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| The Candidates: Pete Buttigieg | The Candidates: Pete Buttigieg |
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| Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via RadioPublic | Via Stitcher | Listen and subscribe to our podcast from your mobile device: Via Apple Podcasts | Via RadioPublic | Via Stitcher |
| Today we launch Part 1 in our series on pivotal moments in the lives of the 2020 presidential front-runners. In conversation with Michael Barbaro, Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., spoke about why the presidency has been on his mind since high school and how growing up gay complicated his careful career planning. | Today we launch Part 1 in our series on pivotal moments in the lives of the 2020 presidential front-runners. In conversation with Michael Barbaro, Pete Buttigieg, the mayor of South Bend, Ind., spoke about why the presidency has been on his mind since high school and how growing up gay complicated his careful career planning. |
| Pete Buttigieg was 6 during the leap-year election that delivered George Bush to the White House. That year’s party conventions, playing through a quiet Indiana home, introduced Mr. Buttigieg to the idea of politics. | Pete Buttigieg was 6 during the leap-year election that delivered George Bush to the White House. That year’s party conventions, playing through a quiet Indiana home, introduced Mr. Buttigieg to the idea of politics. |
| “Politics was always in the air in our house, just because my parents were very politically passionate,” he said. “They really cared about what was happening.” | “Politics was always in the air in our house, just because my parents were very politically passionate,” he said. “They really cared about what was happening.” |
| As the only child of two academics, Mr. Buttigieg said he remembered his parents explaining what a convention was and insisting that the family watch both the Democratic and the Republican broadcasts. | As the only child of two academics, Mr. Buttigieg said he remembered his parents explaining what a convention was and insisting that the family watch both the Democratic and the Republican broadcasts. |
| As they listened to Jesse Jackson address the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Buttigieg said, “everything in the house would kind of stop, and it was time to watch what was playing out.” | As they listened to Jesse Jackson address the Democratic National Convention, Mr. Buttigieg said, “everything in the house would kind of stop, and it was time to watch what was playing out.” |
| In our interview, Mr. Buttigieg connected his early political ambition to the last time impeachment dominated national politics, revealing that the presidency has been, even if only hypothetically, on his mind since high school. | In our interview, Mr. Buttigieg connected his early political ambition to the last time impeachment dominated national politics, revealing that the presidency has been, even if only hypothetically, on his mind since high school. |
| “I remember in history class — must have been a junior,” he recalled. “It was during the impeachment process of President Clinton, all the scandal, everything that was going on, and I remember the teacher was just kind of riffing on this and he said, ‘You know, would anybody here ever want to be president or want to run for office?’” | “I remember in history class — must have been a junior,” he recalled. “It was during the impeachment process of President Clinton, all the scandal, everything that was going on, and I remember the teacher was just kind of riffing on this and he said, ‘You know, would anybody here ever want to be president or want to run for office?’” |
| “I just — maybe involuntarily — my hand went up.” | “I just — maybe involuntarily — my hand went up.” |
| Asked why he had joined the military, Mr. Buttigieg cited his family history of military service, a creeping imperative after the Sept. 11 attacks and a sense of obligation after reckoning with his position in the privileged realms of Harvard and Oxford. | Asked why he had joined the military, Mr. Buttigieg cited his family history of military service, a creeping imperative after the Sept. 11 attacks and a sense of obligation after reckoning with his position in the privileged realms of Harvard and Oxford. |
| He then responded candidly to a difficult question from Michael Barbaro: Did he join the military in part because he knew what it would mean for a political career? | He then responded candidly to a difficult question from Michael Barbaro: Did he join the military in part because he knew what it would mean for a political career? |
| Noting that he had asked himself this question, Mr. Buttigieg said, “There is a part of me that thinks, if the answer is yes, does that mean the service wasn’t pure in some way?” | |
| At the time, he said, he asked himself: If being in the military had been as unpopular after the Sept. 11 attacks as it was respected, would he still have done it? | At the time, he said, he asked himself: If being in the military had been as unpopular after the Sept. 11 attacks as it was respected, would he still have done it? |
| “I want to believe the answer is yes,” he said, “but there’s no way to go back and prove it.” | “I want to believe the answer is yes,” he said, “but there’s no way to go back and prove it.” |
| For years, Mr. Buttigieg said, he “packed up” his feelings about his sexuality, ignoring crushes that began at the age of 12. He tried dating women and, when that didn’t work, he tried to focus solely on his career. | For years, Mr. Buttigieg said, he “packed up” his feelings about his sexuality, ignoring crushes that began at the age of 12. He tried dating women and, when that didn’t work, he tried to focus solely on his career. |
| It wasn’t until his early 30s, during a tour of military service, that Mr. Buttigieg contended seriously with whether to come out publicly. After months consulting family and friends, he disclosed his sexuality to the public in the summer of 2015, near the end of his mayoral re-election campaign. | It wasn’t until his early 30s, during a tour of military service, that Mr. Buttigieg contended seriously with whether to come out publicly. After months consulting family and friends, he disclosed his sexuality to the public in the summer of 2015, near the end of his mayoral re-election campaign. |
| When he was ready, the forum he chose was an opinion piece for The South Bend Tribune. “It took years of struggle and growth for me to recognize that it’s just a fact of life, like having brown hair, and part of who I am,” he wrote. | When he was ready, the forum he chose was an opinion piece for The South Bend Tribune. “It took years of struggle and growth for me to recognize that it’s just a fact of life, like having brown hair, and part of who I am,” he wrote. |
| Asked what that moment was like, Mr. Buttigieg said, “I remember resenting the idea that you’re supposed to have to come out, right? Straight people don’t have to come out. Why do I?” | Asked what that moment was like, Mr. Buttigieg said, “I remember resenting the idea that you’re supposed to have to come out, right? Straight people don’t have to come out. Why do I?” |
| After becoming South Bend’s first openly gay mayor, he turned to something that had long been on hold: dating. | After becoming South Bend’s first openly gay mayor, he turned to something that had long been on hold: dating. |
| “So I did what millennials do: I went online,” he said. “Turns out there’s apps for all of this. There is O.K. Cupid, Tinder. The one that actually came through for me was called Hinge.” | “So I did what millennials do: I went online,” he said. “Turns out there’s apps for all of this. There is O.K. Cupid, Tinder. The one that actually came through for me was called Hinge.” |
| One profile stood out to him, he remembered. “I find this guy, this cute guy with the big smile,” he said, “and I’m like, oh, I want to know this guy. So we start chatting.” | One profile stood out to him, he remembered. “I find this guy, this cute guy with the big smile,” he said, “and I’m like, oh, I want to know this guy. So we start chatting.” |
| Nearly three years later, they were married. | Nearly three years later, they were married. |
| On today’s episode: | On today’s episode: |
| Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. | Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Ind., and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate. |
| Jeremy W. Peters, a politics reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times. | Jeremy W. Peters, a politics reporter in the Washington bureau of The New York Times. |
| Background reading: | Background reading: |
| Pete Buttigieg has built his campaign platform around the idea of generational change. The youngest candidate in the presidential field, he says he would be a bridge to a new era of American politics. | Pete Buttigieg has built his campaign platform around the idea of generational change. The youngest candidate in the presidential field, he says he would be a bridge to a new era of American politics. |
| For over a decade, Mr. Buttigieg worried that his sexuality would be “a career death sentence.” Our article explores the inner turmoil he experienced while carefully promoting a squeaky-clean public image. | For over a decade, Mr. Buttigieg worried that his sexuality would be “a career death sentence.” Our article explores the inner turmoil he experienced while carefully promoting a squeaky-clean public image. |
| We asked 21 candidates the same 18 questions. Hear Pete Buttigieg’s answers. | We asked 21 candidates the same 18 questions. Hear Pete Buttigieg’s answers. |
| Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Follow Michael Barbaro on Twitter: @mikiebarb. And if you’re interested in advertising with “The Daily,” write to us at thedaily-ads@nytimes.com. | Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at thedaily@nytimes.com. Follow Michael Barbaro on Twitter: @mikiebarb. And if you’re interested in advertising with “The Daily,” write to us at thedaily-ads@nytimes.com. |
| “The Candidates: Pete Buttigieg” was hosted by Michael Barbaro, produced by Clare Toeniskoetter and Luke Vander Ploeg, and edited by Paige Cowett. Jeremy W. Peters contributed reporting. | “The Candidates: Pete Buttigieg” was hosted by Michael Barbaro, produced by Clare Toeniskoetter and Luke Vander Ploeg, and edited by Paige Cowett. Jeremy W. Peters contributed reporting. |
| “The Daily” is made by Theo Balcomb, Andy Mills, Lisa Tobin, Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Annie Brown, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Alexandra Leigh Young, Jonathan Wolfe, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, Adizah Eghan, Kelly Prime, Julia Longoria, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Jazmín Aguilera, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Austin Mitchell, Sayre Quevedo, Monika Evstatieva and Neena Pathak. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Mikayla Bouchard, Stella Tan, Julia Simon and Lauren Jackson. | “The Daily” is made by Theo Balcomb, Andy Mills, Lisa Tobin, Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Annie Brown, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Larissa Anderson, Wendy Dorr, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Alexandra Leigh Young, Jonathan Wolfe, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, Adizah Eghan, Kelly Prime, Julia Longoria, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Jazmín Aguilera, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Austin Mitchell, Sayre Quevedo, Monika Evstatieva and Neena Pathak. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Mikayla Bouchard, Stella Tan, Julia Simon and Lauren Jackson. |