Read Pete Buttigieg’s Q&A with The State
During his latest campaign swing through South Carolina, Pete Buttigieg talked to The State about his approach to the 2020 presidential race and responds to some common questions about the South Bend, Ind., mayor.
Below is the interview with Democratic hopeful Buttigieg, edited for brevity:
Q: You talked about the importance of community issues in the campaign. As a mayor yourself, is it easier to address those sorts of issues?
In South Bend, housing was not something we discussed in a committee without knowing we had to get out there and act on it. That’s why we set concrete targets for rehabilitating homes, removing homes that couldn’t be saved, and helping people find the means to stay in their own homes in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Anything that gets talked about more abstractly nationally is something a mayor has lived and breathed, from race relations to economic development. I think that on the ground experience is important in a moment like this, when people want to know what these decisions mean to them, and we have a huge distraction in the current president, who makes the whole conversation about him. His supporters and his opponents end up talking about him rather than the issues on the ground.
Sometimes you literally get a 3 a.m. phone call to deal with an emergency, and you’re held accountable by your community for some of the toughest issues you can face.
Q: You would be the first openly gay president. Has that come up as you’ve campaigned in South Carolina?
I’m from a deep red state. Mike Pence was the governor when I came out. I came out during a re-election year, and I got re-elected with 80 percent of the vote. I’m inclined to give voters credit for evaluating their candidates on what we have to offer, and if there’s someone who is a single-issue voter, whose single issue is wanting to continue to discriminate in that regard, that’s probably not someone who’s high on the list of persuadable Democratic voters.
We certainly had an enthusiastic reception from people working hard for equality in South Carolina, but most people are asking questions about health care, the economy, and the future of America’s role in the world. Equality issues are there too and matter a great deal, but really in a way any Democratic candidate ought to be able to speak to.
Q: You would also be the youngest president in history. How do you respond to people who say you don’t have enough experience?
I’ve got more experience in government than the president today, and I have more executive experience than the vice president, and I have more military experience than any president since George H.W. Bush.
So in many ways my answer to the question of age is experience: the experience I’ve had as a military officer or in business, as somebody governing and guiding a city through a challenging transformation, a low-income city that was at a huge disadvantage, and we’re beginning to change what our future looks like.
The most important quality a mayor and a president can have is calling people to their highest value and uniting people morally when a community comes under stress or is divided.
The part that is similar is the fact there’s a policy side, a management side and a moral side… The part that’s different is that Washington has developed so many warped tendencies that make it so difficult for Congress to deliver, even when it’s something the vast majority of Americans want, whether it’s action on climate change, or action on gun violence, or bipartisan immigration reform or higher wages. That has to do with a lot of structural problems built into our politics, whether it’s money in politics or unfair districts. For that reason, someone who comes from outside Washington will be a little less constrained by its habits and ways, and that’s part of what I contribute to this crowded field.
Q: But coming in as an outsider, does that mean you will have to learn your way around Congress, and around Washington?
Well, whenever you’re working with a legislative body, you’ve got to form the right kind of relationships, but we can also change the face of Congress. You saw that happen in 2018, and I was proud to do my small part to help a lot of candidates running for Congress, and we have to continue to do that far beyond the presidency to make sure we have the right kind of leaders there. But I wouldn’t mind if the U.S. Congress started looking more like the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Q: You talk about your background as a naval intelligence officer. How do you see security playing a role in this race?
For one thing, there’s the possibility that a major national security event could occur before the election, and that would be in the forefront then. (But) I want to draw a larger picture of what a security issue is, not just counterterrorism, the kind of thing I focused on in the military. But also recognizing climate is a security issue, pointing to the need to deal with violent white nationalism as a security priority for us, around the world and here at home, and alerting people to cybersecurity threats that can’t be kept out with a wall. I’m looking forward to using my background and expertise in national security to make the case for a bigger picture of what national security means in the 21st century.
This story was originally published May 7, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
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