Name: Pete Buttigieg sits in after the New Hampshire debate | ABC News
Uploaded: 2020-03-12T01:51:35.000Z
Duration: 6 min 30 s
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on joining us now, that quote unquote cool newcomer from Senator Amy Amy Klobuchar.

Mayor Pete, thank you so much for joining us.

You had a strong showing in Iowa victory with Senator Sanders.

And tonight you had a very big target on your back.

Well, it's to be expected we're competing for the highest office in the land.

But what I was able to do this evening is share a vision that I see so many Americans hungry for.

Especially here in New Hampshire, where I'm seeing not just fellow Democrats, but a lot of independence who are just sick of the status quo, hungry for change and insisting on a way to do that, to bring that change to govern and a win things about inclusion, belonging and bringing more people in that served us very well up to this point.

And that's gonna be our focus connecting with voters here on the ground in New Hampshire.

To you know, there was a moment of the beginning the debate when George Stephanopoulos asked everyone if they'd be okay with a Democratic Socialist at the top of the ticket if anyone had a problem with it.

I think only Senator Klobuchar raised her hand.

Well, look, I think it's certainly problematic in terms of the approach this Senator Sanders is taking because effectively says if you're not with us 100% of the time, you don't even belong in this movement.

Now I'm going to support whoever the nominee is.

Of course, I am working to make sure that I am that nominee.

But we also got to remember that we've got to come out of this.

You used a phrase that struck me, and it was command people when you were talking about Senator Sanders and some of his programs.

And to me, is somebody whose parents fled Cuba.

Essentially, Senator Sanders could could be a danger to this country as a socialist.

This is just why I don't think that that health care proposals put forward is a good idea.

It tells everybody you've got to get on this plan whether you want to or not.

And if somebody who actually believes I believe that we can do better with a public plan.

I also believe that the right way to do it is to give people a choice.

Let's have a little bit of humility about our policy.

After all, if we're right as Democrats, that that public plan will be the best one fool that everybody's gonna want it, What if we're wrong?

At least in the case of some families or some people, I'm thinking a union workers who negotiate excellent private plans, sometimes at the expense of their wages.

Why would you order them onto ah, public plan if they'd rather be on something else, Let them decide way still solve the problem.

There's no such thing as an uninsured Americans, and it also doesn't divide the country the way that this plan would.

One of the knocks on you is that you have a problem with minority voters, and after we leave New Hampshire here, where your poll numbers are up, we go to Nevada, and in South Carolina you've had issues at home with black constituents.

What do you say to people who say you can't unify this party and they're not rattling around you.

People of color are not rallying around you.

Minority voters, especially those who know me best in South Bend her among my strongest supporters.

That's why we've got so much support from black elected officials in my community.

We also saw that moment earlier, though, but before the voting started, when when residents confronted you and asked you if he even cared about black people.

We had a really tough situation when we had a police shooting in our city.

Look, I don't get the luxury of just calling for good things to happen or debating these issues and committee rooms, air, just taking votes on them.

When you're a mayor on the ground, you have to deal with these things and they're tough.

And of course, we did not fix systemic racism in eight years in South Bend.

But they're only telling part of the story of somebody's pointing to the challenges we face.

We were nationally recognized for a race informed work on creating economic opportunity, cut black unemployment, cut black poverty.

It took real steps on reforming policing, too.

And that's the story that I want to make sure that people here from South Bend, and it's why making sure they hear it not only for me, but from black elected officials in my hometown who are supporting us on the road.

Following the debate, we talked with our powerhouse panel here and for a lot of the people on this panel in some of smartest political minds in the game.

They said there was the moment when our colleague Lindsey Davis asked you about your record when it came to drugs and prosecuting criminals prosecute people who use drugs.

Looking back on your record, Do you wish you would have done things differently?

And are you re examining your record on drug abuse?

This is exactly why I'm calling for systemic change.

Look, the clear solution here is for us to legalize marijuana, period.

But on the ground, in cities across America, South Bend, but every other city to we don't just get to debate these things or say what we think auto happen.

We have to roll up our sleeves and work to get things done.

And as a mayor of a diverse low income city, I will arrive in the White House with an understanding not just of the theory, not just the plan's not just of the right things to say, but of the good, the bad and the ugly of what it takes to deliver riel progress on these issues.

One of the people of our panel is, of course, governor Chris Christie, who went toe to toe with President Trump when he ran four years ago.

And it's his opinion that someone like you who hasn't been tested yet in his opinion, wouldn't be able to stand up to Trump.

You know, I've taken worse forms of incoming than a tweet full of typos.

I'm gonna be just fine going up against this president.

But I'm also not going to allow this president to change the subject.

You know, the key here is to make sure that we have an election focused on voters lives.

That's what's on the minds of the voters that I'm talking to, whether I'm in New Hampshire or in other places.

The fundamental question of every election is how's my life gonna be different as a voter if you're president instead of you.

I'm the one trying to get everybody raise.

I'm the one prepared to deliver health care in a way most Americans can get on board with.

I'm serious about making sure we actually act, not just talk on issues ranging from climate change to gun violence.

I'm not afraid to confront this president, but I'm not going to let him make it all about him.

Finally, Mayor Pete, there are some of the party that are raising concerns that the party's moving way too far to the left.

It sounds like you're raising that same concern.

What do you want to tell people in the party who maybe are with Senator Sanders or with other candidates who are on your side?

What's your argument would be to bring them into your coalition?

Here's my message to progresses in the party.

I would be the most progressive presidential nominee we've put forward in a generation.

It's just that I've also found a way to put forward these issues that waken bring more and more people on board with.

We shouldn't measure the boldness of an idea by how many people it turns off and how much controversy it can generate.

We should measure it by how many people we can bring in to do something big that will make a difference in our actual lives.

I would be a president who could deliver that changed, not just say the right things, but make it happen.

All right, Mayor Pete, Thanks so much for your time.