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“It validates a kid somewhere in a community wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family.”
While we don't quite know the results of the Iowa caucus yet, with the partial results rolling in yesterday, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg's changes of winning the most delegates is looking pretty good. So good that the candidate got a little emotional giving a speech in New Hampshire when informing the crowd of the results.
"It validates the idea that we can expand a coalition not only unified around who it is we're against but around what it is we're for," Buttigieg said of reporting that he had a narrow lead after 62% of the precincts turned in their results. "And it validates a kid somewhere in a community wondering if he belongs, or she belongs, or they belong in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country, there's a lot backing up that belief."
Buttigieg also notably uses the singular they in the speech.
"This is what we have been working, more than a year to convince our fellow Americans of, that a new and better vision can bring about a new and better day," he continued.
Later, a reporter asked him about being emotional on stage and what a possible win meant to him.
\u201cMayor @PeteButtigieg chokes up in (possible) Iowa victory speech: \u201cIt validates for a kid somewhere in a community wondering if he belongs or she belongs or THEY belong in their own family, that if you believe in yourself and your country, there is a lot backing up the belief.\u201d\u201d— Matt Wilstein (@Matt Wilstein) 1580856385
"It's extraordinary," he said. "it's a moment that we have been building towards from when we first opened that exploratory committee with four people in that tiny office in South Bend, no big email list, no personal fortune, no campaign money either -- we had to build this thing from scratch. To see how far we've come and what we've been able to do ... now again, it's the end of the beginning right? There's a long road ahead but it shows you the power of having a message and connecting with voters."
If Buttigieg does win the Iowa caucus he would be the first openly gay presidential candidate to do so.
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Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
Mikelle is the former editorial director of digital for PrideMedia, guiding digital editorial and social across Out, The Advocate, Pride.com, Out Traveler, and Plus. After starting as a freelancer for Out in 2013, he joined the staff as Senior Editor working across print and digital in 2018. In early 2021 he became Out's digital director, marking a pivot to content that centered queer and trans stories and figures, exclusively. In September 2021, he was promoted to editorial director of PrideMedia. He has written cover stories on Ricky Martin, Miss Fame, Nyle DiMarco, Jeremy O. Harris, Law Roach, and Symone.
