Buttigieg offers messages of hope, unity at town hall


Democratic presidential hopeful Pete Buttigieg speaks to a town hall audience Feb. 1 at Strawberry Hill Elementary School in Anamosa. (Photo by Pete Temple)
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Associate Editor

Bringing messages of urgency, unity and hope, Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg spoke at a town hall meeting Saturday, Feb. 1 at Strawberry Hill Elementary School in Anamosa. 

Speaking before a group of about 100 in the school’s commons, the former South Bend, Ind. mayor offered his vision for the future of the nation while encouraging those in attendance to caucus for him Feb. 3. 

“We have come to decision time,” Buttigieg said. “If you’re here as a supporter already, I’m so thankful for your support, and counting on you to spread the word. If you’re still making up your mind, then that’s why I’m here, to have one more conversation about how to move this country forward.” 

Buttigieg noted that he and his opponents have a lot of similarities, but also some differences. 

“We clearly want the same things,” he said. “To make sure that we deliver on everything from climate solutions to gun violence to better health care, to better wages for everybody, to making sure that preschool and child care are available to everybody, and dealing with the need for racial justice in this country. 

“We view these issues mostly the same. The differences among us are mostly in how to get there. But there is yawning chasm between us and this current president. 

“The purpose of the presidency is not the glorification of the president, but the empowerment and the unification of the American people.” 

In particular, Buttigieg noted the differences between himself and Democratic candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. 

“With Vice President Biden, the message is that this is no time to take a risk on someone new. The greatest risk we could take going into a high stakes election would be to fall back on the familiar when we’re dealing with something that is completely new in our politics, like this president.” 

As for Sanders, Buttigieg said he shares many of the senator’s goals. The difference, he said, is that Sanders places it in “a political framework that makes it feel like you’re either for a revolution, or you’ve got to be for the status quo, and there’s nothing in between.” 

Buttigieg pointed out that other issues, such as the economy, education, and global health security will have to be dealt with by the next president, “all while contending with a Washington that is more polarized and paralyzed and divided than we have seen in a lifetime.” 

He took questions from the audience, one of which gave him the chance to point out the differences between his approach to health care and those of candidates Elizabeth Warren and Sanders. 

“The idea of Medicare for all whether you want it or not would mean 100 percent job cuts for anybody who works at any health insurance company in the country,” Buttigieg said. “So I’m working toward a solution that will be a little more balanced. 

“The point is not to make sure the government is delivering your health insurance. The point is to make sure everybody is insured, one way or the other.” 

He spoke of the need to address climate change, stating that people across the country are “seeing the effects of climate change leap off the pages of the scientific journals and into our lives.” 

He also offered touches of humor, stating that after speaking at various Iowa venues over the past several months, people would come to him and say, “That was really good. I think you’re in my top seven now.” 

He repeatedly returned to his message of hope. 

“If there’s one thing I see people have in common, from Democrats, to independents, to what I like to call future former republicans, it’s making sure we get this right. 

“I would argue that some sense of hope must have propelled you into this room. Running for office is an act of hope. And so is caucusing, and so is volunteering, and so is voting. 

“I’ll admit it’s pretty exhausting to watch the news right now. But this is our chance to respond, not to give in to that temptation to walk away from it all. We get to do something about it, and answer that exhaustion with action.” 

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