trunk to go fetch parts. The camshaft had some kind of a fiberglass/plastic gear that was got into an argument with the steel crankshaft gear. I had it towed off the interstate and found one last dime under the seat to pay for the tow. Wretched car. Good times.
(You read the part where I said “most” candidates, right?)
I AM glad that you pointed out the similarities, though.
I am hanging here - who was in the black Mercedes that gave you a ride?
Alright, now is the time and here is a link to an ActBlue donation page for Potential President Pete’s campaign.
I’ve made my recurring donation. I challenge you to make at least a small one time one.
HHH.
I thought the dude was “weird” because he was asking me all about my life. I didn’t figure out who he was until about 20 years later. The car had tax exempt plates and I thought I was in trouble when he pulled off to the shoulder.
I had just ditched the plates for the Lark a mile from my car before he pulled over and said he could give me a lift to Waverly where he turned off of highway 12. I was going about 70 miles further West.
Could’ve been 1969 or 1970, not real sure. it was a long time ago.
Added:
He had this strange, amused smile like he knew someday I’d figure out who gave me a ride. I was at my uncle’s funeral who had given me the Lark and while I was telling one of the relatives about the car, it clicked.
Hmm, reminds me of a bit of a song…
What a great story! Thanks for sharing it.
This is so encouraging. I love that we have a good number of high quality candidates to choose from, and the field is rich with smart, capable people.
I’m already confident that he would make great president. I’m not confident yet that the USA has overcome its general homophobia enough to actually elect him. But then, I wasn’t sure the USA was ready to elect a black president (even one who is half white), but we did.
I also never believed this nation would elect someone as utterly contemptible as Trump (and I’m still not convinced we actually did. Have they ever properly investigated the voting machines in those three dodgy, “by a hair” swing states that delivered the election to Trump?).
I think overall, his electability is actually quite high. Josh’s comparison between his and Warren’s campaigns brought up some interesting points, among those that it’s possible that Dems would love to elect someone for the first time who is gay… of course it would have to be Dems. I don’t see Republicans ever doing that in my lifetime.
One thought that brought me a bit of guilty joy.
If Buttigieg successfully runs for president, can you imagine him on Inauguration Day, standing beside his husband, maybe a little overt affection between them and… BOOM roughly 1/4 of the nation’s (most bigoted) heads explode simultaneously? What a glorious moment that would be.
The best kind of payback for four years of Trump.
John Judis, not Josh.