Tag: Pete Buttigieg

What Me Worry?

The choices for the Democratic Party nominee for president are mostly between flawed candidates. Could any of those appearing at the eighth debate stand up to Donald Trump and win?

Knowing that Trump will be calling his opponent names and portraying him or her as unfit and corrupt it is almost impossible for me to select the appropriate candidate that could win.

Alfred E Neuman in the guise of Pete Buttigieg is the smartest candidate, a combat veteran and a Rhodes scholar. At 38 years old he would definitely connect with younger voters. I personally have no problem with his sexual orientation but would Americans vote a gay man into the presidency? The E in Alfred E Neuman stands for Enigma. I am not alone in recognizing the similarity. For me the enigma is how do you sell this smart gay man to the American public?

Then there is former Vice President Joe Biden. This is his third time trying for the nomination. He has a long history in the Senate. He supported the invasion or Iraq and opposed busing to integration of schools. It is unclear what he stand for today but says he will bring people together. How he would bring Democrats and Republicans together in today’s fraught environment has not been explained. His appears frail. Just do not see him able to physically cope with the demands of the presidency. He would be 78 years old in a 2021 inauguration.

Bernie Sanders would be 79 years old on inauguration day. He recently had a heart attack. He is a declared socialist who calls himself a “democratic socialist.” He would try to remake American society. How many Americans want a socialist society? We all like Social Security and Medicare but the word socialist does not sit well with most Americans.

Elizabeth Warren is Bernie Sanders light and Amy Kobuchar seems to be a moderate with no specific agenda.

Michael Bloomberg represents Hillsborough, Bel-Air, Scarsdale, and Cherry Hills Village. People living there and similar communities need no help.

I have until March 3 to select my choice. As of today it is Alfred E Neuman. Oops I mean Pete Buttigieg.

January Iowa Democratic Party Debate

The question for this debate was who should I vote for in the Iowa Caucus on February who can win the election in November?

The second question is who would be the best choice to lead the country in the 21st century?

Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders were the clear winners in the debate. They impressed me with their knowledge on every subject. Tom Steyer was the big loser. Biden with the exception of his closing statement, Buttigieg, and Klobuchar were all mildly impressive but offered little in the way of a reason to gain my support.

I was happy that this debate was focused on foreign affairs. Arguing who voted in support of the invasion of Iraq gave us no idea of when and why we would become involved in another war. Buttigieg’s proposal that all authorizations should include a sunset provision is a wise idea. Warren pointed out that the generals have been saying for years that the war in Afghanistan is about to conclude.

Joe Biden’s closing statement is worth repeating here because it sums up my opinion about the Trump presidency.
“Character is on the ballot this time around. The American character is on the ballot. Not what Donald Trump is spewing out, the hate, the xenophobia, the racism. That’s not who we are as a nation. Everyone in this country is entitled to be treated with respect and dignity. Every single solitary person has to have in a position that may in fact we treat them with decency. It’s about fundamental, basic decency. We in the United States of America can put up with …
we can overcome four years of Donald Trump, but eight years of Donald Trump will be an absolute disaster and fundamentally change this nation. We have to restore America’s soul. As I’ve said from the moment I announced, it is in jeopardy under this President of the United States. We lead the world when we lead by example, not by our power.”

Sadly Joe Biden is too old to lead this nation in this century. Frankly, Warren and Sanders are also too old for this very difficult job. That puts Michael Bloomberg and me in the too old category as well. My reason is the stress is too high. Death of a senior citizen president puts the country in the hands of a vice president who is usually chosen for political reasons rather than capability.

My attention will now be on Buttigieg, Klobuchar, former tech executive Andrew Yang, and Former Mass. Gov. Duval Patriick.

In my opinion if Joe Biden is the Democratic Party nominee Donald Trump will be elected to a second term and then try to find a way to obtain a third term.