Buttigieg's Elephant

Posted by Casebier 5 years, 2 months ago to Politics
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A late night conversation around a campfire at a recent Indian Guides campout (after the boys had gone to bed) turned to a discussion of Buttigieg's "elephant in the room", namely his gay marriage and what that portends for the White House should he be elected. I was surprised at a comment of one of our tribe's African-American dads that his faith and its opposition to gay marriage would make it very difficult, even as a Democrat, to vote to have a "dude" as a "first lady". He's Southern Baptist. This led to wonder if the candidate's gay marriage will ever be openly discussed from a standpoint of how the country and/or presidency will be acceptable to people of faith both in the US and internationally, especially both fundamental Christians and Muslims. While I've always assumed that sooner or later we'd have a female President and a male "First Gentleman", I admit I'm not sure I'm ready for the President of the United States publicly holding hands, or having other public display's of affection,with his husband. Comments appreciated.


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  • Posted by dansail 5 years, 2 months ago
    I recently listened to a live 90-minute interview with candidate Buttigieg over the radio. The conversation was long enough to cover many topics including the elephant. Growing up, he simply felt he was going to live a life as a confirmed bachelor, never opening up about his sexuality. He became mayor and then served in the military (called up to Afghanistan WHILE mayor), then returned to continue on as mayor. While he was in Afghanistan, in the heat of battle, a nagging thought went through his mind that he could conceivably die right there and never know what it is like to 'enjoy a relationship with someone'.

    It wasn't until he returned from Afghanistan when when he decided to 'come out', announcing his homosexuality. For the most part, the residents of South Bend, IN couldn't care less. He did get some flak from some, primarily the more religiously fundamental people of the city. After the initial clatter, it settled down and returned to business-as-usual.

    The fact that South Bend can get past this topic is a possible marker of the attitude of the country. Yes, there will be those who will not accept him, even if the voice of God thunders down declaring "HE'S GOOD". Even this is what makes this country so awesome.

    Throughout the interview, I had this increasingly confirming feel that this man prefers results (like an objectivist) with little regard to what people think of him. His skin is thicker than many.

    If he's elected, the elephant will eventually fade away. Let the Muslims, Catholics and fundamentalists cry, eventually it'll just go away.
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  • Posted by Lucky 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    ffa - That Mencken quote, I think Barnum the circus man said something similar years earlier.

    Mencken also said,
    “The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule.”

    Similar, Philosopher Bertrand Russell,
    "Much that passes as idealism is disguised hatred or disguised love of power."

    (Socialism in one sentence)
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  • Posted by exceller 5 years, 2 months ago
    Buttigieg has the slightest chance to be elected. It was the hag who ran on "the first female" president slogan, and ever since all the fringe people got the idea they have a chance b/c of their sexual orientation, color, or any other off the chart quality.

    So does Sanders or Warren.

    These wannabe "politicians" (I have an issue calling them that: more appropriate is "opportunists" in the worse sense of the word.) use public appearance as a vanity tool. They are fully aware they don't have a lick to be elected but they parade and masquerade, nonetheless, fraudulently spending campaign contributions to satisfy their miserable egos.

    The entire process of electing the next president is getting more and more disgusting and corrupt, pretending to be a legitimate undertaking. It is not. Ceased be one a long time ago.
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  • Posted by rtpetrick 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yeah, Ron White makes a similar observation...."You can't fix stupid". As I wrote earlier, America is not ready for a homosexual to be POTUS.
    Hell……the world isn’t ready for a homosexual POTUS….or top leader in any other country……(except perhaps in San Francisco).
    That may not be politically correct, but who cares….because there It is.
    The Arab world would have ideological field day……America ……the Great Satan….I can hear it now.
    We would suffer in every strong measure of international stature that President Trump has regained for this country.
    But then…..I digress……because…..it ain’t gonna happen, G.I.
    Trump/Pence – 2020 MAGA!
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  • Posted by freedomforall 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    To paraphrase George Carlin,
    "Think of how stupid the average voter is, and realize half of them are stupider than that."
    also
    "No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.” H.L. Mencken
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  • Posted by rtpetrick 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Naw!….This country is a long way from being ready to accept a homosexual, who is married to another homosexual, as POTUS. That may not be politically correct, but there it is.
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  • Posted by rtpetrick 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Yep....focus on the his Marxist ideology. Who cares what he does in the privacy of his boudoir?
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  • Posted by rtpetrick 5 years, 2 months ago
    Soooo….if Mayor Pete wins the White House (highly unlikely), does Chasten, his hubby, become First Lady.
    Or….if Chasten becomes First Man, what would that make Mayor Pete….Madam President???
    This is all very confusing to me….

    I admit that I never understood the homosexual lifestyle. To me, a wife is a female. In a homosexual marriage, I don’t know who does what…..with which…..and to whom……….and I don’t want to know.
    As far as the co-opted term “gay” is concerned, I find that the notion of 2 men engaging in oral and/or anal sex with each other to be anything but gay. Disgusting, yes……..Aberrant, yes. …..Abnormal, yes….Deviant, yes…… · divergent · · transgressing …… strange …..· odd…… queer….all yes……….but not gay!

    The problem is that the “4%”, with the help of vote pandering liberal politicians and a sympathetic press, have manipulated the legal system such that the law forces the 96% majority to accept their perverted lifestyle…..under pain of punishment, if need be. So, regardless of religious conviction and personal opinion, we are forced to accept homosexual marriage, trans men in women’s bathrooms, and lesbians who demand wedding cakes that support their evil wedding ceremonies.
    Just another sign that we are in moral decline.
    One huge steaming pile of male bovine excrement!
    Anyway, none of this matter because Mayor Pete will not win the White House in November, 2020.
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  • Posted by JohnWesley 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I find it very sad that political correctness has brought us to the point that we won't admit that gays are miswired and have a mental issue. We also won't admit to the animalistic behavior of a large percentage of the black population. Our nation is lost.
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  • Posted by RevJay4 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Totally agree with you, ouc. That is a behavior which serves no purpose other than making the individuals involved feel good, or something. Which is okay for them.
    The purpose of relations between the 2 sexes is bringing another human being into existence. As God inteneded it to be.
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  • Posted by $ 25n56il4 5 years, 2 months ago
    The problem I have with Buttigieg is that I fear his lack of experience. And, I don't understand him. He talks but he doesn't say anything.
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  • Posted by $ Olduglycarl 5 years, 2 months ago
    For me, it goes against the very fabric of existence, against the way everything is put together; Positive electricity seeking ground, North's attraction to South...without those two important things or behaviors...I think, creation, the cosmos, the universe, what ever you'd like to call "everything", could Not exist without those two, things or behaviors.
    Should we mock that? Regardless whether the universe would collapse as a result or not, it will have an effect on the brain, the mind and our behaviors...what's next, what else do we ignore, how far down that rabbit hole do we go before we can never return.

    Having married men in our white house as President and first dude would be ultimately bad for society and if one believes " our covenant" to be a valid thing...it would be bad for that too, bad for society and a bad example for children as well...but that is exactly what postmodernist want to happen.
    They have no morals nor any meaningful connection to anything but their Idiot-ology.
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  • Posted by $ CBJ 5 years, 2 months ago
    I wasn't aware that Democrats allowed elephants in the room.
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  • Posted by ohiocrossroads 5 years, 2 months ago
    If Bootydredge gets the Dimocrat nomination, I think the election will be over when he kisses his husband on the stage at the convention. Too many normal Americans will be disgusted. (That is, if anybody is actually watching it on TV.)
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  • Posted by $ Abaco 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Totally agree. And, we DO need to clarify it at the risk of being misunderstood by neanderthals who can't discern the difference between "some" or "all". People really struggle these days. It's ok to not fully buy into every activity others choose. What a concept...
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  • Posted by Owlsrayne 5 years, 2 months ago
    I'm one of the older generations who is opposed to gays but hypothetically as President, he would have difficulty dealing with middle east Islamic countries. I believe that it was Tucker Carlson on Fox that stated many people think of Mayor Pete as a AI plastic man create by Google.
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  • Posted by tdechaine 5 years, 2 months ago
    There are international issues for sure.
    All issues combined, he can't win.
    Neither should Sanders be able too, but....
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  • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    Unless you've got a charmer like Bush II (who was genuinely a nice woman) or arm candy like Melania... ;)
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  • Posted by Rex_Little 5 years, 2 months ago
    If Buttigieg is the nominee (highly unlikely, granted), it will be very interesting to see how the black vote goes. If Trump makes any real progress on reducing Hispanic immigration this year and faces a gay opponent, I could see him getting a greater share than any Republican since. . . I don't know, Eisenhower?
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  • Posted by $ blarman 5 years, 2 months ago in reply to this comment.
    I think the bigger issue for blacks in the South will be (I'm not going to try to pronounce his last name when it so easily becomes turned into a bad joke) and his re-interpretation of Bible. Regardless what one thinks about blacks or Christianity, the South isn't called the Bible Belt for nothing and black pastors don't thump their Bibles every Sunday in front of empty pews. I think he's going to be the exact opposite of Mike Huckabee - whose only basis for support in 2012 was the Deep South. We'll see what happens in South Carolina here shortly, but I think "Mayor Pete" is going to drift to a third place finish - or worse. He'll probably try to gloss over it and see if Nevada is any better to him - which it probably will.
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