Last week, I highlighted an interview in which President Trump weighed in on the growing cultural normalcy of seeing Mayor Pete Buttigieg campaigning with his husband on the trail -- calling it "great" and stating that he has "no problem with it whatsoever." On a related note, I was recently quoted in Politico on the subject of Buttigieg's run for president, and how it's being received by right-leaning members of the LGBT community. Here's what I said:
Guy Benson, a prominent conservative commentator who is gay, has jumped into Twitter debates to challenge derogatory statements about Buttigieg...“I think by just existing and doing his thing, it’s a step forward for the community,” Benson said in an interview. “It just kind of seems normal, which is I think indicative of progress. In terms of him as a candidate, I think he is undeniably very bright. I think he is interesting. I think he can be very thoughtful on topics and deeply informed on a number of policy areas.”... Benson, for instance, said he can’t support Buttigieg because of where he stands on issues like health care and abortion. “For me, he’s for single-payer health care and did not lift a finger to criticize or depart from the [Democratic] Party’s abortion fanaticism. So he’s completely disqualified in my book in terms of owning my vote,” Benson said. “That doesn’t mean he doesn’t have my respect. But I cannot vote for him because policywise, he is unacceptable to me on key fiscal and social issues.”
In his Fox News 'town hall'-style meeting on Sunday, Buttigieg went beyond merely acquiescing to his party's fanaticism on abortion. He embraced it. The South Bend, Indiana Mayor appeared to rule out any legal restrictions on the practice, at any stage of pregnancy:
In a Fox News town hall, Democrat @PeteButtigieg says he doesn’t want the government to restrict abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) May 19, 2019
“I trust women to draw the line.”
Does 'Mayor Pete' trust the lopsided majority of American women who support drawing the line after the first trimester of gestation? Does he trust the overwhelming majority of American women who favor increased limitations on abortion-on-demand? Also, how far does this deference go? If, hypothetically, a woman carrying a fully viable unborn girl decided at the last minute that she'd strongly prefer a boy, so she chose to end that viable human life for that reason, would that decision be a perfectly acceptable decision and worthy of 'trust'? Buttigieg went on to downplay late-term abortion as relatively rare, but Jonah Goldberg notes the serious flaw in that deflection:
Fewer than 1% of executed prisoners are innocent. Fewer than 1% of captured enemy combatants are tortured. Fewer than 1% of minorities questioned by police are shot. I just don’t understand the moral logic or saying because something bad is rare we shouldn’t care. https://t.co/9nPjyZhwQL
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) May 19, 2019
Only a small fraction of sexual encounters in America are non-consensual. Imagine making an argument against laws barring rape and sexual assault because consensual sex was the societal norm. And we're still talking about thousands of late-term abortions every single year, the large majority of which are not medically necessary, according to the abortion rights-supporting Guttmacher Institute. There's also this trenchant counterpoint, in light of liberal rhetoric and policy passions:
The estimated number of late-term abortions performed annually in the U.S. exceeds the number of gun homicides reported by the FBI. https://t.co/SGCkmxuTef
— Alexandra DeSanctis (@xan_desanctis) May 20, 2019
If anyone still seriously doubts the leftward lurch of the Democratic Party, look no further than the platform of Buttigieg, touted in press accounts as a contender in the alleged 'moderate lane' of the 2020 primary. I'm curious to know whether his alignment with the California-New York sensibilities of his party's national base could come back to haunt him if he decides to seek statewide office in Indiana down the line, which seems likely. I'll leave you with President Trump grousing on Twitter about Fox News hosting Buttigieg in a forum anchored by Chris Wallace:
....who got them there. Chris Wallace said, “I actually think, whether you like his opinions or not, that Mayor Pete has a lot of substance...fascinating biography.” Gee, he never speaks well of me - I like Mike Wallace better...and Alfred E. Newman will never be President!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 19, 2019
Over to you, Brit:
Say this for Buttigieg. He’s willing to be questioned by Chris Wallace, something you’ve barely done since you’ve been president. Oh, and covering candidates of both parties is part of the job of a news channel. https://t.co/D8yQE2kfYF
— Brit Hume (@brithume) May 20, 2019