With a Democratic Party dominated by the 69-year-old Hillary Clinton and the 68-year-old Elizabeth Warren, the journalists at CBS This Morning are apparently desperate to find a young, dynamic leader for the liberal cause. Apparently, they’ve found him. Not a senator or a governor, but the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.
Co-host Bianna Golodryga enthused of Pete Buttigieg: “The man is known as Mayor Pete in South Bend. He's considered a rising star in the Democratic Party.” She cheered, “Politico calls Mayor Pete a mayor to watch and notes speculation of a future run for governor or even President.”
In case you’re keeping score, journalists have already promoted the mayor of a town with 100,000 people to the presidency. Charlie Rose offered Buttigieg’s talking points:
Washington has gridlocked on important issues, but mayors across the country are taking action. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana is one of them. Pete Buttigieg has worked to bring new jobs and industry to the city. He transformed an old factory into a business park for tech companies. He raised the minimum wage for city employees and now he is working on a paid family leave plan.
Co-host Norah O’Donnell asked this question about the flaws of the Democratic Party, but it came off as a desperate attempt to find the person who can fix it:
A degree from Harvard and Oxford. You are a Rhodes Scholar, worked as and currently a Navy reservist. What — and you are a Democrat. What is wrong with the Democratic Party?
Don't hold your breath for CBS to profile a rising, young Republican mayor. Buttigieg has already been profiled in the liberal Washington Post and appeared on Late Night With Seth Meyers. He’s clearly a Democrat that the lefty media has become infatuated with.
A partial transcript of the July 18 segment is below:
CBS This Morning
7/18/17CHARLIE ROSE: Washington has gridlocked on important issues, but mayors across the country are taking action. The mayor of South Bend, Indiana is one of them. Pete Buttigieg has worked to bring new jobs and industry to the city. He transformed an old factory into a business park for tech companies. He raised the minimum wage for city employees and now he is working on a paid family leave plan.
BIANNA GOLODRYGA: The man is known as mayor Pete in South Bend. He's considered a rising star in the Democratic Party. As a United States Navy reservist, He took a leave of absence in 2014 to serve in Afghanistan. Now, in his second term, Politico calls Mayor Pete a mayor to watch and notes speculation of a future run for governor or even President. Mayor Pete Buttigieg joins us at the table. Mayor Pete, welcome.
PETE BUTTIGIEG: Thank you.
O’DONNELL: I guess they call you Mayor Pete because it's a little hard to pronounce your last name.
BUTTIGIEG: That’s right. Luckily, elections are multiple choice. So they don’t know have to say it as long as they can pick it out of a list.
O’DONNELL: I want to talk about you and what you have done in south Bend. But first, the news of the day. We know the Republican leader in the Senate says he's going to put up a vote for repeal. How would that affect a city like yours?
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O’DONNELL: But you’ve already had, in your state alone in Indiana, seven insurance providers have said we are out.
BUTTIGIEG: Yeah. And when they do, it’s largely citing the instability created by the President is creating talking down a system that a lot of people depend on.
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ROSE: Let's talk about trade and jobs. Manufacturing jobs in America have been going down. Is there something that can be done about that and what impact does trade have on it, which is the mantra of President Trump.
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ROSE: You don't want to start a trade war, but does the President have a fair point in which he says there are trade agreements in place that hurt American workers?
BUTTIGIEG: Well, certainly the case where they feel they are treated unfairly. Not just because of trade —
ROSE: But are they right that they’ve been treated unfairly?
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ROSE: Are we coming to a point where we have to redefine work?
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O’DONNELL: Let’s talk about you. You’re 34 year old?
BUTTIGIEG: 35 now.
O’DONNELL: 35. A degree from Harvard and Oxford. You are a Rhodes Scholar, worked as and currently a Navy reservist. What — and you are a Democrat. What is wrong with the Democratic Party?
BUTTIGIEG: I think we are tying ourselves up in knots over what our message is going to be. And sometimes falling into the trap of thinking it's all about Russia or it’s all about opposition when the thing the Democrats, in my view, have always been about, the reason I'm a Democrat is we are a party that exists to defend and support ordinary people going about their lives. I think that's a powerful message. We have a lot more going for us as a party than we think, if we get back to our values. Get back to our message.
BUTTIGIEG: So, what happened? Why do you need to get back to your message? What happened to the Democratic Party so it lost that. So that in the 2016 election, people didn't think of the Democratic Party that way?
O’DONNELL: Is it too much focus on identity politics?
...GOLODRYGA: You’re a progressive Democrat in a state that Donald Trump won by double digits. Its former governor is now the country’s Vice President. What are some ways you can work together with Republicans on. Because it does seem like that's what this country is craving?
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ROSE: Is there any reason to believe an American with experience and who talks about economics and foreign policy cannot be elected because he or she is gay?
BUTTIGIEG: I don’t know. It’s not for me to say. But when I came out in a socially conservative area, I got reelected with 80 percent of the vote.
