Buttigieg to drop out of Democratic nomination race day after big Biden win

By Joseph Ax and Trevor Hunnicutt

 

FILE PHOTO: Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg attends a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., February 29, 2020. REUTERS/Eric Thayer/File photo

 

SELMA, Ala. (Reuters) - Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg was preparing to drop out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, an aide said on Sunday, the day after fellow moderate Joe Biden won a big victory in South Carolina.

 

The move shook up the Democratic contest to pick a candidate to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November's election and came two days before the 14-state Super Tuesday nominating contests that will offer the biggest electoral prize so far.

 

Buttigieg, a 38-year-old Afghanistan war veteran who narrowly won the Iowa caucuses last month, had sought to unite Democrats, independents, and moderate Republican voters. He planned to withdraw hours after Democratic candidates commemorated on Sunday a landmark civil rights march in Alabama.

 

Some worshippers at the African-American church where the event was held turned their backs on his presidential rival Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who will first appear on ballots on Tuesday after skipping the first four contests.

 

Bloomberg, a former New York mayor, received a chilly reception at the historic Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma after the pastor, the Rev. Leodis Strong, told the gathering the billionaire businessman initially had turned down the invitation to speak.

 

"I was hurt, I was disappointed," Strong said as Bloomberg looked on stonily. "I think it's important that he came, and it shows a willingness on his part to change."

 

About 10 people in the small church with a couple hundred in attendance stood up and turned their backs on Bloomberg as he spoke about racial inequality.

 

Biden and Bloomberg are trying to present themselves as the party's best choice to take on Trump, saying U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, is too far to the left to win the general election.

 

Black voters are a key Democratic constituency, and Bloomberg has been criticized for supporting the use of a policing practice called stop and frisk in New York City that encouraged police to stop and search pedestrians and disproportionately affected blacks and Latinos.

 

(Reporting by Joseph Ax and Trevor Hunnicutt, Additional reporting by Michael Martina in Detroit; Writing by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Scott Malone, Lisa Shumaker and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-03-02

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That’s a smart move good try Pete kudos ya did all rite!

Thank god. Possibly the worst  example of I ever seen of a candidate for President. Lets hope we have seen the last of this clown.

I'd have thought after Super Tuesday would have been a better time. I also expect a few others to get the message then, or at least the people paying will. It's only 3 more days to wait.

Thought he was the white Obama....most sane people thought so too.

Not suprised with a name like that!

????

50 minutes ago, Nyezhov said:

Thank god. Possibly the worst  example of I ever seen of a candidate for President. Lets hope we have seen the last of this clown.

You do see who’s running on the republican side don’t you lol Pete gave it a respectable try and he is certainly smarter coherent and honest than the present occupant of the White house

Bright guy dispensing the best platitudes and empty speech that high priced political consultants could stuff him full of. Good example for why we need to get dark money out of the political process. While I expect he'll be cashing in by the end of the week, I fear he'll be kicking around for decades in the political arena. Maybe he'll find some humanity and a personal philosophy beyond his own ambition over that period.

10 minutes ago, Tug said:

You do see who’s running on the republican side don’t you lol Pete gave it a respectable try and he is certainly smarter coherent and honest than the present occupant of the White house

Yes Tug, I see President Trump keeping his promises and presiding over a fabulous economy and a renewal of American freedom against the beauracratic state. I much prefer that to a prepackaged, political consultant programmed, platitude spouting, left wing radical, smooth talking arrogant smarmy holier than thou incompetant and inexperienced politician who mouths cliches out of both sides of his mouth while insulting those who have different values from him, all from the major wisdom of his 37 woke years.  I hope, like Beto, we have seen the last of him.

Did well until he came to a state with a large Afro-American community. Cant see many of them voting for a gay bloke.

Weak candidate who threw away $82m in a pointless grasp at glory. Back to being Mayor of the 306th largest city in the US I guess.

1 hour ago, Nyezhov said:

Yes Tug, I see President Trump keeping his promises and presiding over a fabulous economy and a renewal of American freedom against the beauracratic state. I much prefer that to a prepackaged, political consultant programmed, platitude spouting, left wing radical, smooth talking arrogant smarmy holier than thou incompetant and inexperienced politician who mouths cliches out of both sides of his mouth while insulting those who have different values from him, all from the major wisdom of his 37 woke years.  I hope, like Beto, we have seen the last of him.

I see exploding deficits ruined alliances denial of science lots of corporate welfare at taxpayers expense the wrecking of our crappy healthcare system epic corruption the breakdown of our democracy and btw it’s a very unhealthy economy it’s extremely vulnerable as demonstrated this last week that beeing said young Pete gave it a good try 

He will be back, likely first at a position in Biden's cabinet then in 4 years back in the race...

Seems his mom didn't like him out campaigning on school nights. 

President Buttigieg....doesn't really have a presidential ring to it does it? And who needs a warmonger as President....we have enough warmongers as it is.

8 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Thank god. Possibly the worst  example of I ever seen of a candidate for President. Lets hope we have seen the last of this clown.

You haven't seen many examples of candidates have you?

7 hours ago, Nyezhov said:

Yes Tug, I see President Trump keeping his promises

Yup, just like he promised Mexico would pay for the wall.  The check is coming any day now.

8 hours ago, JHolmesJr said:

Thought he was the white Obama....most sane people thought so too.

More like the gay Macron. 

Too young.

Too gay but not gay enough for gays. 

Too white bread with mayo. 

Not enough charisma. 

Mayor of too small of a town. 

Lousy record with black people. 

Couldn't really tell you what he stands for. 

 

But he did make history. 

 

Bye bye Pete. 

33 minutes ago, oobar said:

Yup, just like he promised Mexico would pay for the wall.  The check is coming any day now.

You forgot his promised best Healthcare and next weeks infrastructure too. But he did give himself and his rich friends a hug tax break and the deficit is historic.

Pointless exercise.  Just selecting cannon fodder to be slaughtered at the election.

1 hour ago, kamahele said:

You haven't seen many examples of candidates have you?

Only since like 1960. How about you?

My bet is he was politely told to drop out in order to help Biden on Super Tuesday. A plum cabinet type job was probably dangled in front of him for his cooperation. There is no other logical rationale to drop out two days before Super Tuesday, given he was 1st in Iowa and 2nd in NH. Sure he was going to eventually leave but the timing is highly suspect.

The Party leaders are scared to death that Bernie will be the nominee and they are fixing the game once again to screw him. 

13 minutes ago, phkauf said:

My bet is he was politely told to drop out in order to help Biden on Super Tuesday. A plum cabinet type job was probably dangled in front of him for his cooperation. There is no other logical rationale to drop out two days before Super Tuesday, given he was 1st in Iowa and 2nd in NH. Sure he was going to eventually leave but the timing is highly suspect.

The Party leaders are scared to death that Bernie will be the nominee and they are fixing the game once again to screw him. 

I find that rather ridiculous. He was running out of money. A poor showing in SC sealed the deal. He has zero appeal to African Americans. 

Yes, with a name that I had trouble pronouncing, and thinking of all the bad

jokes, about, gay rights and Peter Buttigieg spouting from Trump would not

have made things ay easier for the media.

Geezer

Pete drops out so his votes will go to Biden.  Another action in the conspiracy to rob Bernie of the nomination, again.

27 minutes ago, phkauf said:

My bet is he was politely told to drop out in order to help Biden on Super Tuesday. A plum cabinet type job was probably dangled in front of him for his cooperation. There is no other logical rationale to drop out two days before Super Tuesday, given he was 1st in Iowa and 2nd in NH. Sure he was going to eventually leave but the timing is highly suspect.

The Party leaders are scared to death that Bernie will be the nominee and they are fixing the game once again to screw him. 

That's exactly what's going on!

eDoes actually believe that a Sodomite qualifies to become the President of the United States? 

Interesting results, in March we will have a better idea. Sanders is the stronger but Biden too beats trump almost all the match ups. Emerson College is the one exception.

2 hours ago, earlinclaifornia said:

You forgot his promised best Healthcare and next weeks infrastructure too. But he did give himself and his rich friends a hug tax break and the deficit is historic.

Plus I hear his golf game has improved.