Democratic presidential candidate Pete ButtigiegPeter (Pete) Paul ButtigiegButtigieg says Iowa ‘shocked the nation’ in caucus night speech Entrance polls: Iowa caucusgoers prioritize electability, health care Trump wins Iowa GOP caucuses MORE on Monday said that his party needs to “galvanize” voters, rather than “polarize” them in order to defeat President TrumpDonald John TrumpButtigieg says Iowa ‘shocked the nation’ in caucus night speech Sanders predicts he’ll do ‘very, very well’ as Iowa continues to wait for results Trump campaign slams Iowa Democratic caucuses amid reporting inconsistencies MORE in November.
His comments, made in a CNN interview the morning of the Iowa caucus, expand on Buttigieg’s pitch that he’ll be able to turn out support in the party, as well as from independent voters and what he calls “future former Republicans.”
“We’ve got to make sure that we are ready to galvanize and not polarize an American majority that is actually strikingly aligned, not just on being against Donald Trump but on what we’re for,” Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., said in an appearance on CNN’s “New Day.”
CNN’s John Berman had asked him if there’s a candidate who could win the caucuses but also have a hard time defeating Trump.
“Most Americans, even in conservative states right now, want to see higher wages, want to see corporations paying their fair share in taxes,” Buttigieg said. “Even issues that have been very divisive in the past and tough for our party, like immigration and guns, are with us.”
Buttigieg is running a more moderate campaign compared to the leading progressives in the field, Sens. Bernie SandersBernie SandersButtigieg says Iowa ‘shocked the nation’ in caucus night speech Campaigns fume about being left in the dark after Iowa results delayed Sanders predicts he’ll do ‘very, very well’ as Iowa continues to wait for results MORE (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth WarrenElizabeth Ann WarrenButtigieg says Iowa ‘shocked the nation’ in caucus night speech Campaigns fume about being left in the dark after Iowa results delayed Sanders predicts he’ll do ‘very, very well’ as Iowa continues to wait for results MORE (D-Mass.).
Although Buttigieg offered support for a Medicare for All plan in 2018, as a candidate, he has split with progressive rivals on key issues, including calling for a health care plan that would allow Americans to keep their private insurance if they choose.
In the days leading up to the caucuses, Buttigieg has directly taken on Sanders as well as former Vice President Joe BidenJoe BidenCampaigns fume about being left in the dark after Iowa results delayed Sanders predicts he’ll do ‘very, very well’ as Iowa continues to wait for results Iowa caucus results not expected until morning MORE, the leading moderate in the field.
On Sunday, Buttigieg told CNN’s Jake TapperJacob (Jake) Paul TapperButtigieg says Democrats must ‘galvanize,’ not ‘polarize’ voters 2020 Democratic hopefuls focus on Iowa while making final pitches Ernst: Trump may have acted in ‘wrong manner’ with Ukraine MORE he is “better positioned to beat Donald Trump” than any of his competitors and dodged when asked if Sanders and Biden would be able to defeat Trump.
Buttigieg claimed Sanders’s message of a political revolution may be polarizing for many Americans, adding that Democrats “can’t afford to polarize,” and claiming it’s not true that voters have to choose between Sanders’s so-called revolution and the status quo.
On Biden, Buttigieg pointed to Democrats’ history of winning with candidates that are “new in national politics.”
— Updated at 12:27 p.m.
Source Article from https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/481165-buttigieg-says-democrats-must-galvanize-not-polarize-voters
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