Pete Beat: Conservative Media Focuses on Buttigieg Following Debate

We know who the conservative media believes won Tuesday night's Democratic Debate.  That would be South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg. His odds of becoming the next US President were set at 8/1, 5th shortest at BetOnline.  The payout would be $80 for every $10 bet.

Buttigieg, affectionately referred to as "Mayor Pete" on occasion (perhaps because few know how to properly pronounce his last name), headlined such outlets as the Drudge Report and Breitbart Wednesday morning.

Fox News' Douglas E. Schoen said the mayor had several strong moments Tuesday night. One of those moments came during an exchange with Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii over President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria.

“Respectfully Congresswoman, I think that is dead wrong,” Buttigieg said. “The slaughter going on in Syria is not a consequence of American presence, it's a consequence of a withdrawal and betrayal by this president of American allies and American values.”

Jim Geraghty of the National Review said Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar were the only candidates who stood out and brought their A-games during what was a "slow, plodding night."

"Buttigieg has always turned in well-prepared performances; if his previous nights had any problem, it was that they were smooth to the point of slickness; he still has that vibe of listening to a presentation from McKinsey Consulting," he wrote. "But if tonight was the pressure night for most of the second tier, with other candidates eager to promise the moon, Buttigieg seemed like the relaxed voice of reason. He also appears to be the lone candidate in these debates to tangle with Tulsi Gabbard, veteran against veteran on the issue of the Middle East and national security, and live to tell the tale. Every candidate tries to tell personal stories about what shaped their values, but Buttigieg does this better than most with his discussion of growing up in South Bend and serving in Afghanistan."

Klobuchar has not yet qualified for the next debate.  Buttigieg has and his campaign coffers are filled.  He's also rising into double digits in the Iowa polls.  That state will be the first to hold a caucus/primary.

Politico featured the headline Will Mayor Pete’s Breakout Performance Actually Move His Poll Numbers?

Author Jeff Greenfield wrote:

Pete Buttigieg offered his strongest performance of his campaign, with a series of forceful, coherent arguments, and at least one contender for quote of the night.  He drew the sharpest distinctions yet between himself and the rest of the still crowded field, and gave voters a preview of the fight he might bring to a one-on-one debate with Donald Trump.

He added:

If I’m right, Buttigieg will get the lion’s share of the “Who won?” judgments, with Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar earning high marks as the moderate voice of reason.

Based on the Wednesday morning headlines, it appears as though Greenfield was right.  Will the voters feel the same way?  This remains to be seen.

- Gilbert Horowitz, Gambling911.com