February 8, 2020

Biden's new anti-Buttigieg ad — with just a soupçon of race-baiting and homophobia.



ADDED: Without first reading my post, my son John wrote his own blog post making the same observation that led me to write this post. Under the heading "Is there a homophobic undertone to Joe Biden's attack on Pete Buttigieg?," John wrote:
Now that Pete Buttigieg has been victorious (yes, victorious) over fourth-place Joe Biden in Iowa, and New Hampshire polls show Buttigieg continuing to gain momentum heading into the first primary, Biden has released an attack ad that paints Buttigieg as a mayor with misplaced priorities.

Biden's ad says Buttigieg "installed decorative lights under bridges" to create "colorfully illuminated rivers," and he "la[id] out decorative brick" on sidewalks.

So Biden is repeatedly trying to associate the word "decorative" with Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate with a serious chance at becoming president.

The repetition of that word — "decorative" — could not have been an accident.

One of the oldest stereotypes about gay men is that they're interested in interior decorating.

Yes, I know: someone's going to say I'm reading too much into it, oversensitive, etc. I know that response.

I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level.
ALSO AT JOHN'S POST: The music playing when the ad talks about Buttigieg sounds an awful lot like "The Sugar Plum Fairy."

249 comments:

1 – 200 of 249   Newer›   Newest»
mccullough said...

soupçon is like garner

tcrosse said...

Soup's on!

Ann Althouse said...

"soupçon is like garner"

You're thinking of "garnish."

Beasts of England said...

Okay, I’ll bite: what’s the soupçon of homophobia - the colored lights? Maybe he just likes Molly...

TheDopeFromHope said...

What? Only gays like colorfully illuminated rivers? That's racist!

Mountain Maven said...

Don't see the homophobia. The cutesy bridge lights and deorative pavers?

rcocean said...

When did Joe Biden do all that? I don't remember him ramming Obamacare through congress or staring down Iran, or passing the Obama recovery act. I don't really remember him at from 2009-2016.

Maybe I was asleep or something.

rcocean said...

Mayor Pete fired the AA fire chief and police chief. Hard to disagree with that. BTW, I'd assume bridge lights aren't just "decorative" they're a safety measure.

Sebastian said...

This works for Pete, no? At least you can believe that he actually did make decisions about the lights and the bricks and the firings. No one thinks Joe made any difference to the ACA, the National Recovery Act, the Iran deal, and so on.

But the soupçon is in the eye of the homophiles. Methinks our hostess is a tad sensitive on certain subjects.

rcocean said...

When did Joe Biden "stand up to the NRA"? was that during 2008 and 2012 when he denied being in favor of gun control?

mccullough said...

I’m thinking “hint” is just a better word. Since the garner debate, I’ve been looking at using the best more common word in writing.

Soupçon isn’t as overused as garner. But I’ve not seen it used in a sentence where hint wasn’t better.

Meade said...

Shorter Biden: I'm not light in the loafers like some small-town mayors around here are. Just sayin'.

Achilles said...

The music and context switches. WTF.

Biden hires people as stupid as he is.

Ken B said...

The race baiting I grant you, but the homophobia is a real stretch. The decorative brick would be just as trivial if the mayor were straight.

I was surprised at how effective the ad was. I say that as a Never Biden guy. But it hit Pete where he is weakest, the fact he has no relevant experience or achievements at all.

mccullough said...

I think “fairy” is the term guys Biden’s age use.

Ken B said...

The occupants of Meadehouse are I suggest over sensitive to homophobia.

Beasts of England said...

The colored lights and pavers are fairly contrasted as frivolous to healthcare, guns, and nukes. Sometimes a pet tracking chip is just a cigar.

rcocean said...

I think it was the "decorative sidewalks" that pushed the Gay stereotype, because that came right after seeing a bunch of pets, and the pretty bridge lights. All that was missing was Mayor Pete pushing the local theater to show "Cats" again.

Diogenes of Sinope said...

Hey the town I live near has done lots of worthless crap like the pavers and colored lights and the mayor is in no way, gay. Isn't it largely presumptive to think these projects should be linked to a city's mayor's gender identity?

rcocean said...

Buttigig can push back with a commercial showing Slow Joe talking about the Rusty razor incident, while showing Mayor Pete in Afghanistan.

tcrosse said...

It's a soupçon garni.

Achilles said...

You all are calling that race baiting?

I deleted my post above. I will try to watch that part again. But the music switches are just bad.

Limited blogger said...

Look forward to Pete's counter attack...

"Pete makes sentences with a subject, verb and object. Biden does not."

Beasts of England said...

The race-baiting was very obvious to me.

n.n said...

Diversity and transphobia... a double-edged scalpel. A coupling conceived, birthed, and progressed in Democrat Chambers. A schism of leftist sects seems unavoidable.

Achilles said...

Never mind.

You all are right.

Biden is actually trying to take Buttigieg out.

Interesting.

Are they really going to pull Michelle in?

Sebastian said...

By the way, at the risk of being banned: garner is not equivalent to get.

Mattman26 said...

Terrible commercial from a terrible campaign.

rcocean said...

I love the "whah whah" clown music whenever they talk about Mayor pete. Subtle.

Limited blogger said...

Now we are in the phase where the party nominee process dings up the eventual winner.

Hope they supply a nickname for mayor Pete so Trump doesn't have to.

tommyesq said...

The takeaway - Pete hasn't done shit (and what he he has done is way more twee than something like mandating classically styled governmental buildings) while Biden has sat next to someone who has done shit and needs to take credit for theat shit to appear less vacuous even than Mayor Pete (other than the Violence Against Women Act, thst was struck down as unconstitutional). You decide, America...

Inga said...

There seemed to be an overemphasis on the use of the word “decorative”. Little Butti the gay man does love to decorate his city, no? Very subtle, but there.

Ken B said...

Sebastian
No, garner is not a synonym for get. Althouse looks silly when she objects to garner being used correctly and idiomatically.

Diogenes of Sinope said...

Just as legitimate criticism of Obama resulted in cries of racism and legitimate criticism of Hillary Clinton resulted in cries of misogyny, legitimate criticism of Buttigieg are bringing cries of homophobia. These are things he did as mayor no one is making things up.

The Godfather said...

At least Mayor Pete actually DID the things the ad talks about. Slow Joe didn't do any of the things the ad claims for him (except maybe help pass the ineffective and expired assault weapons ban).

If Slow Joe wants to gain the Big Mo, he better do an ad taking on Bernie. How hard could it be to do a negative ad on a self-identfied Socialist? Hire Carville.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

The race-baiting was obvious. Any homophobia was not. I think it was more "Look at the trivial concerns of this mayor of a small city in flyover country. Biden's been on the big stage."

Charlie Currie said...

I think Mayor Pete's accomplishments were more beneficial to the citizens of South Bend than anything VP Joe actually did (not the things that he and others claim he did).

Obamacare, the Iran deal and the recovery act were money transfers from working Americans to friends and associates of Obama. So, I guess they made out ok - but, Joe had absolutely nothing to do with any of those...can't even say for certain, he was in the room when they happened.

And, why did they leave out the great gig Joe got for Hunter? That was 100% Joe.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Hope they supply a nickname for mayor Pete so Trump doesn't have to.

2/8/20, 4:37 PM

Trump's already come up with "Alfre E. Newman"

Achilles said...

rcocean said...
I love the "whah whah" clown music whenever they talk about Mayor pete. Subtle.

They couldn't even do clown music well.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

rcocean said...
When did Joe Biden do all that? I don't remember him ramming Obamacare through congress or staring down Iran, or passing the Obama recovery act. I don't really remember him at from 2009-2016.

He did say to Obama "This is a big fucking deal" when Obamacare passed. That was a big fucking deal.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I vaguely remember Biden saying something about firing a shotgun shot through a door. I guess that was "standing up to the NRA."

Limited blogger said...

Alfred E. Neuman is good, but not sure the millennials get the reference.

Is Mad magazine still being produced?

Achilles said...

Diogenes of Sinope said...
Just as legitimate criticism of Obama resulted in cries of racism and legitimate criticism of Hillary Clinton resulted in cries of misogyny, legitimate criticism of Buttigieg are bringing cries of homophobia. These are things he did as mayor no one is making things up.

I do find it interesting that the democrats are going to make Buttigieg defend his long and clear history of racism.

I think it is by mistake. This smacks of desperation in the Biden camp and whomever put this ad together isn't very smart.

I still hope they nominate Pete. It would be a disaster for the dems and the repercussions that would last generations.

But it looks like they might get lucky by accident...

Beasts of England said...

At least they’re finally attacking each other!! I expect entertainment. And colored lights.

Bay Area Guy said...

Biden is Toast. It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020.

An attack ad on the Mayor of South Bend, Indiana?!!! Talk about punching below your weight. My how the might has fallen. The guy needs to go back to hair sniffing

Hagar said...

I see Mayor Pete as "The Howdy-Doody Kid." The other stuff does not really matter. He is still"The Howdy-Doody Kid."

whitney said...

Mayor Pete looks like the mayor of Who-ville

Charlie Currie said...

In the once Golden State, we have mayors and a governor who are out resisting and fighting climate catastrophe and letting the potholes get bigger, the roads and bridges crumble and building tent cities for the next wave of coronavirous victims.

If Mayor Pete wants to run for mayor of my town, I just might vote for him - there will never be a Rep running for mayor here, so why not.

walter said...

Weird use of "then" re violence against women act, which is paired with old video after more recent.
Seems odd to bring up Obama w/o endorsement..which is rumored to be towards Pete.
Yes, yes..I know..Joe didn't want it.
"No joke!"
They used a clip of Pete from last night. I would bet because his new haircut makes him look about 23.

Achilles said...

Bay Area Guy said...
Biden is Toast. It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020.

He wasn't feeling suicidal at the time.

tcrosse said...

Biden is Toast. It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020.

He woke up one morning with a horse's head in bed beside him, courtesy of Hillary.

Wince said...

What I noticed was the female narration.

Not even an "I approved this message" from Biden at the end.

Limited blogger said...

Biden needs to take shots at Mayor Mike.

The only political ads I've seen for a week are Bloomie's.

And they are aimed at Trump; not the other dems.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Limited blogger said...
Biden needs to take shots at Mayor Mike."

I'm waiting for Bernie's commercials against Bloomberg.

Paul Zrimsek said...

Pete put lights under bridges, which showed he's interested only in cosmetic features. Joe passed the Assault Weapon Ban, which proved... umm. Err.

Meade said...

"He woke up one morning with a horse's head in bed beside him, courtesy of Hillary."

The head of a horse named Burisma.

M said...

I immediately think anyone who uses the term homophobia is trying to manipulate the conversation or just ignorant of word definitions.

A phobia is a fear. To not support or like gay behaviors does not necessarily mean you fear them. I don’t like or support the behavior of drug addicts. I’m not afraid of them.

Diogenes of Sinope said...

Who will we have to send our Bittigieg facts to to determine if their publication is homophobic or race baiting?

Meade said...

"I don’t like or support the behavior of drug addicts. I’m not afraid of them."

Point taken. You are, however, suggesting a parallel between gay behaviors and drug addicts' behaviors, aren't you? A, shall we say, soupçon of a parallel?

Inga said...

“Mayor Pete looks like the mayor of Who-ville”

And Trump looks like an Oompa Loompa.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

Colored lights can hypnotize
Sparkle someone else’s eyes


that ad showed how bad both candidates are.

Achilles said...

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...
Limited blogger said...
Biden needs to take shots at Mayor Mike."

I'm waiting for Bernie's commercials against Bloomberg.

You will be waiting forever.

And Bernie will heartily endorse whomever gets the democrat nomination even if it is a Billionaire.

Achilles said...

Sebastian said...
By the way, at the risk of being banned: garner is not equivalent to get.

Oh com'on not this again... >_<

Amexpat said...

Ethics of the ad aside, the execution was poor. Pacing and rhythm was off. Too repetitive.

walter said...

All this talk of soup is making Bernie hungry.

Limited blogger said...

No one will challenge Bernie and vice versa.

His support is monolithic and will not be added to nor subtracted from.

Spiros said...

Nice idea and it's being done everywhere: red, white and blue on July 4th, red and green on Christmas and, sometimes, the local high school team colors to show support when they compete at the state level. This is pretty run of the mill and not "super gay" at all. And, I think, colored lights are less disruptive for nocturnal wildlife. So that's a positive as well.

BUT I hope they're LEDs!!!!

tcrosse said...

Suppose somebody showed, without comment, a picture of Mayor Pete kissing his husband. Some people would be revolted, some delighted. Would that be homophobic?

walter said...

The Pete Channel

Lars Porsena said...

The soupcon gave me a frisson.

Inga said...

“Suppose somebody showed, without comment, a picture of Mayor Pete kissing his husband. Some people would be revolted, some delighted.”

Sometimes we see pictures of very unattractive men kissing beautiful women, is that revolting?

rhhardin said...

Great ad. You have to be careful with plaids.

Ken B said...

Sebastian has garnered Achilles's disapproval. It's an easy get.

rhhardin said...

That's not homophobia. It's finding gays amusing.

tim in vermont said...

Trump is focusing on him too. I think that Bernie is going to be hard to beat though. Bernie has the authenticity of real anger and resentment. He knows that under capitalism, one man exploits another, and dammit! He’s going to turn that the other way around!

madAsHell said...

Joe Biden helped negotiate the Iran deal.

Wow!!

.....and can you really ride Obama's coattails after 4 years of Trump!?!?!?

Meade said...

“And Trump looks like an Oompa Loompa”

Now THAT is what you might call 2 big handfuls of race-baiting and homophobia.

madAsHell said...

Too repetitive.

You're not the target demographic!!!

rhhardin said...

It's not misogyny to find women amusing.

Rosalyn C. said...

I don't know what Pete has done for South Bend but I suspect that the lighting and paving projects are not major accomplishments. I agree that choosing to highlight and demean those projects is aimed at emphasizing Pete's gayness for the purpose of demeaning him. While that's not technically homophobic it is an attempt to appeal to homophobes, or gay rejecters, who would reject Pete on that basis. Recall the woman in Iowa who had no idea Pete is gay and wanted to change her vote when she found out? The Biden team must be tearing their hair out to be this terrified of Buttigieg. So much for diversity.

narciso said...

but buttigeg has vali nasr on his staff, so where did the stimulus money, why is Chrysler entirely owned by fiat now, which would have been ironic in the 'ford vs Ferrari' era,

rhhardin said...

Look at Thurber. A huge feminist, but always finding women amusing.

tim in vermont said...

"By the way, at the risk of being banned: garner is not equivalent to get.”

Except the way it is used 90% of the time, “get” would be more concise and more correct. I think that “get” screws up machine translations, or make it difficult to translate anyway. That’s the only reason I can think of that style manuals seem to have deprecated it.

tcrosse said...

Sometimes we see pictures of very unattractive men kissing beautiful women, is that revolting?

This is something we see every morning when I kiss my wife. She kisses back. I have a number of gay men in my family, so I am not revolted when they kiss. You missed my point.

tim in vermont said...

It’s a great word from Old Norse, I think. IIRC.

madAsHell said...

Mayor Pete looks like the mayor of Who-ville

Think "What Me Worry"?

tim in vermont said...

Mayor Bloomberg looks like the Mayor of Munchkinland. Except those Munchkins were a lot classier. Didn’t try to tell you how to live, just wanted to entertain people and collect a paycheck, so that’s not fair to Munchkins.

Inga said...

“Mayor Bloomberg looks like the Mayor of Munchkinland. Except those Munchkins were a lot classier. Didn’t try to tell you how to live, just wanted to entertain people and collect a paycheck, so that’s not fair to Munchkins.”

Oh yay, I get to say Trump looks like an Oompa Loompa again!

JML said...

I see what you did there: Soup. Soup Nazi. Soupcon. Little Nazi.

narciso said...

more like a puppet, but he wants to abolish reliable electricity, personal self defence isn't really keen on religious liberty, there are plenty of reasons to vote against him,

walter said...

DTSB River Lights

Meade said...

“Oh yay, I get to say Trump looks like an Oompa Loompa again!”

Hey feel free to express every last drop of your race-baiting homophobic soul soup. Don’t repress yourself.

Bob Boyd said...

Joe Biden apologized to Corn Pop and let the black kids play with his leg hair.

Black children have shown zero interest in Mayor Pete's leg hair and he never even met Corn Pop.

We're electing a President. What you've apologized for and let people do to you matters.

Ann Althouse said...

I remember raising the question of the literal meaning of phobia when I first saw the word “homophobia” 40 years ago. But it’s not a new word to be deciphered. It’s an established word. Here’s the OED:

“Hostility towards, prejudice against, or (less commonly) fear of homosexual people or homosexuality.

1969 Time 31 Oct. 61/3 Such homophobia..involves innumerable misconceptions and oversimplifications.
1975 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 4 Sept. 7/3 There is no such thing as the homosexual problem any more than there is a black problem—the problems are racism and homophobia.
1992 When Sat. Comes Apr. 10/1 Apart from the odd nudge-nudge, there was a happy absence of homophobia.
2017 Derbyshire Times (Nexis) 14 Feb. For there to be no homophobia in football it has been highlighted that match officials must document and report any abuse.”

tim in vermont said...

" I get to say Trump looks like an Oompa Loompa again!”

Except Trump can wash the makeup off of his face.

Inga said...

“Hey feel free to express every last drop of your race-baiting homophobic soul soup. Don’t repress yourself.”

Oompa Loompas are gay, huh? They are orange by choice, not by birth.

Ann Althouse said...

“ I’m thinking “hint” is just a better word. Since the garner debate, I’ve been looking at using the best more common word in writing. Soupçon isn’t as overused as garner. But I’ve not seen it used in a sentence where hint wasn’t better.”

I started with “hint” but changed it to “soupçon,” a word I don’t know if I’ve ever chosen before, because I wanted to make Biden seem like a fussy chef, to flip the mockery back where it came from.

Inga said...

“Except Trump can wash the makeup off of his face.”

Well, duh. So can Oompa Loompas who do not exist in reality, sorry to break it to you.

tim in vermont said...

Biden is going to have a tough time wining PA

https://twitter.com/helloitsthao/status/1226290941046059008

John Althouse Cohen said...

I wrote this in a separate post, before seeing my mom's post:

Joe Biden's latest attack ad paints Pete Buttigieg as a mayor with misplaced priorities, saying he "installed decorative lights under bridges" to create "colorfully illuminated rivers," and he "la[id] out decorative brick" on sidewalks. So Biden is repeatedly trying to associate the word "decorative" with Buttigieg, the first openly gay candidate with a serious chance at becoming president.

The repetition of that word, "decorative," could not have been an accident.

One of the oldest stereotypes about gay men is that they're interested in interior decorating.

Yes, I know: someone's going to say I'm reading too much into it, oversensitive, etc. I know that response.

I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

no woman/minority/gay should ever be made to feel bad
or responsible for their own actions, ever

were there more pressing issues in Bend South, Indiana

...than hypofabulosis?

tim in vermont said...

You let me know when Bloomie washes off the short.

Inga said...

“The repetition of that word, "decorative," could not have been an accident.

One of the oldest stereotypes about gay men is that they're interested in interior decorating.”

Ah yes, I agree!

Blogger Inga said...
There seemed to be an overemphasis on the use of the word “decorative”. Little Butti the gay man does love to decorate his city, no? Very subtle, but there.

2/8/20, 4:38 PM Delete

tim in vermont said...

Maybe the writers of the style manuals are trying to do some kind of Harrison Bergeron Handicapper General thing of reducing the expressive power of English.

narciso said...

you see the semantic game, they pull automatically any objection is 'homophobia' after Lawrence, it was 'love conquers hate' and we've seen how that works in practice with Gibson's guitar, and that pizzeria in south bend? and buttigeg was very protective of that mass butcher klopfer, but that's not important right now,

his disdain is for Christians at home, unless you agree with him down the line, has he said anything but platitudes about the coronavirus, we know it's all sloganeering when it comes to making accountable,

Fernandinande said...

Both these assholes are shameless race baiters.

tim in vermont said...

Facebook and Twitter refused to take down a video showing Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripping up President Donald Trump’s State of the Union speech that was edited to appear as if she was doing so as Trump saluted a Tuskegee airman in the audience.

Nancy, you said every page was lies lies lies, so why do you object if that’s how people took it? That the part about the Tuskegee airman was a lie too, I guess.

It’s almost like Nancy didn’t game out her little stunt.

Achilles said...

John Althouse Cohen said...

The repetition of that word, "decorative," could not have been an accident.

One of the oldest stereotypes about gay men is that they're interested in interior decorating.

Yes, I know: someone's going to say I'm reading too much into it, oversensitive, etc. I know that response.

I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level.



You watch that ad and come to the conclusion the people who made that ad were thinking about things on the subliminal level?

I think they were remembering to breath most of the time.

Bay Area Guy said...

"One of the oldest stereotypes about gay men is that they're interested in interior decorating"

But they are fucking interested in interior decorating! Have you ever had a straight interior decorator?!

(Just kidding - lighten up Francis)

Bob Boyd said...

Biden's larger point, that Pete doesn't have the experience and probably shouldn't be President of the United States, is probably valid.
On the other hand, America's experience with Joe Biden tells us for sure that he shouldn't be President.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level.

2/8/20, 5:50 PM

But this is a Democrat primary. And I thought you all were the party of inclusion and diversity and rainbow flags, while the Republicans are where all the nasty homophobes are.

You mean to tell me that's not true?

narciso said...

more of that vaunted civility


https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2020/02/08/police-van-drives-through-republican-partys-voter-registration-tent/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wjxt4&fbclid=IwAR0vbAzZ_XN-hS1UCgnprrrHLXtik1houkCTYdrlp4GAgQhEdt2V7HE3ELM&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wjxt4

Mark said...

Pete stands up for Joe at the debate and this is how Joe thanks him?

Tommy Duncan said...

Blogger John Althouse Cohen said...

"I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level."

Subtle? Subliminal? This Joe Biden we're talking about.

narciso said...

like joe Isuzu:


https://twitter.com/ezralevant/status/1226277439254466560

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

Slo-Jo was contrasting 'decorative' vs 'substantive'

'important' vs lightweight/superficial

War-hero Pete needs to be defended against such nuance?

walter said...

The (lit) bridge is kind of a big deal there..and enough to him to (supposedly) incorporate into his logo.
That Joe's ad focuses on purple lighting could be construed as a tell..but most pics of the bridge lighting seems to be purple.

chuck said...

Another dull day at the Coliseum and I am not entertained. The Democrats need better gladiators. And better music.

Bay Area Guy said...

Joe Biden is a demented, hair-sniffing homophobe.

And he secretly wants young Mayor Pete to fondle his leg hair.

tim in vermont said...

That ad is pretty good. But the gay stereotyping is definitely there. Still Pete is way under-qualified to be POTUS, I don’t care how “smart” he is. IQ is a way overrated thing. I think Trump will go after Pete’s callous treatment of the black community. An issue that Democrats won’t touch.

Meade said...

"Oompa Loompas are gay, huh? They are orange by choice, not by birth."

Wellll... yeah they really kind of are. But go right ahead with your race-baiting and homophobic defensiveness if that makes you feel better. Maybe it's just something you need to express. Perhaps it's cathartic for you.

narciso said...

does that make joe biden, captain oveur from airplane,

tim in vermont said...

“Soupçon” is perfect because it folds in just a little bit of flounce.

Inga said...

“Wellll... yeah they really kind of are. But go right ahead with your race-baiting and homophobic defensiveness if that makes you feel better. Maybe it's just something you need to express. Perhaps it's cathartic for you.”

Wellll, with all due respect, maybe you’re talking out of your ass.

Anonymous said...

Inga to tcrosse: “Suppose somebody showed, without comment, a picture of Mayor Pete kissing his husband. Some people would be revolted, some delighted.”

Sometimes we see pictures of very unattractive men kissing beautiful women, is that revolting?


I must admit, Inga's ability to utterly miss the point of any statement is truly world-class. She'd make a great recurring ditzy character in a comedy series. (Same shtick as Roseanne Roseannadanna, without the light bulb ever going off.)

(Btw, Ing, the answer to your out-of-left-field response: some people would be revolted, some delighted.)

Bob Boyd said...

Pete's openly gay.
Joe's a pervy hair-sniffer going around creeping up on people.

We're electing a President, etc. etc.

Meade said...

(Btw, off topic, I know, but I just came in from observing the full moon. The Full Snow Moon. And let me tell you — it's not just a soupçon of a full moon — it's a SUPER DUPER FULL MOON!)

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

is it a 'decorative' full moon??

Arashi said...

Yeah, well, except that Roseanne Roseannadanna was actually funny as hell. Inga not so much.

As for me, the ad was definitley trying to make Mayor Pete's accomplishments as mayor of South Bend trivial and small, while Biden took credit for major, important things he never did as VP to Obama's POTUS. So the add was not really making its point very well, as most people with at least two functioning brain cells will be able to see through the pettiness.

Paco Wové said...

"Btw... the answer to your out-of-left-field response: some people would be revolted, some delighted."

Possibly at the same time.

Meade said...

It's very light, very moony, very attractive.

tim in vermont said...

It was kind of petty of Biden to do this to Pete, when Pete defended Biden’s sovereign right to collect untold millions. in graft by using his family as bagmen, which is the American way!

Rory said...

That "helped...helped...helped..." violates one of the main rules of resume writing.

Inga said...

‘I must admit, Inga's ability to utterly miss the point of any statement is truly world-class. She'd make a great recurring ditzy character in a comedy series. (Same shtick as Roseanne Roseannadanna, without the light bulb ever going off.)”

I wasn’t going to address TCrosse any further, but I was tempted to JUST BECAUSE I suspected someone like you would come along and assert something like this. I CHOSE to ignore his point and I targeted the notion that people would feel revolted. You are the arrogant bitchy character that assumes that others don’t know exactly what they are doing and why. You are the ditz who didn’t see what I was getting at. It’s like I have to spell EVERYTHING out for you dopes, you have no ability to understand a nuanced argument.

tim in vermont said...

Some commenter here today has some synapses that don’t seem to go all the way up to the neurons, if you know what I mean.

FullMoon said...

The ad allows Biden to plant the lie about achievements . If Pete puts out an ad showing Joe is lying, I will donate twenty bucks in appreciation.

After "No Malarkey", record players, and the Corn Pop tale told to a bunch of kids who grew up with guns in the hood and who did not have a clue about rusty straight razors, amazing they go with the decorative stereotype. Joe's posse must all be in his age group and stuck in the fifties and sixties.

Pretty amazing when you think about it. I'll say it again, don't believe Joe could access the internet or set up a cell phone without help.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

It’s like I have to spell EVERYTHING out for you dopes, you have no ability to understand a nuanced argument.

2/8/20, 6:21 PM

Inga is absolutely hilarious today. Top of her form.

Arashi said...

I don't think Slo Joe can tie his own shoes without help anymore.

Ingachuck'stoothlessARM said...

le non soupçon

Campbell's Chunky:"A soup so big...it eats like a meal**"

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=chunky+soup+eats+like+a+meal&view=detail&mid=A25C054647A3EE5BCC38A25C054647A3EE5BCC38&FORM=VIRE

**racist dogwhistle/"dinnerbell"??

bagoh20 said...

That ad is the best thing Biden ever did. Lots of lies in it, but still. Showing how unqualified Mayor Pete is is a service to the country.

Seeing Red said...

I’m not voting for either so, have fun!

mccullough said...

It’s actually a nice ad for South Bend. I’m going to have to pass through there and check it out.

M Jordan said...

Clever ad. It’s GOOD vs. good.

wild chicken said...

Haha pretty snarky ad.

Hell I'd vote for him. Esp if Klob is VP.

tds said...

re:homophobia

nobody forced Pete do gay things as mayor

wild chicken said...

Haha they're playing "YMCA" at the Dem dinner in NH.

bagoh20 said...

I don't assume that Mayor Pete's lame accomplishments are due to him being gay, but his accomplishments are merely decorative, and that's a serious flaw. Is Biden supposed to ignore that becuase the mayor is gay, like Trump is supposed to ignore that Biden is a corrupt graft monkey just becuase he's running for President?

The facts should never be off limits just becuase they make your opponent look bad, and claiming some special protection is the worst possible defense for Pete or Joe.

Anonymous said...

Arashi: Yeah, well, except that Roseanne Roseannadanna was actually funny as hell. Inga not so much.

Sure she is. As are you.

walter said...

Judicial Watch Sues Pete Buttigieg’s City Administration for Records of ID Cards Created to Help Illegal Aliens

Rosalyn C. said...

Here's from Pete's website regarding his service as mayor (no mention of bridge lighting or paving stones):

"As mayor, Pete worked across the aisle to transform South Bend into a 21st-century city and improve people’s everyday lives. Household income rose by 31 percent. Poverty fell by a third, and unemployment was cut in half. The city launched a tech education center and brought nearly $400 million in private investment to downtown.

At the same time, Pete worked to build a South Bend community where every resident could feel safe and included. His first-of-its-kind municipal identification cards for undocumented immigrants brought residents out of the shadows, while a small business incubator established in a historically-Black neighborhood worked to expand opportunity. And while South Bend’s turnaround continues, the people of South Bend have come to believe in their city once more."

He goes on to mention that he took a leave of absence to serve in Afghanistan.

LA_Bob said...

Bay Area Guy said, "It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020."

2016 was Hillary's Turn. In 2020, Biden jumped on the Last Train before it left the station.

(Soupçon: in some dream interpretations, trains symbolize death).

walter said...

https://apnews.com/ab60f79dbd7961edc9148a14a3c34196

South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg on Monday said he that he didn’t know if he ran a sanctuary city but the police force doesn’t enforce federal immigration laws.

“I regard us as a welcoming city. Some conservative talk show host may say that makes us a sanctuary city. I don’t know,” he said during a town hall-style forum hosted by CNN in Manchester, New Hampshire.

He said South Bend welcomed all people regardless of whether they are in the country legally.

“The president thinks America is full. We’re not,” he said, adding that he supported a path to citizenship for the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants living in the U.S.
<
“We make it very clear that our South Bend police department is not responsible for enforcing federal immigration policy,” he said.
Indiana does not permit sanctuary cities.

LA_Bob said...

"I don't think Slo Joe can tie his own shoes without help anymore."

Oh, baloney. He ties his tongue in knots all by himself.

Wilbur said...

I don't think the ad is a net gain for Biden. It reeks of desperation.

tim in vermont said...

As mayor, Pete worked across the aisle to transform South Bend into a 21st-century city and improve people’s everyday lives. Household income rose by 31 percent. Poverty fell by a third, and unemployment was cut in half.

Kind of petty of Pete to not thank Donald Trump.

tim in vermont said...

I was thinking of voting for Bernie in Florida to fuck with the Democrats, but at. this point I think I will vote for Joe, if he’s still around.

Quaestor said...

...you have no ability to understand a nuanced argument.

Picture Inga's comment in lieu of the spellcheck function.

nooauntsed

Greg the class traitor said...

So, let's pretend that Mayor Pete was straight

Oh, wait, there's no way in the world that the Democrats would even consider nominating a 30-something cis straight white male as President, especially one who's never accomplished anything past being the undistinguished Mayor of a very small city in the middle of nowhere.

but, let's pretend Mayor Pete was straight.

Now, would this still be an effective attack against him?

Yes, it would.

Why?

Because saying "my opponent is a lightweight who's never accomplished anything of value" is a pretty standard attack, especially when one's opponent actually is a lightweight who's never accomplished anything of value.

The kind of voter that attack resonates with? That's the kind of person Biden has the best chance of getting to vote for him.

Sorry, but if the attack also fits into stereotypes for gays, no one gives a shit any more. The race card is maxed out, and so are all the other cards.

The fact that you did something negative, and that thing is something that matches stereotypes of "your class"? That doesn't mean you can't be attacked for it.

Oh, and saying "that's homophobic!" What that says is "you're right, Mayor Pete actually is a lightweight who's never accomplished anything of value."

You want to dispute the ad? Tell us what Mayor Pete has done as Mayor, that was more significant and valuable than decorative pavers.

tim in vermont said...

News4JAX@wjxt4
Jacksonville police said members of the Republican Party were in the tent registering voters when the driver of the van pulled up, drove through the tent and struck their table.


This is the Democrat Party, MSNBC, CNN, WaPo whipping up hate. It’s not just taking a weapon to a softball game to shoot “traitor” Republicans anymore.

traditionalguy said...

Ah ha. He is from SOUTH Bend.! Nuff said.

chuck said...

I also know that political attack ads are designed to operate on a subtle and sometimes subliminal level.

True, true. But it would work better for me if Biden didn't tout his poor judgment, massive failures, and innate dishonesty.

Howard said...

Savage cited a 1992 University of Georgia study that measured levels of arousal in men exposed to gay porn. The study found a strong correlation between homosexual arousal and men who identified themselves as anti-gay or homophobic.

TheDopeFromHope said...

At the next campaign stop, Mayor Pete should bend his bride over, fully clothed of course, but with some vigorous action. Then he should say: “anyone who doesn’t vote for me is a homophobe!“

Lurker21 said...

Did Biden really do all those things, or was he just a figurehead for what the staff was doing on its own behind the scenes?

For some people it might be nice to think that Joe has all the political mastery of a Lyndon Johnson, but why does he come across as inept all the time?

Buttigieg did get the whole country to say "Boot Edge Edge" and to call him "Mayor Pete."

Is that really a plus? Doesn't "Mayor Pete" sound a little childish or demeaning?

If we called the other candidates "Senator Bernie" and "Senator Liz" wouldn't that sound like they were characters from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood?

tim in vermont said...

They want the gay candidate so that they can call anybody who opposes him a homophobe. They wanted Hillary to make the country eat a shit sandwich. They say that they are sophisticated analysts of trend and policy and know what is best for America, but at the base of it, they are like children.

Sebastian said...

“The president thinks America is full. We’re not,”

Of course, this is not what the president thinks and not the point of his policies.

Hey, Althouse, and JAC, would you agree this is BS?

And if you are going to rationalize a vote for Pete, would you mind explaining why you prefer open borders and non-enforcement of immigration law?

tim in vermont said...

"he study found a strong correlation between homosexual arousal and men who identified themselves as anti-gay or homophobic.”

I bet that’s true. Show of hands, who here identifies yourself as anti-gay. I have gay friends, gay associates. What bothers me is not that Mayor Pete is gay, but the idea that his gayness makes him more qualified to be president than probably tens or hundreds of thousands of other Americans with more relevant experience and qualifications.

He’s like ten years out of college. Being gay doesn’t overcome that.

Sebastian said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Sebastian said...

If Mayor Pete had guts, he'd say something like: Obama had never even made decisions about bricks and lights, and yet you supported him.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

Howard said...
Savage cited a 1992 University of Georgia study that measured levels of arousal in men exposed to gay porn. The study found a strong correlation between homosexual arousal and men who identified themselves as anti-gay or homophobic."

Study sounds like total horseshit to me.

"Oh, yeah, I hate gay people. It makes me sick. Sure, I'll sit here and watch gay porn."

Of course, Howard would believe it to be totally valid.

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

"What bothers me is not that Mayor Pete is gay, but the idea that his gayness makes him more qualified to be president than probably tens or hundreds of thousands of other Americans with more relevant experience and qualifications."

Exactly.

tim in vermont said...

"And if you are going to rationalize a vote for Pete, would you mind explaining why you prefer open borders and non-enforcement of immigration law?”

Sneaky Pete doesn’t think voters are smart enough to make the connection.

narciso said...

And its not eleven million, its probably closer to thirty, how many more low skilled workers can we hold.

rcocean said...

"It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020."

Hillary made him an offer he couldn't refuse. Seriously, Biden was a big player in the Obama administration. The Big O and the D establishment wanted Hillary. Biden was considered "old slow Joe". So Goodbye Joe. He only ran this time because the field was super-weak.

rcocean said...

Its hard to say the ad is "Homophobic" since Mayor Pete's big selling point is that he's the First Gay President. Its like pointing out that Warren is a woman, or Harris was black.

rcocean said...

Biden main support is among blacks, Hispanics, and working class Catholics. He's got the RFK Coalition.

DanTheMan said...

>>Jacksonville police said members of the Republican Party were in the tent registering voters when the driver of the van pulled up, drove through the tent and struck their table.

"At some point after, the man stopped, took a video and “flipped off” the people who were inside the tent before driving off. We don’t know if this is politically motivated”

Mighty fine police work. It's probably just somebody who hates tents.

Yancey Ward said...

I love that ad- that is a great political attack ad. Maybe Biden has some fight in him after all?

Mark said...

Biden main support is among the Establishment, the media, and the bandwagon voters.

Yancey Ward said...

There is no homophobia in that ad that I could detect, but then my gayphobiadar 20th century technology. Was it the colored lights? Is talking about colored lights a kind of dog whistle?

Tina Trent said...

I'm calling it. Buttigeig-Biden 2020

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

DanTheMan said...
>>Jacksonville police said members of the Republican Party were in the tent registering voters when the driver of the van pulled up, drove through the tent and struck their table.

"At some point after, the man stopped, took a video and “flipped off” the people who were inside the tent before driving off. We don’t know if this is politically motivated”

But remember, Inga says we're the hateful ones.

Yancey Ward said...

I mean, I could see the soupçon of homophobia if the narrator lauded Buttuvwxyz keen sense of style.

Anonymous said...

How can you read that message as being anti-homo? Silly.

Clark said...

Definitely a soupçon of homophobia (if that is the right word). Because we all know he is gay, there is no need to say anything out loud. The colored lights and the inlaid brick are fabulous.

Titus said...

I like the ad.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

the media played the ad. How is that fair? The media played it like - 'oh this is news... but we are gonna play this ad for you now and call it news.'

The media-establishment like their corruption cream.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Polis will be the next rich D-gay guy to run for prez.

ugh.

Inga said...

“But remember, Inga says we're the hateful ones.”

YOU are the hateful one, don’t drag commenters here into your personal hate circle.

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Wow. I thought that was a great ad. Firing the AA police and fire chiefs will hurt in SC.

Oh and piss off. That was not homophobic.

Matt Sablan said...

It is kind of fun watching Democrats be held to their own standards.

Clark said...

My favorite Chicago restaurant is Carnivale--because of the fabulous colored lights. The food is good too.

Matt Sablan said...

"I do find it interesting that the democrats are going to make Buttigieg defend his long and clear history of racism."

-- Considering how the VA blackface thing fell out, if Buttigief has a history of racism, I think that they'll shrug and say, "Who gives?"

PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...

Maybe OT, but who paid for the decorative lights and pavers?

Were they paid for out of local municipal funds? They should have been since they are only of local municipal benefit.

Or did they get paid for with state or federal monies?

How much did they cost compared to what they would have cost if a company or person had done that on their own property and paid for it themselves?

John Henry

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

What "hate circle," Inga? I'm not the one trying to run over a tent where Democrats are registering voters, or shooting up a baseball field of Congressmen because I don't like their party, or hitting people over the head with bike locks.

That's your side.

PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...

Blogger TheDopeFromHope said...

At the next campaign stop, Mayor Pete should bend his bride over

Is that other guy Pete's bride or his husband?

I've never understood how that worked.

John Henry

exiledonmainstreet, green-eyed devil said...

" Considering how the VA blackface thing fell out, if Buttigief has a history of racism, I think that they'll shrug and say, "Who gives?"

I'm not sure about that. Trump is making a play for black voters. If he gets even 20 percent, it's curtains for the Dems.

The Dems think reparations talk, trotting out the Obamas, and cries of "racism!" will be enough to lock up the black vote. If they're smart, they might realize that it might not be enough given the black umemployment rate.

PuertoRicoSpaceport.com said...

Blogger Bay Area Guy said...

Biden is Toast. It is remarkable that he didn't run in 2016 as a sitting Vice President, but chose to run in 2020.


Sitting VPs have a very poor record. Of the 20 or so who have run, 2 (Van Buren and Bush) have been elected. aBOUT 90% failure rate.

Former VP's have a much better chance statistically. 1 former VP has run and he won. 0% failure rate.

(Not counting founding fathers)

Besides everyone knew it was Hillary's turn. Biden didn't want to end up dead.

John Henry

Lurker21 said...

There's a theory that Buttigieg's rise comes at Warren's expense. He's taking votes away from her, but Sanders will be the ultimate beneficiary, because Warren is his chief rival in the left lane. If Liz drops out Bernie has an easier path to the nomination.

If Biden takes on Pete now, and succeeds in driving Pete's vote down, those voters probably aren't going to Biden. If they liked Joe they'd already be in his camp. So who benefits? Bernie? Bloomberg?

Rabel said...

I'll bet that Mayor Pete is the only candidate to have ever spoken the word "soupçon" unironically and pronounced it right.

Unless Kerry jumps in. He's the only other guy with the requisite pomposity.

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