Rivals are scrambling to dig up dirt on Pete Buttigieg

[brooklynite]

NBC News

SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Caught off guard by his sudden surge, Pete Buttigieg's rivals are scrambling to find vulnerabilities and lines of attack that can be used against him, five officials with opposing Democratic primary campaigns and Republican political groups tell NBC News.

The situation is different than with Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Biden, Democrats who have long been on the national scene and were widely expected to run for president. Potential rivals and GOP campaign groups have spent years hunting for dirt — known in political parlance as "opposition research" — that could be deployed against them. Major political groups had entire books of "oppo" ready to go by the time those candidates entered the race. Biden is expected to enter formally this week.

In contrast, Buttigieg was on nobody's radar as a serious presidential contender until a few weeks ago. As a millennial who has never held an office higher than mayor of a midsize town, his record is largely unexamined.

Now his competitors are rushing to file a flood of Freedom of Information Act requests, according to officials, collecting everything he's ever said in public or posted on social media, and poring over years-old budgets from South Bend, Indiana, where he's served as mayor since 2012.

[Renew Deal]

1. OMG. Let me see the budget!

[lapucelle]

2. Which rival[s]?

[murielm99]

3. I think you know which

rival(s).

p.s. Some of them claim to be undecided.

[Peacetrain]

11. +1000

[crazytown]

4. TYT sent people there

https://tyt.com/stories/4vZLCHuQrYE4uKagy0oyMA/2bmmTSQD7wsAQXplMP6XVY

[lapucelle]

5. They also sent a list of questions.

Buttigieg campaign Press Secretary Chris Meagher responded Sunday to a list of questions from TYT. "These unsubstantiated allegations and rumors are too far-fetched to merit a response," Meagher wrote.

So much for avoiding a pervasive predatory culture this time around.

[Celerity]

12. TYT is the Info Wars of the regressive left, wait until they take a pick axe to Biden

[SFnomad]

8. Rivals ... equals .... multiple operatives from a single candidate

And we can all guess which candidate that is.

On Edit: They don't allow the 'equals sign' in the headings?

[Blue_Tires]

6. They'll find something sooner or later...

no respectable millennial is THAT respectable...

[leftofcool]

7. Of course they are.

Gotta be some dirt on the smart guy somewhere.

[mcar]

9. Disagree with framing

Vetting a candidate isn't "dirt," it's vetting. Mayor Pete has had a great start, but he's largely an unknown. It's completely appropriate for other candidates, and the media, to look at his background, record, etc.

All the other candidates are subject to it - why not him?

[murielm99]

13. Honest vetting is fine.

I expect Pete to have some flaws and mistakes. None of our candidates are perfect.

TYT is not honest. They are digging dirt.

[mcar]

14. I didn't see TYT in there

You are correct, try are going for dirt.

[cwydro]

15. I was called a racist right here on DU because I said I thought Cenk was horrible.

What makes that even funnier is that I had no idea of his heritage.

[murielm99]

20. He is horrible.

Does that make me a racist, too?

[Hassin Bin Sober]

17. Lol. Honest vetting.

50 year old essays = fine honest vetting

7 year old “racial animus” lawsuit = digging dirt not fair!

[Indyfan]

10. They are envious of his intellect, fame, media savvy and the explosion in grassroots support

[leftofcool]

16. You bet they are

Pete is the smartest candidate we have.

[mtnsnake]

18. I'm calling bullshit on the author because he doesn't name just who the supposed rivals are.

The author, Josh Lederman, says "One official from a rival Democratic presidential campaign described Buttigieg as "a 37-year-old kid mayor, who nobody knows anything about."" but he fails to mention who that rival is.