Richard Fowler: Buttigieg, Klobuchar will remain Democratic titans far beyond 2020 presidential race

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Klobuchar expected to endorse Biden after dropping out of 2020 race

Klobuchar ends campaign ahead of Super Tuesday; reaction and analysis from 'MediaBuzz' host Howard Kurtz.

Last summer, I had the distinct honor of moderating America's first millennial-focused presidential forum. The "We Vote Too" Millennial Presidential Forum was the first opportunity for millennials across the country to have their voices heard and their questions answered. One candidate who stood out to the audience was a veteran, a mid-size city mayor and a fellow millennial, Pete Buttigieg. At the time, it was hard to pronounce his name, and it was even harder to see how he would impact the 2020 race for president of the United States.

Since the summer of 2019, Mayor Pete has taken America by storm. He finished first in Iowa. He came in a close second in New Hampshire. And now, folks all across America can finally pronounce, "It's Boot-edge-edge."

Regrettably, his stellar performance in the first two states wasn't enough to move large swathes of the Democratic Party in his direction. As a result, he suspended his campaign for president on Monday. While it was not the outcome his supporters desired, it was a necessary step to consolidate the sensible voters in the party and move the Democrats closer to a nominee who can beat Donald J. Trump.

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Buttigieg also participated in 11 Democratic debates. He exits the stage at almost the same time as his premier sparring partner, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., who suspended her campaign just one day after Buttigieg.

Klobuchar's suspension does not follow any caucus or primary wins, but her campaign did result in significant gains for the sensible politics of the Midwest. It was laser-focused on building consensus and reuniting the country.

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For Buttigieg, the decision to quit the campaign was based on the realization that he didn't have a path to the nomination. Still, that decision doesn't take away from what he accomplished as a candidate and newly minted leader of the Democratic Party. Though Buttigieg was not the first openly LGBTQ+ candidate to run for the presidency of the United States — the first was Fred Karger, who ran for the GOP nomination in 2012 —he was the most impactful. His campaign inspired many to believe in themselves and moved our country closer to the goal of being a more diverse and inclusive democracy.

It is clear that Mayor Pete is a policy wizard searching for a base of supporters. He has a clear understanding of the issues and has worked tirelessly to craft proposals that will move America forward. Where Buttigieg suffered was in wooing diverse voters toward his campaign. In particular, he failed at convincing black and brown voters that he could be an advocate for their issues. This failure wasn't a result of Buttigieg's sexuality. It was a result of his newness to the Democratic Party's national scene and his unwillingness to engage the party's base in a real way.

Now, Buttigieg must plot his future and the role he will play in the moderate wing of the party. This future should include some sage advice from former House Speaker Tip O'Neill, who famously said, "All politics is local." For Buttigieg, "local" comes in two forms — residents of South Bend, Indiana, and the broader LGBTQ+ community.

In South Bend, the former mayor should spend some time healing the wounds in black and working-class communities that resulted from his eight years as mayor. Not only is there a complete breakdown in trust between communities of color and local South Bend law enforcement, but, many residents in the Midwestern city feel Buttigieg's tenure as mayor was too focused on attracting private equity and business rather than making wise and valuable investments in black and working-class communities.

Before someone can be a real player on the national scene, they must first ensure things in their hometown are moving in the right direction. As for Pete, he could start by listening to the voices of black organizers and activists and push his city to create a citizen supported and elected police review board. This move would not only go a long way to rewrite some of his missteps as mayor, but it would also make some waves as a national model to restore trust between communities of color and law enforcement.

Buttigieg ran a historic campaign with his proud husband, Chasten, at his side. Pete and Chasten Buttigieg are a model of modern America. Sadly, far too many black, brown, poor and non-binary Americans have been left out of that model. Buttigieg can use his voice and influence to act as an ally and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community — outside of the prosperous, white, gay male subgroup.

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LGBTQ+ people of color don't need a champion. They need real action on issues of inclusion, access, and representation. Buttigieg can be one of those voices in his party and in the nation. He can use his post-campaign voice to lift the lives of black transgender folks fighting to end the scourge of heinous murders in their community. He can use his resources and donor base to create more spaces for black gays and lesbians — two groups as loyal to the Democratic party as black women. He can also become an ally for the black LGBTQ+ pride movement, and he can be a voice in the fight to ensure that black and brown LGBTQ+ people have access to high-quality health care, affordable housing, and a more just society.

For both Buttigieg and Klobuchar, the Democratic Party's future will be partly theirs to shape. Based on this rollercoaster primary, it's clear that rank-and-file party members are looking for real voices willing to fight for inclusion, representation, and seats at the table for every cross-section of America. Both of these leaders should focus on being that change, and on making the Democratic Party's leadership look a lot more like their diverse voters.

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