Pete Buttigieg's Focus: Storytelling First. Policy Details Later

[applegrove]

Pete Buttigieg’s Focus: Storytelling First. Policy Details Later.

By Alexander Burns at the New York Times

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/14/us/politics/pete-buttigieg-2020-writing-message.html

"SNIP....

A Times review of Mr. Buttigieg’s writings, starting in college, found that rhetorical task to be a consistent preoccupation. As a student, Mr. Buttigieg, now 37 and the mayor of South Bend, Ind., habitually discussed Democrats’ challenges in terms of language and argument, rather than policy or ideology. Mr. Buttigieg urged liberals in his student columns to speak in terms of “effective political values,” and he recalled corresponding in college with the University of California, Berkeley, linguist George Lakoff, who in 2004 published a best seller about political communication.

In an interview, Mr. Buttigieg said his college writings were no longer fresh in his mind. But then, as now, he acknowledged, he was focused on the interaction of “narrative and politics,” and how parties connect with people beyond policy decrees.

“The story that we tell, not just about government but about ourselves, and the story we tell people about themselves and how they fit in, really grounds our politics,” Mr. Buttigieg said.

Mr. Buttigieg said in the interview that Democrats in 2004 faced a “crisis of authenticity,” with too many “pretending to be more hawkish than their consciences were.”



....SNIP"

[Kurt V.]

1. Obviously whoever tells the best story has the best chance.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

3. Would like to see Mayor Pete start getting down to specifics...

I very much like Pete and his campaign style, but, it's time for him to "start putting some meat on the bones" or he's going the way of the other "flavor of the month," like Beto.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Kurt V.]

5. his specifics lack content, substance and purpose. imo

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

7. They do, but, I'm willing to be a little more patient with Pete and hear him out...

The problem, of course, is you have candidates like Bernie & Elizabeth, who are rolling in content, substance and purpose and, thus, set the standard by which all other candidates will be judged.


Bernie & Elizabeth 2020!!!
Welcome to the revolution!!!

[Kurt V.]

9. i can't argue with this. will they step up?

[marylandblue]

8. He will, and I expect he will start sometime in May

and definitely before the first debate.

[leftofcool]

2. I say think goodness

A presidential candidate who refuses to make pie in the sky promises that he can't deliver later on. I will take him and his husband and I don't give one fuck what some asshole writer at the New York Times thinks

[applegrove]

4. I was thrilled with the part in the article where Buttigieg says he has

been thinking about narrative and politics for a long time. Can't wait to see what other storytelling he does.

[True Dough]

6. Amen!

His policy details are gradually emerging. He's holding plenty of town halls and doing media interviews where he's being put on the spot about specific issues and he's not shrinking violet. But he's not over the top either. Even-keeled Pete. He'll take us a long way.

[Baclava]

10. Great idea! To "Activate the base" first you need to establish your own

Graphs and checklists don't inspire people to stand in the rain to come see you, personalities do.

[applegrove]

11. Have you not heard him say he would start the discussion on ending the

electoral college, slowing moving to Medicare for All and adjusting the supreme court? He's not been a blank slate on policy.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

12. It's great to urge people to talk about their values and grounding and how they fit in.

But at the end of the day, if you're running, you have to take your own advice and talk about your own effective political values. What are they?

[applegrove]

14. He talks alot about his plans and way of problem solving when he does town halls.

There is one tomorrow night.

Link to tweet

[patricia92243]

13. a "crisis of authenticity," Perfect phrase for today's problems. n/t

[elleng]

15. 'he was focused on the interaction of "narrative and politics,"

and how parties connect with people beyond policy decrees.'

[bearsfootball516]

16. That's how most good campaigns tend to operate.

You draw people in with broad ideas at first to pique their interest and then once the campaign gets deeper, so do the policies.

For most voters, you have to get them in the door first before you sell them on your policy. That's what he's trying to do right now. Obama was similar in 2007 and early 2008. He spoke in very broad terms and generalities, then as campaign season got deeper, he did as well.